In this week’s episode of Folky Fridays I’ll be showing you some examples of classic Celtic tunes which change modes mid-tune. There are lots of common mode shifts in Irish and Scottish tunes so also some more unusual modulations which crop up from time to time- I’ll be explaining how to modes show you which are the most likely key changes and how you can respond as a backing guitarist. I’ll also be showing you a few ways to make it look like you know what you’re doing if you mess up and play the wrong chords!
Today I’ll be demonstrating primarily in standard tuning but I can run through the chords in DADGAD too if anyone wants any specific ones!
Thanks to Duncan Cameron, Peak Fiddler, Shane Farrell and The Whistler for making the fantastic recordings of classic jigs, reels and polkas which appear in this guitar lesson. Check out their channels for top quality renditions of classic tunes on fiddle, tenor banjo, and tin whistle respectively.
Here are all the tunes covered:
Drowsy Maggie:
Banish Misfortune:
Fermoy Lasses:
Kid On The Mountain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeAKZbUACuc&ab_channel=peakfiddler
The Cup Of Tea:
The Wise Maid:
Lord Gordon’s Reel:
Humours of Ballyloughlin: