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发表于 2006-11-15 16:33:46
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Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar
Pat's Guitar Page
Celtic Music for Fingerstyle Guitar
copyright 1993, 1996 by Pat Kirtley
The playing of Celtic music, the folk and traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany, on acoustic fingerstyle guitar is a relatively recent development. The music is very old, some of it dating from the 14th century and earlier, but has not been widely played on fingerstyle guitar until the 20th century. The primary instruments involved in this music have been the harp, fiddle, flutes, whistles, button accordian, and various bagpipes (highland pipe, uillean pipes, small pipes), as well as various drum and percussion instruments. Accordingly, the sound of this music is highly flavored with the nuances of these instruments, and a challenge of playing the music on solo guitar is to retain that feel. A few performers have been more successful than others in translating this music to guitar, notably Duck Baker, Davey Graham, Martin Carthy, Dave Evans, John Renbourn, and Pierre Bensusan. With regard to the proliferation of Celtic music for guitar in the USA, no discussion would be complete without mentioning Stefan Grossman. He has been most important as a motivator in bringing the work of contemporary Celtic-style guitar artists to the attention of audiences worldwide through recordings, tablature books, and taped lessons. His involvement with Kicking Mule, Shanachie Records, and Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop continues to bring new work by excellent guitarists to our attention.
A Very Brief History
The traditional music of Ireland and Scotland is old, and much has been written about it in books that are more about music history than music. Some of these books are listed in the references at the end of this article. Of particular interest to we guitar players is the general development of the music, and the instruments it upon which it was developed. It appears that Irish traditional music, for instance, went for quite a long time (prior to about 30 years ago) without much change. We won't go into the concepts of why this lack of change (similar to the lack of change in Scots-Irish folk songs in the Appalachian mountains in the 17th and 18th centuries here) occurred, but the benefit is that current musicians have the opportunity, through recordings and musicians taught by traditionalists, to bring the guitar firmly into the tradition.
Where did the tradition originate? If you listen to arabic and middle-eastern music, you can hear many characteristics in common with traditional Irish and Scottish music. Particularly, in both musical traditions there is an emphasis on melody and rhythm. The complexity of both styles of music (in those areas where the music is complex) is melodic and rhythmic. Rarely do you find emphasis of the more western concepts of harmony and counterpoint. This is where the uniqueness (and the challenge) lies. As solo guitarists, we don't have a standard method to create the kind of percussive rhythm that underlies jigs and reels, nor have we (most of us!) developed the subtle melodic voicings and ornamentation of, say, the Irish fiddle tradition. If we apply the normally expected guitar-arranger treatment to this music, piling on chords, alternating bass, and harmony, we are headed in the wrong direction. To begin to understand what to do, it is absolutely essential to listen to the traditional players (not guitar players) and bands. Flatpicking guitarists can make an approach to the styles of the lead instruments (fiddle, pipes, flutes and whistles), while the adventurous fingerstylist can attempt to emulate the whole Irish band! To keep the tradition alive, always keep the tradition in mind when you arrange and perform the music.
Form
It is necessary to have an understanding of the form of Celtic tunes to begin to learn to play them. Even if you are not a player, understanding the form will increase your enjoyment of the music. In our familiar pop and country music, we have forms defined by the terms Verse, Chorus, and Bridge. Almost all popular music is structured in this way. A typical tune might have the form Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Bridge, Chorus. In Celtic music, the parts, or sections, are simply described by letters of the alphabet, i.e., A part, B part, etc. A typical Irish or Scottish tune might have the form AABB or ABAB. The AABB form is very common in jigs and reels. Sometimes the tunes may have a C, D or E section. If you can find a local group playing Irish or Scottish music and hang around them awhile, you will hear this description of form used often. Sometimes the sections are strikingly different, as we would have in the pop music "verse - chorus", but in some tunes the differences between sections are subtle, almost as if the sections were simply variations on a theme. The music becomes easier to comprehend after you can mentally attach these simple letter designations to the changes you are hearing. Also, most traditional Appalachian fiddle tunes and Bluegrass tunes are structured this way.
Another concept often used is to combine tunes in sets. In Irish music, a set is two or more tunes grouped together and played as one. The origin of the set concept is probably from the tradition of dance. Many of the celtic tunes are dance tunes, and they are also very short. The way to let the dancers keep dancing is to keep playing. Since the tunes are so short, a set of three tunes is still only about 4 or 5 minutes. The choice of tunes to combine in sets is made, sometimes, for contrast, and sometimes for similarity of tempo. One of the areas of creativity for groups and individual performers is to find tunes that work together well in sets.
Types of Tunes
There are many distinct types of tunes, mostly from the Irish and Scottish traditions. It's helpful to learn their names and characteristics. The types of tunes are distinguishable by their underlying rhythmic accents, tempo, and structure. There are many types and they have descriptive names. The only way to learn these types is to listen (a lot!), but we can start by describing them in words.
