Next up is another transcription of one of my arrangements. This one is a great melodic reel called Granny In the Corner. Irish tunes sure do have funny names. I picked it up from my friend and teacher Steve Baughman during a trip to San Francisco back in May.  He started flatpicking it and I just knew it would make a good fingerstyle arrangement. It is one of those melodies that just sounds great, has a good sense of space, and lays easily on the fingerboard. Here is the audio and notation/tab

This piece originally appeared in a recent Portland Classical Guitar Society newsletter, and i also wanted to make it available here for readers of my blog. I apologize for the PDF not having the correct title. I seem to have lost the original file I created with my Sibelius notation software, as I did not learn the title of this tune until recently.

One can play this piece pretty simply or fancy it up a bit. I play the triplets ring, middle, and index finger, and indicate them as much  with A M I, which is standard classical guitar notation. You can play them that way, or any other way you see fit. The important thing is the rhythm. I know some folks play them index, middle, and index. Tony Mcmanus uses his thumb nail for triplets on the bass strings, in a down up down motion. One option is to not play the triplets at all and just play a longer sustained note. That would work perfectly fine.   Then add them in later as your technique improves.

Pay attention to the bass note off the beat in measure six. I think its a nice unexpected variation but may trip you up the first time or two trying it. I really like how that sustained C note in measures three and seven allow you to do that C appregio into the next melody note. Its a nice technique to use when arranging pieces that have sustained melody notes.

I hope you enjoy the piece, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with questions. Happy picking.

Anton

I want to talk today about a new tuning I have been playing with, and present a simple arrangement to go along with it.

I am mostly known for using the Orkney tuning which is CGDGCD. I picked it up from Steve Baughman many years ago and it has been my main tuning ever since. I used it for all the tunes on my cd, and generally play rhythm backup in it with a capo at the second fret when at irish sessions.

I think its a really great tuning, especially for arranging in G and C, obviously. The second interval between the first and second strings allow for some nice harp effects and playing across the strings.

That being said I have been feeling the pull to do some different things lately, and explore another tuning. One downside about Orkney is that flatpicking in it is not the easiest, in my opinion.  I usually backup with a capo at the second fret, means the strings are tuned to DAEADE. So unlike most other tunings there is no open D note on the fourth string. This is kind of pivotal for celtic music, since that note comes up in tunes a lot. I could grab it on the fifth string fifth fret with my pinky, but that is kind of awkward, especially playing fast.

I could also pull off the capo and then flatpick, which would give me an open D on the fourth string. But that is not my preferred configuration for backup, and I hate to switch back and forth.

So enter this new tuning I have been playing with, CFCGCD. You can see its similar to Orkney except the fifth and fourth strings are tuned down another whole step. Steve Baughman uses it some on his newest cd and his celtic guitar DVD. I also recently found out that it has become one of John Doyle’s main tunings as well. If two guitarists I admire are using it I might as well try it out.

Without a capo it obviously works well for the keys of C and F, but I think its main strengths are with a capo at the second fret, giving you the tuning of DGDADE. You’ve got open D and G notes in the bass, which are common in celtic music. If you ignore the sixth and second strings you get the notes GDAE, which are the same as the mandolin. Flatpicking in most of the common celtic keys seems easy enough.

I have only worked out a handful of chords, and this is where it will probably just take a while to get used to some new things. I am so familiar with the chords in Orkney, and all the little riffs, runs, and tricks I can use the when backing up a tune.  Now its just a matter of learning where those same shapes and sounds lie in this new tuning.

I probably won’t totally switch tunings for good. I still know Orkney better and can see where it is more advantageous when arranging certain things for fingerpicking. But I am enjoying exploring this new tuning and trying some different things.

To wrap things up I want to present a simple arrangement of the standard reel, The Mountain Road. Its nothing super complicated, just a standard melody plus baseline arrangement.  I have included some triplets in places, which I usually play ring, middle, and index finger. ?I also vary the bassline a bit to make things more interesting. The arrow above certain notes indicaites a technique called the Middle Finger Thwack. You basically flick the given string with your index finger, produced the note but also a percussive effect.

This tune works well with an arrangement of the Banshee, another traditional irish reel. I will present that one in a future blog post.

Mountain Road TAB

Check it out and let me know what you think. I have a feeling I will be exploring this tuning more in the coming months.

Anton

I have a new Celtic Guitar Masterclass column up at Guitarbench.com  This one is a beginning celtic fingerstyleg guitar piece called the Irish Sea.  Its a simple arrangement in the Orkney tuning that will get folks started, and I hope will provide some ideas for some of their own arrangements.

I hope you enjoy it, let me know if there are any questions.

Anton

Hi Folks,

Sorry this blog post is a bit overdue.  Its more time consuming than i thought to notate all the parts of the arrangement, then record it, and make sure everything matches up.

I found some mistakes in the Tobin’s part 1 post, sorry for that.  I had forgotten about the capo at the second fret when i notated some up the neck positions.  In addition, i am playing around with SoundCloud.com to host my audio files from.  That way you get a player here in the blog post, and if you want to download the file just click on the little downward pointing arrow to the right of the player.

So to start you will want to download the PDF’s for this lesson.  There are two, the B part of Tobin’s Jig and then the full tune.

Tobin’s B part
Tobin’s Full Version

 One of the nice things about alot of celtic tunes is that sections of the A part may also come up in the B part.  So once you have learned the A part you almost know the whole thing.  Tobin’s is one of those tunes, the B part only contains two new measures, everything else you have seen in the A part.  So this should be pretty easy. 

So take a look at example one on the PDF and give a listen to the track below

Pt2Tobins1 by AntonEmery

I play it pretty simply, all in first position, using the basic bass notes that correspond with the chord changes of the tune.  As i did with the A part, often times this is a good place to start when outlining an arrangement of a tune.

Next comes example 2. I have added a B note in the bass on the first measure for some harmonic variation. In addition, i got up the neck like i did in the A part. Pay attention to the second to last measure.  I have phrased a bit different, adding in a three note ascending triplet by hammering on.  It adds some nice variation, and is common in celtic music.  There are often times small variations between players for a given tunes.

  Pt2Tobins2 by AntonEmery

Then we have example 3.  Rather than play the first phrase on the first string i have opted to play it on the second string higher up the neck.  I feel this adds a bit of richness and fullness to the tone.  Be sure to catch the two string barre in the that measure, as well as grabbing the F# with your pinkie, its neccessary for that phrase.  Or feel free to play it differently, and let me know! 

  Pt2Tobins3 by AntonEmery

Example uses alot of the up the neck voicing we saw in the A part, as well as some varying bass notes in measures 5 and 6. Pay attention to the G note triplet in measure 3.  There are a variety of ways to play this with the right hand.  I play it ring, middle, and index finger, or in classical guitar terms, A M I. Steve Baughman often interjects his thumb in there, and i am not sure how Tony Mcmanus does it.  Find a way that works for you, and feel to comment if you have a question about that. 

Finally we have the full version of Tobin’s Jig.  This is both the A and B part, as i would play it on a cd or in concert.  I can’t say this is how i would play it every time, I will often play certain bits differently depending on what i am feeling or where i want to play on the neck.  I have combined some different aspects from the various examples we looked at.

  Pt2Tobinsfull by AntonEmery

So thats it for this two part blog entry on arranging Tobin’s jig.  I hope folks enjoyed it, and got something out of it you can apply to your own playing.  Feel free to get in touch or leave a comment with feedback.

Anton

Hi Folks,

One of my readers suggested i post a blog topic about technique, how i work through an arrangement, getting a tune up to speed, etc.  I thought i would try to cover some of the topics in the context of working through an arrangement from start to finish.  That way folks can see where i am coming from, and more importantly to me, gain an understanding of the tools they need to start arranging their own tunes. 

The tune we will be looking is Tobin’s Jig, also called Tobin’s Favorite, with both TAB/Notation and audio examples.  Its a standard at sessions, played in the key of D, and thus works well in the CGDGCD tuning with the capo at the 2nd fret.  So you will want to download the lesson pdf for the tab and notation, as well as the mp3 examples. This entry will get into the A part, and the next blog entry will look at the B part, plus the whole piece. Maybe I will record some video too. I have intentionally played the guitar examples slower and more flowing, so folks can hear whats going on. The final version will be more up to speed.

