Playing Celtic Irish Music On The Guitar

Few things bring a smile to the face like Celtic Irish music. Whether it is a jig, reel, slip jig or a hornpipe, it is almost certain that toes will be tapping and bodies swaying. While these songs were originally made for fiddle, whistle and pipes, you can learn to play them on the guitar.

Celtic Irish or Scottish folk music have the distinctive beat and rhythm that is at once primal and yet somehow almost spiritual. Maybe it is the Celtic soul coming out in the tunes. Playing these tunes with other musicians is totally enjoyable and provides ample opportunity for improvisation and ornamentation.

Click here to learn how to play Celtic Irish and Scottish music...

The easiest way to begin playing traditional Irish and Scottish music is to learn the chords and rhythms. Once you get the hang of the reels, jigs, airs and hornpipes, you will be able to figure out other songs with relative ease.

One thing that is different is the use of flatted notes, such as the 7ths.This can be a bit confusing at first, because it is different than traditional western music. When the 7^th is flatted, it is called the Mixolydian mode.

For example: in the key of D (very popular, by the way), the notes would be D,E,F#,G,A,B,C. The difference between a “normal” D scale and the Mixolydian Mode or scale is simply the one note: C instead of C#.

There are other modes, but you really do not need to worry about them when beginning. Try playing the traditional western D scale and compare it to the Mixolydian, you will hear the sound and this gives a special flavor to the tune. It is a bit like a blues scale in some ways, including bent notes and sliding notes.

Celtic Irish music makes extensive use of triplets,which add a lot of swing or bounce to the melody. These are much easier on a fiddle than guitar, but, with some practice you will soon be learning to hammer on and pick off like a pro!

Most flatpicking is done by using the down-up, down-up method. This works great for most songs, but when a tune has extensive triplets you need to use a different method: down-down-up, down-down-up. This requires a little re-wiring of the brain and hand, but it is really worth it. Not only will you be able to play the traditional Celtic tunes, but it will enhance the rest of your playing as well.

Tony McManus is a good example of a very good Scots guitarist, you can find one of his recordings here.

How to learn a Celtic tune on guitar

Unless you are especially clever, you will need some tablature or written music to follow. A better method is to learn from a fiddler, but not everyone has that option. You can also figure it out from recordings, which works great as well.

The first thing is to learn the melody so you can whistle, hum or sing it. This makes all the difference and will greatly speed up the process and make it sound like music instead of notes.

Next, break the song up into phrases and learn them one at a time. You will see that most tunes are made up of an A and B part, and sometimes a C part. Typically these all repeat once then move to the next part, and return back to the A part.

It is much, much easier to learn if you can sing the melody and play the chords along with a recording or a friend. Once you get the song in your head you can begin with the melody. Most of the tunes are rather simple in essence, but do not be fooled by that!

Use a metronome and play it slower and slower until you think you cannot go any slower. Then reverse the process and play it faster and faster until you crash. Go back a bit and repeat this process until you can play it. If you do this over a period of time, you will never forget the fingering and melody.

Click here to learn how to play Celtic Irish and Scottish music...