Irish Rhythm Guitar

Learn the fine art of backing Celtic tunes on guitar! The rhythmic center of one of today’s hottest Irish bands (Solas) demonstrates the strumming patterns, bass lines, accents and syncopations that he uses to drive a tune forward. You’ll discover how adding minor chords and other substitutions add interest to a basic three-chord tune, and will be playing both simple and complex accompaniments to more than a dozen great reels, jigs and hompipes.

John demonstrates his complex strumming patterns using moving bass lines, palm damping, backbeats, accents and syncopations to drive a tune forward. Using dropped D tuning throughout, John shows how to add interest and depth to a basic three-chord tune by using minor chords and other substitutions to change the underlying harmonic structure. He goes over each tune, slowly and up to speed, developing dynamic chord progressions and rhythmic flourishes as he goes.

You’ll learn rhythmic accompaniments to reels, jigs, slip jigs and hornpipes, including “Crowley’s,” “The Mountain Road,” “Craig’s Pipes,” “The Gooseberry Bush,” “Gallagher’s Frolics,” “Mist Covered Mountain,” “Langstrom’s Pony,” “Humours of Whiskey,” “Banks of Loch Gamhna,” “Return to Camden Town,” “The Fermoy Lasses,” “The Girl That Broke My Heart,” “Chief O’Neill’s Hornpipe,” “Tim Henry’s Favorite,” “The Pullet” and “The Floating Crowbar.”

Student Review
“I just wanted to tell you how delighted I am with the Homespun Tape, “Irish Rhythm Guitar” with John Doyle and John Williams. Although he doesn’t get into much of the technical stuff, explaining several times how he plays by “feel,” I am really excited to be learning some of the techniques and chord shapes. Also, I am very pleased just with theperformance aspects of the tape. I never thought dropped D tuning could be so full up the neck either. In short, I’m a satisfied customer.”
– Rick Boyle (via email)