Lesson PDF Download
Tobins on flute
Example 1 Audio
Example 2 Audio
Example 3 Audio

As far as technique goes, i am principally rooted in classical guitar technique.  I studied classical guitar for several years while in high school and college, and pretty much went from that straight into arranging celtic tunes.  I found the technique carries over pretty well to playing this kind of music, though it is certainly not the only approach.  Robin Bullock uses finger picks and Tony Mcmanus uses a different right hand attack. Find what works for you.

I think being able to play scales using various of permutations of Index, Middle, and Ring fingers with the right hand, as well as different right hand appregios, will serve one well when fingerpicking this music.  I started out with Aaron Scheerer’s Classical Guitar book, and I like Pumping Nylon alot as well, especially the Guillini appregios in the back.  Even though I don’t specifically play classical guitar music anymore I use alot of the warm up studies in Pumping Nylon, they are valuable for any fingerpicking guitar style.  In fact, I think if you are not already committed to a certain fingerpicking style getting a basic grounding in classical guitar technique can’t hurt.

I have not been using a metronome lately, though that is probably just lack of discipline on my part.  Once i get an arrangement into muscle memory i tend to just play it over and over, refining things until its up to speed. 

So lets look at Tobin’s Jig.  When setting out to arrange a tune i always listen to it alot first.  At home, in the car, etc.  I get it in my ear and under my skin, trying to absorb the melody, lilt, and delivery.  Then I sit down and actually try to learn the tune.  I always encourage folks to learn traditional music by ear, though sheet music is fine when first starting out.  I feel learning by ear is the best way to absorb the rhythm that is so neccesary to this music, you will remember tunes better, and eventually get to the point where you can pick up things on the fly at the session.  Windows Media Player and Quicktime will slow down mp3′s, which is handy when learning some of the fast stuff. 

Tobins on flute

So in that vein the first audio example is me playing Tobin’s Jig on the flute, as i would at a session. I play the full tune, both A and B parts, though in this blog entry we will just cover the A part. If you are not familiar with the tune or don’t have another recording of it listen to this for a while, to get it in your head. If i were to go to session this how i would play it. Its pretty close to the guitar version though there may be some minor differences.  That is fairly common in celtic music.

Example 1

The next step i take is to pick up the guitar and learn the melody, usually where it naturally falls on the instrument.  I am not really concerned with much more than getting the melody down on the guitar, so i can step away from the recording and have a basic framework to develop.

Example 1 demonstrates the basic melody with a simple bass line underneath.  This based on the principal chords of the tune, which are D, G, and A.  Major key tunes will often revolve around the I, IV, and V chords, so its not a bad place to start.  To get the proper rhythm for jigs i tend to pick every note, so there are not any slurs in this piece. This basic version does not go above the third fret, and i think is a nice place to start.

Example 2

I varied it up a bit in example 2, adding some additional bass notes. They all still fall on beats 1 and 4, the main rhymic emphasis for jigs.  Often times instead of D major one can substitute B minor, hence the B note in the first measure.  Instead of an A note in the measure 2 i use a C sharp.  If i were backing this tune I might play an A chord with a C sharp in the bass at this point. This version also ventures up the neck a bit.  Depending on the context, alot of times i find the first string can sound kind of thin, so i like play things higher up the neck on different string to vary the tonal quality. Measures 3 and 4 of example two demonstrate that. 

Example 3

Example 3 changes things up a bit more, and is probably the most difficult of the three versions.  I changed the placement of the bass notes to add a bit different rhythmic emphasis.  Take the time to try this out, it can take a bit of coordination to get the thumb going in the right spot.  I also play a few more passages up the neck, which i think is nice. 

In an arrangement i might use all three of these variations at various points through the tune, it gives the listener some variety and is also nice for me as a player.

In the next blog entry we will look at the B part.  

Feel free to post your questions or thoughts to comments, or shoot me an email.

