PODCAST · music
Irish Guitar Podcast
by Tony O'Rourke, Gerry Gaffney
Learn to play traditional Irish music on the Guitar with teacher Tony O'Rourke and Gerry Gaffney
Episodes
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Lesson 90. Thousand Farewells
Occasionally Tony will pick up a tune that just seems to feel so natural to play, so easy on the fingers, it rolls off the musical tongue so to speak. This is one of those tunes. It’s eerie but it’s as if Ryan composed this for guitar. It’s the perfect range for the guitar, played between a Low A...
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Lesson 89. Shoemaker's Daughter
“Shoemaker’s Daughter” is a composition of legendary Cavan fiddler Ed Reavy (1897-1988). The A Part of this tune is played in a G Mixolydian Mode, whilst the B Part is in G Major. Transcriptions in Irish music of tunes that change to different modes that retain the same Tonic Note often,...
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Lesson 88. Scatter the Mud
“Scatter The Mud” is a tune sometimes played in E Minor but this version is in the more common A Minor (Dorian mode). Tony has arranged this version for Open A tuning (EAC#EAE) but we have included a version in standard tuning for those who wish to stick with the standard tuning.
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Lesson 87. St Patricks' Day
The tune is in jig time (6/8) but is a set dance and is played considerably slower than normal jig tempo. However, other than tempo, all the “rules” that apply to jigs apply to this tune.
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Lesson 86. Saddle the Pony
A very well known tune, so much so that it is played by musicians outside of the Irish music genre. the standard key is G, but Tony transposed it to A Major on the banjo, then started playing it on the guitar in Open A major tuning and came up with this arrangement. The book also includes a…
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Lesson 85. O'Rourke's
As much as Tony would like to claim credit for this composition it’s not his to claim. This tune was in circulation a long time ago. This tune is normally played in A mixolydian so you will need to capo on the second fret.
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Lesson 84. Forget Me Not
Some musicians play this tune in C, others in D. Tony plays it in D on the banjo but in C on the guitar. For this lesson the capo is on 2, thus it’s in D. In the podcast, Tony talks about the importance of listening to other versions of any tune you are learning.
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Lesson 83. O'Carolan's Receipt for Drinking
This tune is sometimes known as “Dr. John Stafford”. The tune begins on a C chord. For the accompaniment Tony plays and holds a bass note and then, instead of a full chord, he plays the notes of a chord individually.
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Lesson 82. Mullingar Races
Tony describes how to play a triplet on the lower (thicker) strings when describing how to play this reel.
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Lesson 81. Máire Rua
Máire Rua, translated as “Red Haired Mary”, is a slip jig in G. The B Part of the tune moves into a D Mixolydian mode but as this mode contains the same notes as G Major, that is one sharp (F#), there is no need to change the key signature. The tune moves back to G Major for the last bar of the...
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Lesson 80. Garden of Daisies
The Garden Of Daisies is a set dance and is played in hornpipe time, but somewhat slower than your average hornpipe. Note that the tempo on the recording of Marie Walsh is the correct tempo for tunes of this type.
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Lesson 79. Coalminer's Reel
Here we have a tune in Open A (although in the book you'll also find a version in regular tuning.) The Open A tuning Tony uses is, from the lowest string to the highest: E A C# E A E.
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Lesson 78. Castlebar Races, and Mouse in the Mug
These two tunes are both in G Major and coincidentally have the same three notes at the beginning. The first part of Castlebar Races is played in open position, the second part almost entirely in third position; that is the first finger is positioned at the third fret. It is also used to play any...
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Lesson 77. McFadden's Handsome Daughter
McFadden’s Handsome Daughter is an A Major tune but for the guitar Tony plays it in G with capo on the 2nd fret. The tune is a composition of John McFadden (1847-1913).
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Lesson 76. Kid on the Mountain
This slip jig moves between E Minor and G Major. The E Minor parts of the tune use the Natural Minor Scale rather than the Dorian Mode.
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Lesson 75. Crossing the Shannon
This tune is sometimes known as “The Funny Reel” and is played in D. On the guitar Tony plays it in C with the capo on the 2nd fret.
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Lesson 74. Boys of the Town
There is at least one other jig known as “Boys Of The Town”, starting on a high G (3rd fret, 1st string). But this “Boys of the Town” starts on a middle G (open 3rd string). The two tunes are quite different and in no way related.
