The Rakes of Mallow (Guitar Lesson)

Chapter 1: (00:12) Musical Introduction Welcome back to the Celtic guitar series! Steve begins this lesson with a performance of the "Rakes of Mallow." In the following scenes, he will teach you how to play the melody and the chord progression to this classic reel. Chapter 2: (04:59) Reel Rhythm and "The Rakes of Mallow" The "Rakes of Mallow" is a classic Irish drinking tune that was first printed around 1740. The city of Mallow is known as the "Crossroads of Munster." It is the administrative capital of north County Cork in Ireland. A "rake" is an immoral person. Essentially, this song is about some wild and crazy drinkers from Mallow. The most common version of the lyrics is listed below.

Breaking windows, cursing, sinking
Ever raking, never thinking,
Live the Rakes of Mallow;
Spending faster than it comes,
Beating waiters bailiffs, duns,
Bacchus' true begotten sons,
Live the Rakes of Mallow.

One time naught but claret drinking,
Then like politicians, thinking
To raise the "sinking funds"when sinking.
Live the Rakes of Mallow.
When at home, with da-da dying,
Still for mellow water crying;
But, where there's good claret plying
Live the Rakes of Mallow.

Racking tenants, stewards teasing,
Swiftly spending, slowly raising,
Wishing to spend all their days in
Raking as at Mallow.
Then to end this raking life,
They get sober, take a wife,
Ever after live in strife,
And wish again for Mallow.

Reel Rhythm Review

The "Rakes of Mallow" is an example of a reel. Review the reel at this time if necessary.

Reel Definition

The reel is a dance for couples, usually four to eight, documented in Scotland as early as the 16th century disseminated in Scandinavia, Ireland, and the U.S., where the Virginia reel is familiar in square dancing. Its music is in a moderately fast duple meter, and it includes steps done in place as well as stpes entailing movement from one place to another.

Note: This definition is taken from The New Harvard Dictionary of Music edited by Don Michael Randel. This edition was published by The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in 1986.

Reel Rhythm

The reel consists of a steady eighth note strumming pattern in 4/4 time. A strict alternate strumming pattern is employed by the right hand to produce this rhythm. Slight accents are performed on beats 1 and 3 of each measure.

Harmony

The "The Rakes of Mallow" is typically played in the key of D major. As you might expect, the I, IV, and V chords are used to harmonize the melody. Respectively, these chords are D, G, and A(7). Steve uses familiar "open" chord voicings for each of these chords.

Form

Many Celtic tunes feature an AABB form. The first section is played then repeated. Then, a new section is introduced and repeated. Watch at 00:26 as Steve demonstrates the A section of the progression. He demonstrates the B section at 01:06.

Practice Time

Note: Tablature and standard notation to all musical examples presented in the lesson can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

After watching and listening to Steve's performance of the chord progression, pause the lesson video and practice it on your own. Play along with a metronome to ensure that you are playing in time. Set the JamPlay metronome to 4/4 time with accents occurring on beats 1 and 3.

When you feel ready, return to the lesson video and play the progression along with Steve at 01:47. Steve sings the melody to help keep you on track within the form. Another play along example is provided at 03:54. This time around, Steve calls out each of the chord changes.

Comparison With Other Folk Styles

The reel strumming rhythm closely resembles strumming rhythms that find their way into American bluegrass and folk music. However, bluegrass and other folk styles typically feature a steady alternating bass pattern. Most Celtic music does not have a steady bass line. Celtic music places such a strong emphasis on the melody that there isn't much room left for an active bass line. Chapter 3: (06:06) Changing Chord Shapes Some alternate chord voicings can be used in place of basic open chords to enhance the overall sound of the arrangement.

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

Dadd9,11

This new chord voicing can be used in place of the basic "open" D chord. Dadd9,11 is formed by sliding the open C major shape up two frets. The open third string now functions as the 11th of the chord. The 11th is simply a perfect fourth interval plus an additional octave. Within this chord, the open E string functions as the 9th. The open strings create a nice contrast with the higher, fretted notes.

Practice the chord progression with the inclusion of this new voicing. What effect does it have on the overall sound of the song?

Shifting the Accents

Steve shifts the accents of the strumming pattern to beats 2 and 4 throughout this scene. Do not let this confuse you. This accent pattern is most effective when played in conjunction with the melody line, which Steve explains in the following scene. Chapter 4: (01:54) The Rakes of Mallow Melody Like many Celtic melodies, "The Rakes of Mallow" is very simple and repetitive. The end of the A part is identical to the end of the B section. Since these parts are the same, Steve teaches them first. Learn and memorize this section as Steve breaks down each phrase in the lesson video. Then, try it along with him at 01:19.

Fingering the Melody

Since many of the melody notes are played at the 2nd and 4th frets, Steve opts to play it in second position. Within this position, the first finger always plays at the 2nd fret. The middle finger frets notes at the 3rd fret. 4th fret notes are played by the ring finger. The pinky is not used. Although he is playing in second position, Steve uses open string notes whenever possible. Chapter 5: (03:29) B Part of the Melody The B section of the melody features a repetitious D major scale segment. The scalar segment begins with a tonic D note played at the 3rd fret of the second string.