If you surf on over to www.acousticfingerstyle.com there is a short article/arrangement by me on Princess Royal for guitar.  Its a classic O’Carolan tune that works well in the Orkney Tuning.

Princess Royal at AcousticFingerstyle.com

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Anton

Hi Folks,

So here is part two of this Father Kelly’s arrangement.  The first version was pretty basic, I just laid the melody out on the strings and added in some bass notes when i could.  This second version improves on things a bit.  Lets take a look at the changes..

1.  Measures 1 and 5.  I have changed the way i play the opening bar a bit.  Now instead of playing consecutive notes on the same string i have arranged them across the strings, i think it lets things flow a bit more, and i dont have to pluck every note.  The A notes are now played at the 4th string, 7th fret, and they are hammered on.  Check out the Tab and notation, i have tried to indicate it as best i can.  Basically i pluck the B on the 3rd string and open 5th string with a pinch, then hammer on the 4th string seventh fret to sound the A note, then plug the the open 3rd string for the G note.  Below is an audio example.

Opening Measure Audio Example

2.  Measures 7, 9, 10, 13, 14.  I changed this phrase to play it across the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings.  Again, i think it smooths things out a bit. Note the final note in measure 10 is played open, which allows us to shift up the neck for measure 11. 

3.  Measures 11 and 12.  In the pervious version these two bars were played entirely on the 1st string.  Not a bad way, but i like this new way better.  Again, i just the play the passage harp style across the strings, using the open 1st string in a few places.  Don’t forget the quarter bar across the 1st and 2nd string at the seventh fret, i hope i indicated it correctly there. 

4.  Be sure to pay attention to the fingering in the transition from measure 10 to 11.  I finger that last B note in measure 10 with my third finger, pluck the open 1st string, then keeping my third finger on lightly contacted on the third string, i slide it up to the 9th fret.  Using that third string as a guide really helps you transition fast. 

Father Kelly’s Notation/TAB

Father Kelly’s MP3

I think thats about all the major changes i did for this version.  As you can see, alot of what i do involves playing the melody across different strings at different positions on the neck.  I like the warmer tone you get further up the neck on the thicker strings. 

Check it out and let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear. 

thanks,

Anton Emery

For the next few blog posts i want to look at arranging the traditional reel, Father Kellys.  Its a tune i play on flute, and worked it up for guitar a little while ago.  It fits well in the Orkney tuning, and hopefully some folks who are interested in arranging reels might get something out of it.

When arranging traditional tunes i like to use the following steps.

1.  Get the tune firmly in your head.  Listen to it over and over, to the point where you can hear it in your minds ear or lilt it on demand. Ideally listen to it on a traditional instrument for that idiom, in this case fiddle, flute, pipes, whistle, accordian, tenor banjo, etc. 
2.  Learn the melody on guitar.  Be able to play it from memory.  Don’t worry about adding harmony or anything yet, just get the melody firmly under your fingers so when you start to think about adding a bass line or harmony, you are not forgetting where the melody is.
3. Come up with a basic bass line at first that fits the melody.  This will usually be based around obvious chords.  In this case, its G, C, and D

I’ve recorded myself playing it on flute so you can hear how it might sound traditionally.  Below that is a pdf of the melody in notation and TAB.  I have tried to notate it as i play it on flute, but there may be a slight difference.  Such is folk music.  As far as the tab i just laid the melody out on guitar, not taking into account different positions on the neck.  More on that later.

Father Kelly’s flute

Melody PDF

Next i have arranged the melody a bit on guitar, adding some simple bass notes that represent the chords i might play.  This is super simple, and i have not really taken into account yet the best place to the melody on the neck so it flows and is not so stacatto.  Except where the few slurs are indicated each note is picked, my main rule of thumb is not to use the same finger on the right hand consecutively.

Father Kellys Basic Arrangement

Basic Arrangement MP3

As you can hear, the basic arrangement is pretty rough sounding, not at all flowing as it might sound on the fiddle or flute. 

So check those out, perhaps try to improve it some on your own, and then next week i will post part 2, where we will flesh out the arrangement a bit more.

thanks,

Anton Emery