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Lesson 73. An t'Athair Jack Walsh
“Athair” is the Irish word for “father”, and the Anglicized title “Fr. Jack Walsh” is often used as the title for this tune, as is “Tatter Jack Walsh”. The tune is played in the D mixolydian mode and thus contains the same notes as a G Major scale. A cursory glance at the chords used in the sheet...
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Lesson 72. Yellow Tinker
The “Yellow Tinker” is a tune in the G mixolydian mode. In other words the scale used is a C Scale but played in the key of G. The tune is associated with the playing of Galway accordionist Joe Burke , and perhaps because of Burke, it is very popular and widely played. The first and third parts…
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Lesson 71. Swedish Jig (or Arthur Darley's)
The “Swedish Jig", sometimes known as Arthur Darley’s, is a most unusual tune. In the first part of the tune a time signature change occurs in bar 7 from the standard 6/8 to a 9/8, just for one bar, before reverting back to 6/8. In effect you play an extra half a bar. Also the first part consists...
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Lesson 70. Sonny's Mazurka
Polish in origin, mazurkas are not very common in Irish music. Sonny’s Mazurka is arguably the most well known of the mazurkas played in Ireland. As mazurkas are written in 3/4 time the rules that you use for waltzes also apply to mazurkas. In this tune most of the bars have a crotchet on the…
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Lesson 69. Old Blackthorn
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000167 EndHTML:0000000698 StartFragment:0000000454 EndFragment:0000000682 This tune is one of those lovely 16-bar reels in the key of D Major, of which there are many in Irish music. Structurally it is a very simple tune, containing only three chords (D , A, and G).
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Lesson 68. O'Carolan's Draught
One of the better-known compositions of the great Turlough O'Carolan. Tony has set this arrangement in 4/4 rather than 2/2 or “cut” time, that is 4 groups of 2 quavers rather than 2 groups of 4. This is a subtle difference although with a tune played at the somewhat slower tempo than a reel, or...
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Lesson 67. Nell Fee's
Tony learned this lovely 3-part polka from the playing of New York button accordionist Patty Furlong. 48-bar polkas are not common in Irish music and are not used much for sets. Tony consulted Marie Brouder here in Melbourne about this. Marie is the number one person on set dancing in Melbourne…
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Lesson 66. Maggie in the Woods
This is an often-played polka, normally in the key of G. Polkas, like marches, are in 2/4 time. That is, there are two groups of quavers, or the equivalent. Where you have two groups of four quavers, you should play: down on the first quaver down on the next quaver. In this tune the only time you...
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Lesson 65. Jim Connolly's Jig
This is one of Tony's own compositions, which he wrote in honour of his friend Jim Connolly, an accordion player from Rossinver in North Leitrim. It's played in C, with a capo on the 2nd fret. The second part is higher than the first. The “normal” speed recording is the first track off Tony’s CD...
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Lesson 64. Gold Ring
There are two jigs that carry the name “The Gold Ring” (“An Fáinne Óir” in Irish). One is a 7-part jig in G particularly popular with pipers, and the other, a 4-part jig in D Major. This tune is the D Major tune, and it's one of Tony's all-time favourties. Although this is a D tune, Tony plays it...
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Lesson 63. Frost is All Over
A delightful jig with a strong underlying rhythm, which is probably why it is quite often used for playing at céilithe (social dances). In the second bars of both the third and fourth lines you will note that Tony uses the same finger for the first two notes of those bars (G and F#), plays the…
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Lesson 62. First Clan March of the O'Sullivans
Marches usually have a 2/4 time signature, but this tune is one of a number of tunes designated as a march, but carrying a 6/8 time signature. (“The Butcher’s March” is another.) This tune is also quite often played as just a normal jig as part of a set. It's fairly compact in the left hand, only...
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Lesson 61. Farewell to Erin
The most challenging tune in Book 4, this is totally unrelated to "Farewell to Ireland". It's not at all unknonwn to encounter such confusingly similar titles in Irish music! Normally played in A Dorian, but Tony has arranged it for gutar in E Dorian. You can capo up to the 5th fret, but on the...
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Lesson 60. Fairies' Hornpipe
This well known tune comes in the standard 32-bar format, with two parts, each played twice. It is an ideal tune to play if a hornpipe is requested by a step dancer. Unusually for such a melodic tune the whole tune is played within one octave excepting the three F# notes that occur near the end…
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Lesson 59. Dunmore Lassies
As the highest note in this tune is the F on the first string you will not have to concern yourself with left hand positioning. In fact by keeping your left hand at a right angle to the fretboard you should not have any lateral movement in your left hand at all. Make sure to play the tune at a...
