| Andyrondack |
01-10-2021 04:59 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by spock
(Post 6600332)
I am mostly a low intermediate player with occasional unexpected jumps into the intermediate realm. Can someone recommend a good introductory book, video or website where I can dip my toes into the Celtic fingerstyle world without feeling overwhelmed right from the start. I don't need absolute beginner level material, but would rather err on the side of easier rather than complex until I see whether I truly enjoy it or not. Much appreciated.
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I realise that most people think that to play 'Celtic' music or this or that genre of music they should buy a book of arrangements created by a guitarist more advanced and gifted than themselves and then basically do what they are told and follow the instructions as written. I think that is the hard way of going about it, such an approach makes my head hurt .
There is another way which is more in keeping with the tradition of this music and learn to play it by ear , well as far as you can manage.
Couple of books I make use of are 110 Irelands Best Tin Whistle Tunes vols 1&2, mine came with CDs . I pick a tune I like, load it into a music slow down ap, select the first few phrases and just play along till I have got it, sometimes I stick at it till I have the whole tune down and sometimes I get frustrated by a phrase and resort to looking at the dots but I make a good effort first to get everything by ear, when I think I am done I check the dots because though my ear is slowly improving my skill at this is no way hundred percent reliable. This sort of music does not need harmonies to make sense or sound good but it does need to be played with real feeling and the way to do that is to learn it by ear.
The most haunting melodies are the airs which are the tunes to songs and a great way to get the feeling into your music is to do a search on Amazon music for a sung version where the melody comes accross clear and unambiguous ,download, slow down, put on repeat and play along. It can be quite difficult with songs in minor modes especially to know whether you have got every phrase accurately because if you have the scale correct then there will be fewer dissonant clashes than one would hear playing along with tunes in a major key. www.thesession.org is a site I have been making more use of recently, people post their version of melodies with downloadable mp3 files and there are many versions of the tunes. The mp3 files can be slowed down but I had to try a few different apps to find one that could recognise their files, for any one who does not read music then abc notation is provided but make the effort to learn as much as possible by ear, use the notation to check and test for accuracy and in time the skill level will improve.
When you are comfortable playing the basic melody in a few different locations on the fretboard then do an internet search on how to harmonise a melody using basic chords and intervals to create more of a guitar ' arrangement', this approach will ensure that your arrangements are within your technical ability because you will have created them to be so. |