1. Dance forms
Jig
This is the form with the quickest tempo, and the one most people readily identify as "Irish dance music". Time signature: 6/8 (a personal note: though jigs are notated in 6/8, I have always "felt" the time in 4/4. I am mentally counting 1-2-3-4 with triplets on top. I guess you could also say I think of it in 12/8); Examples: The Rakish Paddy, The Irish Washerwoman, The Blarney Pilgrim.
Slip-Jig
Characterized by a quick tempo and 9/8 time signature with a triplet feel. Examples: Kid on the Mountain, The Butterfly
Reel
Also a quick tempo and 4/4 time, but more of a flowing feel than a jig. If you listen to enough jigs and reels the differences become apparent, and the difference is mainly in the rhythmic emphasis. Examples: Temperance Reel, Green Fields of America, Gravel Walk
Hornpipe
This form can be found in 6/8, 12/8, or 4/4 tempos, with a different rhythmic emphasis than either jigs or reels. Examples: Sailor's Hornpipe, Proudlock's Hornpipe, The Rights of Man
Slide
Another dance form similar to a jig.
Set Dance
A more stately and sometimes classical sounding dance music. Examples: Morgan Magan, Rodney's Glory, The Blackbird
2. Melodic forms
Air
This is a slow and very melodic form. Whenever harmony creeps into celtic music this is usually the place. Examples: Pretty Maid Milking a Cow, Planxty Irwin, Skye Boat Song, Down in the Sally Gardens, Hewlett, The South Wind..
Lament
Melodic like an air, but with a definite element of sadness.
Peobracht
A Scottish piping form that is slow, long, and stately. It is usually performed solo, on highland pipes.
3. Other forms
March
Emphasis on a "drumming feel". Examples: The March of the King of Loaise, Sir Sidney Smith's March
Compositions of O'Carolan
The music of blind Irish harpist Turlough O'Carolan (1670 -1738) holds a unique position. In terms of section structure his compositions are similar to other traditional forms, but otherwise they seem have more in common with classical compositions of the Italian renaissance. O'Carolan created some of the most melodic and accessible music of Ireland. Examples: She beg an she mor, Blind Mary, Fanny Power, Carolan's Concerto.
Planxty
A Planxty is a tune dedicated to someone. It could be a patron, as in old times, or a friend, as in recent times. Planxties are not a type of tune per se; airs, jigs, reels, etc. could be given the title planxty. Examples: Planxty Kelly, Planxty Irwin.
Polka
It shouldn't be surprising that this brisk and spritely form is associated with dance. Along with jigs, reels and hornpipes, this form is found in the Irish Ceili tradition. A Ceili is kind of a "dance all night" Irish party.
Style and Ornamentation
The successful translation of Celtic music to fingerstyle guitar involves several factors. One important idea is that you are attempting to be more than one instrument. You must be able to provide the bass, rhythm and melody in many cases. Some of the slow tunes are not highly rhythmic, but require a particular style of counterpoint (interplay between melodic and bass voices) to sound correct. Another idea is that you are trying to imitate the playing styles of other instruments. A very important step to take in the beginning is simply to listen to these instruments. The need for listening to authentic Irish and Scottish musicians cannot be overstated. Nearly all of the traditional music played in the USA by even the best American players is derived from the music of the British Isles through a long process. The arrangements and styles have come down to us through years of being handed over from one player to another. While this has provided us with some interesting mutations, we need to listen to something as close to the source as possible, initially, to gain a real appreciation for the meaning of the music. Listen to an Irish band, such as Bothy Band, De Danann, or The Chieftains, for example. Listen to each instrument individually. Listen to real Irish fiddlers (i.e. Tommy Peoples or Sean Keane). Concentrate on what is unique about the instrument and the way it is played. In the case of the Irish flutes and whistles you will hear subtle vibratos and lots of sliding between notes. In the case of the harp you will notice many tones in a melody sustaining; a bell-like quality. When listening to pipes, you will hear wide trills, no stopping of the sound between notes (they can't!) and a constant droning of the lowest pipe. In the playing of the fiddlers you will hear exceptionally quick and complex bits of ornamentation, with sometimes five or more notes flying by in a tenth of a second. After lots of listening, you can expand your range of expressiveness on the guitar by emulating the styles of these instruments. Also listen to Irish and Scottish traditional musicians and bands playing live. If you want to play this music successfully and faithfully on fingerstyle guitar, this is not an option, it is essential. You will experience a new dimension to the music. Try to capture that drive and excitement in your guitar playing.