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Lesson 56-and-a-half. Cripple Creek
A bonus lesson - an Appalachian tune
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Lesson 54 - Timor the Tartar
This tune is Scottish in origin, and is an example of how closely related the Scottish and Irish traditions are, and yet both music forms are quite different. Tony's arrangement is in G Major, capo 2, thus the "real" key is A Major. Listen to the lesson (TimorTheTartar.mp3, 8 minutes 23 seconds....
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Lesson 53 - Three Sea Captains
This tune is written in jig time (6/8) but is in fact a set piece, or set dance. During the podcast. Tony comments that, sadly, such set pieces don't often an airing at sessions. File size is 3.9MB. Duration is 11 minutes 22 seconds.
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Lesson 52 - Paddy's Polka (No. 2)
This polka is in G Major, so when coupled Paddy's Polka (no. 1), there's an interesting key change from D Minor to G Major. In this tune, the B part can begin on either a G Major or E Minor. Tony's preference is for the E Minor, so that's how it's notated in the booklet (Book 3). File size is...
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Lesson 51 - Paddy's Polka (No. 1)
This tune is played in D Minor. This is an ideal tune for music teachers to teach their students as it is uncomplicated, and from an accompaniment viewpoint, is very basic - only two chords, D Minor and C. File size is 2.43MB. Duration is 7 minutes 4 seconds.
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Lesson 50 - Manorhamilton Jig
This lesson is one of Tony's own compositions. On his regular trips to Ireland Tony spends time in the North Leitrim region, which is the ancestral home of the O'Rourkes. Manorhamilton is part of that region. File size is 5MB. Duration is 10 minutes 21 seconds.
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Lesson 49 - McDermott's
This reel is normally played in D, but Tony's arrangement is in C, with a capo on the second fret. File size is 3.61MB. Duration is 10 minutes 32 seconds.
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Lesson 48 - Joe Bane's
Joe Bane was a tin whistle and flute player from the Magherabaun area near Feakle in East Clare. Musicians such as Mary McNamara and Martin Hayes picked up a lot of tunes from him. This is a hornpipe, and Tony plays it in the key of F. File size is 3.49MB. Duration is 10 minutes 10 seconds.
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Lesson 47 - Glass O'Beer
Another 16-bar reel, the first part is in B Minor, and the second in D Major. File size is 2.7MB. Duration is 7 minutes 53 seconds.
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Lesson 46 - Flower of the Flock (in open D)
This tune is a 16 bar reel, normally played in the Key of G. Tony's arrangement is played in an Open D tuning, so to play in G you'll need to capo the 5th fret. Details on the tuning, and on chord shapes for Open D, are provided in the booklet (Book 3). The tuning is D A D F# A D, from the lowest...
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Lesson 45 - Fisherman's Jig
The Fisherman's Jig is in fact a slip jig. Slip jigs comprise only a small percentage of the Irish Music repertoire and you can attend session after session and not hear them at all. Tony often plays this with Na Ceannabhain Bhána (which we had in Lesson 16 in Book 1). File size is 2.54MB.…
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Lesson 44 - Echoes of Killarney
We return to our 'normal' program with a slide.
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Lesson 43-and-a-half - Danny Boy
This is a bonus lesson, since it's not within the genre that we're studying. Rather, it's Tony's arrangement of Danny Boy, also know as The Londonderry Air. It may be a bit daunting for the newcomer. Sheet music and tab notation are provided in Book 3. File size is 3.79MB. Duration is 11 minutes…
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Lesson 43 - Crib of Perches
Tony picked this tune up from the late Billy Moran. Billy was a button accordionist from Galway who migrated to Australia in the late 1940's and made an enormous contribution to the musical heritage of Australia. The A, or first, part is played using the D Mixolydian Mode and the B or second part...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Irish Guitar Podcast have?
Irish Guitar Podcast currently has 94 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Irish Guitar Podcast about?
Learn to play traditional Irish music on the Guitar with teacher Tony O'Rourke and Gerry Gaffney
How often does Irish Guitar Podcast release new episodes?
Irish Guitar Podcast has 94 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Who hosts Irish Guitar Podcast?
Irish Guitar Podcast is created and hosted by Tony O'Rourke, Gerry Gaffney.
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