Introduction to Celtic Guitar Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (00:39) Introduction Music Welcome to lesson 1 of the Phase 2 Celtic Guitar Series with Steve Eulberg! Steve kicks off this lesson with a performance of "Air Fa La La Lo." This performance provides a brief glimpse into the guitar style that Steve will introduce in the scenes that follow. Chapter 2: (04:31) Series Introduction Celtic Rhythms

All of the Celtic song forms originate from specific types of dances. The tempo of a song is dictated by how fast is comfortable for a specific style of dance. Playing at an appropriate dance tempo is an absolutely essential component of the Celtic style.

A. Reels and Jigs

Two of the most commonly used rhythms in Celtic music are the reel and the jig. The reel is a 4/4 time rhythm. Reels are typically played in an uptempo style. 4/4 is an example of a duple meter.

The jig is a lively dance played in either 6/8 or 12/8. There are two types of jigs: single jigs and double jigs. Steve covers both types in detail throughout this series.

Duple Meters, Triple Meters, and Irregular Meters

A duple meter is a time signature in which the number of beats per measure is divisible by two. This includes simple meters such as 2/4 and 4/4 as well as compound meters such as 6/8 and 12/8. Some common types of pieces played in duple meters are the polka and the march.

A triple meter is a time signature in which the number of beats per measure is divisible by three. Some common examples are 3/4 and 9/8 time.

Note: Refer to lesson 15 from Steve's Phase 1 Series for more information pertaining to time signatures.

Hornpipes

The hornpipe is a rhythm played in 4/4 that implies a steady triplet rhythm. A hornpipe features a long-short type of eighth note feel. The first eighth note in each group of two is held slightly longer than the second eighth note. This type of eighth note pattern is similar to groups of swung eighth notes that occur in the blues and jazz genres. However, in a hornpipe, the first eighth note receives the value of a dotted eighth note instead of a quarter note triplet. The dotted eighth note is slightly longer in value.

Strathspey

The strathspey is a type of Scottish reel. It is played in duple meter at moderately slow tempos. Strathspeys are characterized by dotted rhythms. Pairs of eighth notes are played in a short-long pattern. Essentially, the strathspey reverses the eighth note pattern found in the hornpipe.

Tunings

Celtic music often employs drop D tuning as well as a handful of open tunings. Steve will cover all of these alternate tunings in detail in upcoming lessons. Chapter 3: (00:53) History of Celtic Guitar What Is Celtic Music?

"Celtic music" is a very loose term that can imply many different styles of music played in the modern world. When applying a more traditional definition of the phrase, it refers to the music of the Celtic countries - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Cantabria, Brittany (in France), Galica (in Spain), Asturias (in Spain), and Northern Portugal. This term can also describe the music of areas that have come under the influence of these countries. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, many Irish, Scottish, and Welsh settlements were developed in the United States and the maritime provinces of Canada.

Controversy

The term "Celtic" is a great source among musicians and historians alike. Many Irish and Scottish musicians that play in the traditional style avoid the term like the plague. There are many sources of this controversy. As a result of blending cultures over time, the "Celtic" race is no longer identifiable or definable. In addition, there are very strong differences between the music of the cultures listed above. After all, they evolved from several different countries at a time when there was no mail, internet, or widespread form of media or communication. "Celtic" is an extremely broad term that is often used to describe any sort of music coming from these countries. Most of the similarities that can be analyzed between these cultures are due primarily to modern influence and blending of the individual styles of these cultures. Even the terms "traditional Irish music" or "traditional Scottish music" are extremely vague. For example, the music of Donegal is quite lively in comparison to the laid back, flowing style of Clare and other regions.

The term "Celtic music" is used much more in Canada and the United States as a modern marketing tool. In these countries, the traditional Celtic styles are much more homogenized. In her book Celtic Music: A Complete Guide, June Skinner Sawyer writes "Celtic music is a marketing term that I am using, for the purposes of this book, as a matter of convenience, knowing full well the cultural baggage that comes with it." "Celtic" is mainly used by record companies and music stories to steer customers towards a certain product. Since there is not as much interest in the traditional music of the countries listed above compared to rock/pop or rap, all of the styles of music coming from these countries is often lumped into the category of "Celtic" music.

