There are two jigs that carry the name “The Gold Ring” (“An Fáinne Óir” in Irish). One is a 7-part jig in G particularly popular with pipers, and the other, a 4-part jig in D Major. This tune is the D Major tune, and it’s one of Tony’s all-time favourties. Although this is a D tune, Tony plays it in …
Lesson 63. Frost is All Over
A delightful jig with a strong underlying rhythm, which is probably why it is quite often used for playing at céilithe (social dances). In the second bars of both the third and fourth lines you will note that Tony uses the same finger for the first two notes of those bars (G and F#), plays the high B with his …
Lesson 62. First Clan March of the O’Sullivans
Marches usually have a 2/4 time signature, but this tune is one of a number of tunes designated as a march, but carrying a 6/8 time signature. (“The Butcher’s March” is another.) This tune is also quite often played as just a normal jig as part of a set. It’s fairly compact in the left hand, only going up to …
Lesson 61. Farewell to Erin
The most challenging tune in Book 4, this is totally unrelated to “Farewell to Ireland”. It’s not at all unknonwn to encounter such confusingly similar titles in Irish music! Normally played in A Dorian, but Tony has arranged it for gutar in E Dorian. You can capo up to the 5th fret, but on the podcast there’s no capo. Tony …
Lesson 60. Fairies’ Hornpipe
This well known tune comes in the standard 32-bar format, with two parts, each played twice. It is an ideal tune to play if a hornpipe is requested by a step dancer. Unusually for such a melodic tune the whole tune is played within one octave excepting the three F# notes that occur near the end of both sections. In …