This tune is a composition of the late Paddy O’Brien from Nenagh in Co. Tipperary. Paddy O’Brien’s tunes are often very challening, but are also very musical. You will need to move your left hand into the third position when you reach the 11th bar. You can use the gap provided by the open E at the beginning of the …
Lesson 35. Silver Spire
This reel is in D, so there are no notes that are played on the first fret. Also the highest note in the tune is the F# on the 1st string, 2nd fret, so you won’t have to move your left hand. The tune does require picking on all six strings. Keeping your left hand ‘square’ to the fretboard will …
Lesson 34. Sunny Banks
A 16-bar reel consisting of two four-bar sections, each repeated once.
Lesson 33. Star of Munster
Originally in A minor, this tune is sometimes played in G minor – for example by both Martin Hayes and Kathleen Collins have recorded in G minor. Martin pointed out to Tony that many A minor tunes are played in G minor in his native East Clare. Tony’s version here however is in the original A minor.
Lesson 32. Padraig O’Keefe’s
This tune is a slide. The time signature is 12/8, which means basically 12 quavers per bar, but more correctly 4 groups of either quavers or crotchet/quaver combinations. A traditional Irish musician would count 4 beats per bar, each count being for 3 quavers or the equivalent: so *1* 2 3, *2* 2 3, *3* 2 3, *4* 2 3. …