Irish Guitar Musicians

GUEST POST – I thought I might offer a few words in this post about a guitar genre that rarely gets the spotlight outside of its own community of players, namely that of guitar accompaniment in traditional Irish music.

Now when I say “traditional Irish music ” – or “trad” for short – I’m referring specifically to the instrumental forms of the dance music : the jigs, reels, slip-jigs, hornpipes and polkas (yes, polkas… Ireland was invaded by just about everyone at some time or other).

The roots of these tunes reach back into the ages beyond where any of us can pin point, and they offer incredible opportunities, challenges and rewards for the curious guitarist. My own journey over the last twenty years or so has been a balancing act between respecting the tradition and finding my own voice, and I wouldn’t change a minute of that learning curve.

Irish Traditional Musicians — Irish Trad, Folk & Popular Music Wedding Band

Ok, I might change a few minutes hear and there, and for those of you who might want to dip your fingers into these waters, I thought I might offer some advice and spare you some of the bumps and bruises I acquired in my early days.

For reference, listening to those that came before us is always a good idea, and here are some of the names to explore:

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill made his mark through the 70s with The Bothy Band, and his strong driving rhythms along with almost a “power chord” feel at times brought a new vibrancy to the genre that led to a new and younger audience listening to the old tunes.

Hire Traditional Irish Musicians — The Irish Music School Of Chicago

Dáithí Sproule (Pronounced “Da-Hee”, which is the Irish version of David) pioneered DADGAD guitar accompaniment in Irish music. These days, the best place to hear his accompaniment work is with ALTAN, a great Donegal band loyal to the tradition.

John Doyle rose to prominence with the band Solace, and developed a style that is completely his own, often copied and never equalled.

Denis Cahill, most often seen accompanying fiddle player Martin Hayes, is a fine example of what I call the less-is-more player; minimalist and beautiful, allowing the melody to sing, which leads me on to my next point….

Lineup And Ticket Announcements From Ards International Guitar Festival 2020

When you sit down, guitar in hand, listening to Irish tune playing either via a musician friend or a recording, remember that it’s all about that melody line – that’s where the tradition lives. To encroach on that melody is the equivalent of drowning out the singer. It took me a minute, as someone who came from a rock/blues/jazz/punk/anything guitar background to realize I had no business vying for a piece of the spotlight. My role was a supporting one.

And after a while I realized that this “servile” role was actually the source of much liberation as a guitar player. I could go on and on about this and expand ad infinitum, but I have some ground to cover in this one blog post, so onward….

Many, many times have I heard the comment that trad “all sounds the same” – all diddley diddley diddley….so how hard can it be to play along with?

Ceilidh Bands And Traditional Irish / Folk Musicians Derry / Londonderry

When you think about it, every musical genre sounds “all the same” when you only give it that initial cursory glance. Blues, Country, Jazz, Hip Hop. They can all be stereotyped and reduced to a caricature. Listen to anyone of them for more than the time it takes to change channels, however, and things start to snap into focus. Trad is no different.

That diddley diddley diddley rhythm? That’s a jig – 6/8 and one of the basic tune forms. Listen to a tune called

– a trad Standard – for the feel of a jig (or at least the feel of THAT jig – although they each have fundamental similarities, they also have their own personality, kinda like people).

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As an example of a standard repertoire tune. Your road starts with those two. From there it just gets deeper and more fascinating.

There are some great teachers out there – it’s something I enjoy myself – but I would like to point out some others:

So that’s some of the trad stuff, ie the instrumental tunes. What about the songs we all associate with Irish music ? The “Pub songs” as they’re often called.

An Introduction To Traditional Irish Guitar

Every time I think on the subject, I’m reminded of my days singing for my supper in Dublin, and my old friend Martin Denning singing to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer:

“I am just a folky and my story seldom told I have plundered Irish music with a lump of German plywood and a capo All lies and jest, I have learned the songs with just two chords and disregard the rest. Li la li li. Li la li li. Li la li”

I love a lot of those Irish ballads and spent plenty of my early career belting them out to all and sundry. I regard a lot of those songs as the Irish equivalent of Classic Rock, in much the same way as I regard The Dubliners as the Irish Rolling Stones. If you want to familiarize yourself with the standards of the Irish Pub Song/Ballad genre, go get a collection of recordings by the Dubliners circa 60s/70s, with the never-to be-equalled Luke Kelly on vocal. Great stuff.

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The songs, as opposed to the tunes, allow an audience to sing along and perhaps interact more with the music. So therefore they lend themselves to a party atmosphere.

Beneath that layer though, are a wealth of songs dating back to antiquity – a vein that is still being mined, but since this is a guitar blog, that’s a story for.another time and place.

….if you’ve never considered turning your guitar’s attention to the twists and turns of Irish music, a world of discovery awaits, you lucky dog….

Irish Music Month 2023 Launches With 25 Radio Stations

Hailing fromCorkin the south ofIreland, Patsy O’Brien has traveled the globe, guitar in hand, accompanying, creating and recording with some of the giants of Irish music.

Anaward-winning songwriterand much sought-afterguitarist, his ability to meld songwriting and guitar styles seamlessly caught the attention ofNPRwho featured his arrangement ofThe Star Of The County Down(see below) on theirAll Songs Consideredprogram.

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The Jeremiahs • Folk • Kings Place

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Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.The Emerald Isle is renowned for its music; it has always been an integral part of our culture. From traditional music to folk songs, to whimsical indie vocals and international rock stars, Irish musicians and artists have captivated audiences around the globe. In this article we will list our top 14 Irish artists that have taken the world by storm.

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Who do you think will feature on the list? Read below to see our list of top 15 Irish musicians in no particular order!

Singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy is one of the most popular Irish musicians all over the world. Hugely inspired by Van Morrison, Dermot even went on to cover

From Busking on the streets of Dublin in his early days to travelling the world and selling out arenas Dermot’s success can only be attributed to his artistry. Not only a quality vocalist, but also a talented musician and superb lyricist, Kennedy’s songs often feel like poetry.

Award Winning Irish Musicians To Perform

Initially a singer in the Band Shadow and Dust, Dermot gained popularity as a solo artist after the release of his 2017 EP ‘Doves and Ravens’. His album

Dermot was nominated in the ‘Best International Male’ category at the BRIT awards in 2020. in the same year he hosted one of the biggest ever selling live streamed shows performing with a full-band in the Natural History Museum in London.

Will release on the 23rd of September 2022, and we can’t wait to listen to the next chapter in the Irish musician’s discography.

Irish Musicians Stock Photos, High Res Pictures, And Images

Lisa Hannigan featured as a vocal partner on fellow Irish musician Damien Rice’s first two albums ‘O’ and ‘9’, including vocals on the hit singles ‘9 crimes’, ‘The Blowers Daughter’, ‘Volcano’, and ‘I Remember’, Before starting a solo career in 2008.

That very year, Hannigan opened for both Jason Mraz’s and David Gray’s

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