Right Hand

The rhythm of the melody is very straight forward. It is mainly comprised of eighth notes and quarter notes. Use alternate picking when playing groups of eighth notes.

Practice Time

Learn and memorize the beginning of the B section. Then, combine it with the ending Steve taught in the previous scene. Remember to always practice with a metronome! Chapter 6: (00:18) Playing the Melody Play the B section of the song along with Steve in this scene. Make sure that all of your rhythms line up perfectly with his. If you happen make a mistake, simply keep going. Address any issues after the completion of the performance. Chapter 7: (00:50) Melody Play Along In this scene, Steve plays the chordal accompaniment to the B section while you have an opportunity to play the melody line. He sings the melody to help you stay on track. Chapter 8: (02:42) More of the Melody Steve breaks down the A section of the melody in this scene. Learn the A section one phrase at a time. Steve breaks the melody down in this fashion. Memorize each phrase as you follow along with the lesson video. Remember that the ending lick for the A section is the same phrase that you learned for the end of the B section.

Sequences

This melody features several basic sequences. According to the New Harvard Dictionary of Music, a sequence is "The repetition of a phrase or melody (melodic sequence) and or a harmonic progression (harmonic sequence) at different pitch levels, the succession of pitch levels rising or falling by the same or similar intervals. In simpler terms, a sequence is a melodic pattern that repeats itself within a scale.

Note: For more information about musical sequences check out lessons 12 and 13 from Matt Brown's Phase 2 Rock series. Chapter 9: (02:53) Melody Play Along Play the entire melody along with Steve in this scene. Remember that "The Rakes of Mallow" has an AABB song form.

Chapter 10: (01:20) Play Along While Steve Plays Chords Steve sings the melody and plays the chords while you have an opportunity to play the melody. Make sure your guitar part lines up with the rhythms that he sings. Chapter 11: (08:18) Drop D Chord Shapes By tuning to Drop D, some new chord voicings can be utilized to produce a more authentic Celtic sound. Celtic rhythm guitar is often played in alternate tunings such as drop D and DADGAD. The ringing open strings that are available in these tunings are a staple of the Celtic rhythm guitar sound.

Dadd9,11

The same Dadd9,11 chord taught earlier in the lesson can now be played with a low D bass note.

Alternate D Major Chord

In addition to Dadd9,11, you can also play a D major triad that features open notes on the sixth and fifth strings. The low open strings give the voicing a booming bass sound. The first string can be played in conjunction with the chord, or it can be omitted. When added, the chord is transformed into Dadd9. Remember that E functions as the ninth of a D major chord.

Alternate G Major Chord

The dropped tuning of the sixth string enables you to play alternate versions of the G chord as well. The basic "open" G must be re-fingered to account for the dropped string.

Alternate A Major Chord

The same fretboard shape used for G major can also be used for an A chord. Simply slide the G major shape up two frets. When using this shape for A major, mute the fourth string. This note is not consonant within A major.

The third of the chord (C#) can be added on the third string. Fret this note at the 6th fret with the second finger. The addition of this note defines the voicing as a major chord quality.

G6

This voicing features a power chord shape played on the bass strings with the second, third, and fourth fingers. The second finger frets the third of the chord (B) at the 4th fret. The second and first strings are played open. In relation to a G major chord, the open strings function as the third (B) and the major sixth (E).

Aadd9

When the G6 voicing is slid up two frets, an Aadd9 chord is formed. Now, the open second string functions as the ninth of the chord. The first string (E) functions as the fifth. Chapter 12: (04:08) Putting the Pieces Together At this point in the lesson, Steve has shown numerous voicings that can be used for the I, IV, and V chords in the key of D major. Learning and mastering all of these voicings will enable you to interchange them on the fly while performing the song. In this scene, Steve provides a demonstration of how to use these voicings effectively with one another. Always make sure that the voice leading between two chords remains smooth.

In his performance of the song, Steve uses basic "open" chords the first time through the form. Then, he plays the progression again to show how various voicings can be interchanged. He uses the third set of voicings taught in the previous scene during the third repetition of the form. Next, he plays through the melody.

Watch this demonstration several times. How do the alternate voicings affect the overall sound of the song? Chapter 13: (01:49) Final Thoughts Tempo

Many modern Celtic performers like to push the tempo of a song. This is especially common when playing upbeat reals. In the past several scenes, Steve provided a more traditional interpretation of the song as far as the tempo is concerned. In this scene, he demonstrates how the song might be played when the melody is performed by a fiddler at a rapid tempo. This example is provided at 00:31.

Similar to bluegrass and jazz music, all Celtic repertoire must be practiced at a variety of tempos. Standard songs in these genres are performed at a wide a range of tempos from one performance to the next.

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