The Road to Lisdoonvarna Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (00:32) Musical Introduction Steve performs the melody to "The Road to Lisdoonvarna" in this opening scene. In the following scenes, he teaches the melody and chord progression of the song to provide you with practice playing a single jig rhythm. Chapter 2: (06:10) Lesson Introduction and Single Jigs Single Jigs are related to double jigs. There are some key differences between the two that you must understand. A double jig ("Irish Washerwoman") maintains a steady eighth note rhythm in the melody line. In contrast, "The Road to Lisdoonvarna" features many long-short rhythms in which a quarter note is followed by an eighth note. Think of the phrase "strawberry shortcake." The first word, "strawberry," contains three syllables or three eighth notes. The word "shortcake" is pronounced with a quarter note - eighth note rhythm.

When Steve performed the melody in the previous scene, he included many ornaments. According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music, ornaments are "the modification of music, usually but not always through the addition of notes, to make it more beautiful or effective, or to demonstrate the abilities of the interpreter."

In this lesson, Steve teaches a basic written version of the melody with no ornaments added. If you feel up to the challenge, try to transcribe the ornamented version that Steve played earlier in the lesson.

Tonality / Chord Progression

Unlike the past two Celtic tunes, this song is played in a minor mode. It is played in the E Dorian mode. For more information about the modes of the major scale, refer to lessons 22-31 as well as 35-39 of Brad Henecke's Phase 2 Classic Rock series. In the Dorian tonality, the primary triads are no longer the I, IV, and V chords. Instead, the primary chords are the i, IV, and VII chords. Respectively, these chords are Em, A, and D major in the E Dorian tonality. Since the V chord is a minor chord, it no longer carries out a dominant function. The VII chord is typically used to lead back to the tonic chord.

The E Dorian mode is spelled as follows: E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D, E,

The C# note that occurs in the melody is used in conjunction with the IV chord (A major). C# functions as the major third of an A major chord.

A Section Progression

Note: Fretboard diagrams with proper fingerings to all chords presented in the lesson can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

Watch as Steve breaks down the A section of the song at 03:32. This section utilizes the i, VII, and IV chords.

Single Jig Strumming Pattern

Typically, jigs are strummed with a repeating quarter note - eighth note rhythmic grouping. Or, they are played with the "strawberry shortcake" rhythm described earlier. Pay careful attention to the strumming rhythm of this pattern. A breakdown is provided below.

Beat 1- Down
Beat 2 - Up
Beat 3- Down
Beat 4 - Down
Beat 6 - Up

Form

This song, like the last two discussed in the series, features an AABB song form.

Practice Time

Practice the chord progression as notated in "Supplemental Content." Remember to always practice along with a metronome. Then, when you feel ready, return to the lesson video and play along with Steve at 05:28. Chapter 3: (01:59) Strum Types You can also perform a down, up, down, up strum pattern for each measure. This produces a slightly less dramatic accent on beat 4. This pattern is far more practical when playing at quicker tempos. Spend significant time practicing both of the patterns. Practice the new strumming pattern along with Steve in this scene.

At 00:54, Steve tests your accompaniment skills. He plays the melody while you have an opportunity to accompany him with the chord progression. Chapter 4: (01:32) Alternate Chord Shapes Steve has demonstrated two alternate D chord voicings in the past couple lessons that can be substituted for the basic open D chord. The first option is the Dadd9,11 voicing that is based on the visual shape of the open C major chord. The second option is Dadd9.

Refer to the "Supplemental Content" section for diagrams of these chords.

Practice Time

Practice playing through the progression with the inclusion of these voicings. They produce a more authentic Celtic sound due to the additional open ringing strings. Open droning strings are a staple of Celtic guitar accompaniment. Chapter 5: (01:42) Second Half of the Song Form

"The Road to Lisdoonvarna" features an AABB song form. The A section repeats twice before the B section occurs.

B Section Progression

The B section uses the i, IV, and v chords in the E Dorian tonality. Respectfully, these chords are Em, A, and Bm.

Learn the progression from the notation provided under "Supplemental Content. Practice the progression on your own. Then, return to the video and play along with Steve. He uses the first strumming option in this scene. Accompany Steve while he plays the melody at 01:02. Chapter 6: (02:09) Play the Chords Play the entire chord progression to the song along with Steve. He plays through the entire song form twice in a row (AABBAABB). Begin with strumming option 1. Use strumming option 2 during the second repetition of the form. Feel free to use any of the alternate voicings for D major discussed previously. Chapter 7: (05:07) Alternate E Minor Chord Steve demonstrates a new shape for E minor that is based on the visual shape of the open Dm chord. This voicing is played in third position. Notice how the third finger is used to fret the note G. Since G is played as the lowest note, the chord is written as Em/G. When the third is played as the lowest note, a chord is said to be played in "first inversion."

Em (Am shaped barre)

You can also play an Em barre chord at the 7th fret. This barre chord shape is based on the visual shape of the "open" Am chord. Now, the highest note in the chord is a B. Use barre chord voicings for the A, D, and Bm chords when using this voicing for Em. Steve demonstrates the appropriate barre chord shapes for these chords at 01:30. Use the Em shaped barre chord at the seventh fret for a Bm chord. Compare the overall tonal quality of each voicing option. Compare all three Em chords back to back. Repeat this process with the remaining chords discussed in the lesson.

Alternate Bm Voicing

This voicing adds the 6th and the 11th to a Bm chord voicing. These open ringing strings (G and E) produce a mysterious quality.

Choosing Voicings

How do you know when to use each voicing? Start with one set of chords such as the open chords. Then, play with barre chords. The next time, change one of the chords such as the tonic chord. Begin to mix and match various voicings to see how they sound with one another. Celtic guitarists will frequently use numerous voicings for the same chord within a single performance. Make sure that the voice leading remains smooth between chords. Use your ears to guide you. Chapter 8: (01:22) Exploring Chord Possibilities Watch as Steve demonstrates a wide variety of chord voicing options as he plays through the progression. Use this performance as a guide to playing your own accompaniment to the song. Chapter 9: (03:30) Learn the Melody Melodic Leaps

The past melodies taught in this series featured a lot of stepwise motion and very few leaps. This melody is slightly harder to play and memorize, because there are more large melodic leaps. For example, the melody begins with a leap of a perfect fifth.

Position Playing

Since the melody features several notes at the 2nd and 4th frets, Steve opts to play it second position. However, he plays open string very frequently. Pay careful attention to the fretboard location of each note as you work through the notation provided in the "Supplemental Content" section.

As you learn the melody, notice if any phrases or phrase segments repeat. Analyzing these elements will make the melody easier to play and memorize. Chapter 10: (02:00) Second Half of the Melody Steve teaches the B section in this scene. This section follows a sequential pattern that outlines the chord changes. Is there any material from the A section that is repeated in the B section?

Practice Time

Learn the melody and practice it on your own. Then, play the B section along with Steve. Chapter 11: (03:15) Play Along and Final Thoughts Give the long notes in the melody a slight accent. By accenting notes that already receive an agogic stress, the signature rhythmic feel of the single jig is brought to the foreground.

Practice Time

Play the melody to the entire song as Steve provides the chordal accompaniment. Remember that this song has an AABB form.

At 01:38, play the chords while Steve plays melody. The next time through the song form, play the melody while he plays the chords.

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