Celtic Guitar

It should be noted that the guitar is not a native instrument to the Celtic style. Traditional Celtic musicians might not welcome a guitarist in a session since the guitar is not a traditional instrument. Over the years, the guitar has found its way into the Celtic style primarily as a chordal accompaniment instrument. Today there are numerous guitarists that have learned to play in the Celtic style. In addition, classical guitarists and fingerstyle folk players have been known to arrange Celtic pieces for solo guitar.

Pronunciation

There is often some debate over the way in which the word "Celtic" should be pronounced. Both "Seltic" and "Keltic" are acceptable pronunciations of the word. However, "Keltic" is more widely used today. "Seltic" is mainly used when referring to sports teams.

Divisions of Celtic Music

Typically, six Celtic nationalities are divided into two groups based upon language. At around 300 BC, the Celtic language split off into two subgroups. In an integral part of this change was that the sound of the letter "Q" changed to the sound of "P." The "Q Celtics" include the Irish, Scottish and Manx (people from the Isle of Man). The melodies of these groups feature an extended range of sometimes more than two octaves. Sometimes this group is referred to as the Gaelic group. This group frequently uses pentatonic scales in its melodies. The "P-Celtic" groups are the Cornish (of Cornwall), Bretons (from Brittany) and the Welsh. This group is often described as the Brythonic group. The melodies of these people typically feature a smaller range that is sometimes as small as half an octave.

Origin of Celtic Song Forms

Since Celtic music comes from so many regions, it is difficult to identify common traits between each of the individual styles. To further complicate matters, many of the forms that are now commonly thought of as "Celtic" were once quite common throughout most of Western Europe. For example, the jig is most likely a descendent of the gigue, which is Italian in origin. The Irish polka has its roots in the traditional music of the Czechs and the Polish. However, despite these Western European influences, there are musical genres specific to each Celtic country. This is mainly a result of song traditions being passed down through a specific region's language. For example, the strathspey is a style from Highland Scotland. The rhythm of this song form imitates Scottish Gaelic speech.

Influence on American Music

Celtic music has had a large impact on American folk music such as the Appalachian styles and bluegrass. Many of the immigrants that arrived in the United States in the nineteenth century were from Ireland and Scotland.

Guitarists to Check Out

Hamish Henderson
Glenn Weiser
Pierre Bensusan
John Renbourn
El McMeen
Pat Kirtly
Tom Long
Allan Alexander
Martin Simpson
Rolly Brown
Chris Dean
John Rodge
John Doyle
Tony McManus
Dick Guaghan
Franco Munroe
Al Petteway
Davy Graham
Eric Schoenberg
John Sherman
Dan Mozell
Art Edelstein
Steve Baughman
Ken Perlman
John McCormick
Michal Hromek
Christian Reu
Duck Baker
Jon Hicks
Keith Hinchliffe
Ian Melrose
Soig Siberil Chapter 4: (03:46) Celtic Rhythms Note: Open Celtic Rhythms listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab. This document includes a list of the most common Celtic rhythms. The time signature and appropriate strumming pattern for each rhythm is listed beside it.

Reel

The reel is a dance for couples that originates from Scotland. The earliest documentation of this dance is from the 16th century. The dance steps are performed in place as well as from one point on the floor to another. The reel is played in a moderately fast duple meter.

Strumming Pattern

The reel consists of a steady eighth note strumming pattern in 4/4 time. Beats 1 and 3 receive an accent. It is typically played with a strict alternate picking pattern. It is absolutely essential that you master the alternating strumming pattern regardless of which style of music you play. This strumming pattern becomes even more important when playing Celtic music.

Steve typically plays with a thinner pick when playing Celtic rhythm guitar in comparison to bluegrass. A thinner pick creates a softer tone that is slightly more percussive. The snap of the pick becomes audible as it bends and leaves the string. Thinner picks are also easier to use for continuous strumming patterns, which are quite common in the Celtic style.

The Guitar's Role in Celtic Music

Much of Celtic music is melody based. The melody is typically played on a traditional instrument such as a fiddle or a pipe. The Highland pipe and Lowland border pipe are traditional Scottish instruments. The Ulian is an instrument from Ireland. These instruments are also used to create a continuo accompaniment line by holding a drone note.

The guitar fulfills a supporting role when playing in an ensemble with these instruments. The Celtic accompaniment style is very fluid. This playing style originates from the bouzouki, which was originally a Greek instrument similar to the guitar. The bouzouki features strings that are doubled in courses like a mandolin. There are four courses tuned either in octaves or unisons. The instrument features a chromatic fretboard. It's usually tuned in some sort of open tuning such as GDAD, often referred to as "G-Dad." Folk and country guitarists may be familiar with the tuning DADGAD. This folk tuning is rather similar. It allows for a lot of open, ringing strings. The sound of open, ringing strings is very important to the Celtic accompaniment style. Often, Celtic guitar voicings will combine movable shapes with open ringing strings. For more information on this topic, visit lesson from Brad Henecke's Phase 2 Classic Rock Series.

Reel Demonstration

Watch as Steve demonstrates the reel strumming pattern at 02:42 in the lesson video. He sings the melody to "Rakes of Mallow" while playing this pattern. Chapter 5: (00:44) Reel Demonstration The accents in the reel strumming pattern can be shifted to 2 and 4 to give the rhythm a completely different feel. Compare both versions back to back. What difference does the accent shift have on the overall feel of the rhythm? The accent may be shifted during a repetition of the song form. Everyone in the group must be aware of the change, or else a train wreck will occur. Steve will demonstrate how to apply the reel rhythm to a Celtic song in a later lesson.

Note: Reel Exercises can be found under the Supplemental Content tab. Practice through these exercises to familiarize yourself with this rhythm. Pay careful attention to where the accents occur in the exercises. Chapter 6: (03:52) Jig Rhythm A jig is a lively dance originating from the British Isles in the 16th century. The word jig is derived from the Italian "gigue" or the French "giguer" (to frolic, to leap). The term has since been used as a musical term as well. The jig has developed specific characteristics in various countries. The jig is distinctly different in the French and Italian styles. Most musicologists believe that the jig was brought over to Ireland directly from England. Most English composers wrote jigs that were influenced by either the French or Italian style.

Compound Meters

Compound meters are time signatures in which eighth notes are placed in groupings of three. Some common examples are 6/8, 12/8, and 9/8. The jig (often spelled gigue or giga) is played in 6/8 or 12/8. A slight accent is placed on the first eighth note in each group of three.

Since eighth notes are placed in groups of three in these types of meters, compound meters have a steady triplet feel.

Accents

In 6/8 time, there are six beats per measure. The eighth note is counted as the beat. Accents occur on the first and fourth beats of the measure. Without the accents, the distinct 6/8 time feel is lost. Steve demonstrates this idea at 01:34. He provides a perfect example of what NOT to do.

Strumming Pattern

The jig strumming pattern can be played two different ways. A strict alternate strumming pattern can be used. This forces you to play an accented upstrum on beat 4. This may seem awkward if you are new to it. Or, you can play a down-up-down pattern on beats 1-3. Then, the same pattern can be repeated on beats 4-6.

Single Jigs and Double Jigs

There are three types of jigs: single jigs, double jigs, and slip jigs. A double jig features notes played on each and every beat. "The Irish Washerwoman" is a very common example of this type of jig. Single jigs mix various rhythmic values such as quarter notes and eighth notes. The differences between each type will be discussed in more detail as the series progresses. Chapter 7: (01:41) Slip Jig 9/8 and the Slip Jig

9/8 time shows up very frequently in Celtic music. Three distinct pulses occur in each measure. Each pulse consists of three eighth notes. The slip jig is one song form in 9/8 related to a particular kind of dance. The three eighth notes that occur at the end of a measure tend to pull you into the next measure. Since there is an odd number of beats, this signature has a lot of forward movement.

A steady alternate picking pattern is applied to the slip jig. Accents occur on beats 1, 4, and 7. Since there is an odd number of beats in each measure, every other measure will begin with an upstroke.

Practice

Practice the slip jig exercise provided under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Make sure that you play along with a metronome.

Preview of Next Lesson

Steve teaches you your first Celtic song in lesson 2. He explains how to play the guitar accompaniment and the melody to "The Rakes of Mallow." This song is a classic example of a reel.

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