Irish music -- Martin or Not?

Brent Hahn · #1 02-26-2021, 02:52 PM

I'm part of a Quarantine file-swapping band (I'm the only one who has met all the other players) and they're doing a St. Patty's medley. I'm normally the bass player. The guitar player is great but he doesn't flatpick. So they may want me to do a double of the accordion and/or fiddle and/or tin whistle melody on guitar.

Would you go with obviously-Martin or obviously-not?

While this is for a recording it's not really about recording, so mods feel free to move it.

Gordon Currie · #2 02-26-2021, 03:15 PM

Neither. Go with what will complement the other instruments.

I'm not a believer in use __fill in the blank__ for everything.

Brent Hahn · #3 02-26-2021, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

Neither. Go with what will complement the other instruments.

That's kinda why I asked -- the Martin will really stick out while the others will be more "blendy." The playing style on this stuff wants to be a bit brash, and the Martin does the brash for you. Or at least my Martin does.

KevWind · #4 02-26-2021, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

That's kinda why I asked -- the Martin will really stick out while the others will be more "blendy." The playing style on this stuff wants to be a bit brash, and the Martin does the brash for you. Or at least my Martin does.

Me. I would just go with your Martin, if that's what you use most for playing melody on ?, you can always compress it just a tad to get it to sit.

BoneDigger · #5 02-26-2021, 05:22 PM

It's interesting the close ties between Irish folk music and bluegrass. The Martin excells in bluegrass and I see no reason why it wouldn't be just fine in Irish music. Personally, I like the tone of my D15s best for Irish, but it's all subjective. I also have an Eastman E2-D that's cedar over mahogany and it sounds great for Irish too. I think if you get the rhythm down correctly, maybe just try a few different picks to get the exact tone you want.

Gordon Currie · #6 02-26-2021, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

That's kinda why I asked -- the Martin will really stick out while the others will be more "blendy." The playing style on this stuff wants to be a bit brash, and the Martin does the brash for you. Or at least my Martin does.

Hmm. Never played a Martin I would call brash, myself! But if you have one, then sounds like the guitar to use.

I assumed you might WANT blendy. If the guitar isn't a lead instrument, but is doubling OTHER lead instruments, I'd be looking for blendy so I wouldn't have problems later on in mixing (i.e. everyone thinks they are playing lead).

H165 · #7 02-26-2021, 08:48 PM

Well, you have the fiddle licks in place, so I'd go with Irish Bouzouki, Octave mando, or mandola.

Brent Hahn · #8 02-26-2021, 09:29 PM

As it turns out there's a fairly high spot in one of the tunes and the Martin is a 12-fret. So it's decided. :-)

anton · #9 02-27-2021, 12:48 AM

Sounds like you have it figured out given that its a 12 fret. What tune are you playing that goes up so high? Most of these can sit pretty comfortably in first position.

Brent Hahn · #10 02-27-2021, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anton

What tune are you playing that goes up so high?

It's called "Daleystown Hunt," in G, and it's got some high G's (15th fret) in it.

kkrell · #11 02-27-2021, 08:55 PM

Congrats for not taking the easy way out & trying to provide chordal accompaniment. The Martin should be fine, unless you have an Irish manufactured or tenor guitar, bouzouki, mandolin.

sayheyjeff · #12 02-28-2021, 10:19 PM

I’ve seen my good friend Zan MacLeod play Celtic on The Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center and he played his Martin. Sounded great to me. There is a great duet on YouTube from The Kennedy Center where Zan and a young fiddle player perform Dowd’s Favorite. Maybe someone would prefer a different guitar there, but the Martin sounds pretty nice there. My guitar teacher and his band Lulu’s Fate played mostly traditional Appalachian music on the same stage and Tom played his Martin as well. I don’t see why you can’t play your Martin if you like the sound you get out of it when you play the tune(s) in question.

Jeff

Brent Hahn · #13 02-28-2021, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sayheyjeff

I don’t see why you can’t play your Martin if you like the sound you get out of it when you play the tune(s) in question.

I think I would have preferred the Martin sound, but it's a 12-fret and it turns out that there's a bunch of high G's (15th fret) that I'll never pull off at that tempo.

KevWind · #14 03-01-2021, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

I think I would have preferred the Martin sound, but it's a 12-fret and it turns out that there's a bunch of high G's (15th fret) that I'll never pull off at that tempo.

Speaking of, will you be able to post a sound clip or video of the finished project here ? I would be very interested

Brent Hahn · #15 03-01-2021, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevWind

Speaking of, will you be able to post a sound clip or video of the finished project here ? I would be very interested

Yeah -- the "Quarantine Band" has been posting charmingly slapdash videos for a while now, and this will be one for sure. My son works at Starbucks so I'll be wearing a green apron.