O’Flatpicking

Cover of O'Flatpicking

Most of my involvement in playing Irish music has been either as a banjo player, or if playing guitar, as an accompanist. Playing tunes on the guitar throws up some challenges. Tonally the guitar is not really suited to sessions where it simply gets drowned out by the “main” instruments used in playing Irish music, although it is quite adequate for accompaniment. Because of the way the instrument is tuned, and I use standard tuning in this book, you can find yourself having to play across 5 or occassionally 6 strings. That's a lot of string crossing with your picking hand. And the size of the neck and spacing between the frets can mean some long stretches for your fretting hand. But I guess any instrument has its own challenges and one positive feature about the guitar is, if nothing else, it's versatility!

So after all these years I've put together this selection of tunes that I've picked up from a variety of sources and worked them onto the guitar . This book is I suppose part tune collection and part tutor. Aside from the tunes you'll find scale exercises, bits of theory, modes, and a (hopefully) lucid explanation of picking technique, the downfall of many a guitarist, and for that matter banjo and mandoline players. But even with an understanding of everything about the technical side of playing your instrument you still need to have the tune/s in your head and to do that you need to listen. With that in mind I've included an MP3 of each of the tunes in the book, played exactly as written, with accompaniment, but at a moderate tempo.(Tony O'Rourke)

You can download a free sample of the book which contents Crossing The Shannon sheet music (PDF, 543KB) and tune (MP3, 2.1MB).

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The Book

  • O'Flatpicking (PDF, 61.7MB)

Audio/MP3 files

  • An t'Aithair Jack Walsh 8
  • Apples In Winter
  • Banish Misfortune
  • Blarney Pilgrim
  • Cliffs Of Moher
  • Cliffs Of Moher2
  • Cordal Jig
  • Daniel O'Connell Jig
  • Green Fields Of Woodford
  • Hole In The Hedge
  • Hole In The HedgeEx 2
  • Jerry's Beaver Hat
  • Jim Connolly's Jig 1
  • Maid At The Well
  • Maid In The Meadow
  • Manorhamilton Jig
  • Mist Covered1
  • Paddy Taylor's
  • Paidin O'Rafferty
  • Queen Of The Fair
  • Repeal Of The Union
  • Seamus Cooley's
  • Thousand Farewells
  • Top Of Cork Road
  • Woods Of Old Limerick
  • Miller's Maggot
  • Off She Goes
  • Bank Of Ireland
  • Bird In The Bush 2
  • Broken Pledge 2
  • Cooley's
  • Crossing The Shannon 7
  • Doon Reel
  • Down The Broom
  • Farewell To Erin 4
  • Floating Crowbar
  • Forget Me Not 2
  • Galtee Ranger
  • George White's
  • Glass Of Beer 2
  • Humours Of Lissadel
  • Humours Of Tulla
  • Ironing Board 2
  • Man Of The House(Dmin)
  • Man Of The House(Emin)
  • McFadden's HD 3
  • Molly Ban
  • Mossy Banks
  • Road To Ballymac
  • Salamanca 1
  • Star Of Munster 2
  • Star Of Munster(Gm)
  • Trip To Durrow
  • Walter Sammon's
  • Wise Maid 2
  • Yellow Tinker
  • Brown Coffin
  • Caislean An Oir(Dm)
  • Cronin's HP
  • Fort Of Kincora
  • Home Ruler 1
  • Kitty's Wedding 1
  • Mickey Callaghan's
  • Off To California 1
  • Give Us A Drink Of Water
  • Kid On The Mountain
  • Maire Rua
  • Na Ceannabhain
  • Cock O'The North
  • Echoes Of Killarney(1)
  • Road To Lisdoonvarna
  • Bill Sullivan's
  • Britches Full Of Stitches
  • Jimmy Doyle's
  • Maggie In The Woods
  • Toormore No2
  • Garden Of Daisies
  • Humours Of Bandon
  • King Of The Fairies
  • Saint Patrick's Day
  • Charles O'Conor
  • O'Carolan's Concerto 2
  • O'Carolan's Draught 1
  • Come Walk With Me
Rebecca O'DeaO’Flatpicking