Keys
If you get together with a group of Irish music players on various instruments, you will quickly notice that almost everything they play is in the key of D, G or related cross-keys. This is because most of the other players are using modal and fixed key diatonic instruments; simple flutes, celtic harps, bagpipes, hammered dulcimers, etc. These instruments have a built-in restriction that is much like the harmonica: they favor certain keys and make it almost impossible to play in other keys. As a guitarist you may choose several strategies. One is to make your guitar into a modal instrument. DADGAD is a tuning used by many guitarists, and certainly makes the instrument favor the keys D, G and A. Another solution is simply to tune the low E down to D. Also called Drop D tuning, this allows more range and fullness of sound in the key of D. You can certainly remain in standard tuning, but the open low E string becomes much less effective. If you are tuned to Drop D and need to play something in E, you can easily capo at the 2nd fret (switching quickly between D and E by retuning is also easy with practice).
Alternate Tunings
Many of the pioneers of Celtic music on fingerstyle guitar have gravitated toward alternate tunings, and much of Irish and Scottish guitar music heard today is done in tunings other than standard. As mentioned above, D is a favored key, and the normally tuned guitar doesn't favor that key strongly. Several guitarists, such as Davey Graham and Pierre Bensusan have used tunings such as EADEAE and DADGAD which favor open 4ths, 5ths and octaves. These tunings seem to be a good basis upon which to recreate the tonalities of drone instruments. For most players the tunings will present a way to achieve these tonalities via the open strings.
Using alternate tunings is in no way a requisite for playing this music, and I believe that anyone using almost any tuning long enough can learn to play just about anything (and this includes standard tuning!). Duck Baker has been resistant to using any of the radically altered tunings, and he has given us some of the most profound interpretations of Irish music to date. For myself, the experience of DADGAD and learning to arrange the Irish and Scottish tunes have gone hand in hand. British Guitarist Dave Evans has been identified with the tuning CGDGAD, and both Martin Carthy and Davey Graham with EADEAE. Pierre Bensusan has created a complete body of work in DADGAD. Simply put, the tunings offer particular challenges and opportunities, and the results add variety to the musical experience.
The Music
There is no lack of music to choose from in this genre. One particular collection of Irish music lists over 1800 tunes! The included discography will hopefully be of help in finding tunes to play. Many guitarists are drawn early on to the music of the 17th century Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan. Very many of his tunes have been arranged for guitar and are available in tablature. His music was composed on the harp, and almost none of it exists at all today in an original written form. What is left of his music is what has been handed down through the ages, and in many cases only the bare melody is left. This is also true of other Irish melodies. For this reason you will hear the melodies harmonized in various different ways, and of course you can take your place in the process by finding your own harmonic ideas to complement the melodies. The way that you harmonize the melody becomes part of your creative interpretation. Be prepared for some criticism from the hard-core Irish players if you get too creative. The music of Ireland and Scotland can be a passage to a world that is mysterious and timeless; a place visited only recently by the guitar. There is plenty of territory yet unexplored.
Sources for Tunes
We guitarists can draw upon a number of sources for learning to play this music. A most respected source is the book compiled by Capt. Francis O'Neill in the late 19th century. O'Neill's nearly 2000 collected melodies are used by players of all instruments to this day. For fingerstyle guitarists, the basic melody and rhythm indicated in these tunes are the form and framework we can use to develop full arrangements. In this respect, it should be mentioned that music written and arranged for other instruments, such as the fiddle, can be fertile hunting ground for the guitarist in search of new material.
If you are not feeling very creative, many of the tunes have already been arranged and recorded by guitarists, and are also available in tablature. The recent Shanachie releases are notable in that most of them include tab along with the CD.
A personal perspective
For as long as I can remember, I have been attracted to music which has ambiguous tonality. By this I mean music that doesn't include enough harmonic information to let you know whether it is supposed to be major or minor, i.e. fourths and fifths but no thirds. I was first struck by that quality in medieval music and "early" music of the 13th and 14th centuries. Some later music, like Bartok's and Hindemith's, (not to mention Joni Mitchell and David Crosby!) also has this harmonic trait. Straight bagpipe music has this sound too, and when I first heard an arrangement of Irish music on fingerstyle guitar (it was John McCormick playing a particularly atonal version of The Blarney Pilgrim) I heard this sound that was old, strange, and had that ambiguous quality that I loved. From that day, I started learning to play the music, and it has been a challenging journey.
I think that we current guitarists should realize that we are maybe only the first or second generation to attempt bringing our instrument (solo) to this vast tradition of music. The pioneering steps have been made, by Duck Baker, Martin Carthy, Pierre Bensusan, Dave Evans, and Davey Graham. Other players have made significant contributions, including John Renbourn, Martin Simpson, Peter Finger, Arty McGlynn, and Seth Austen.
When I perform some the of my favorite Irish tunes for other guitarists and notice a spark of interest, I usually (only half-jokingly) apologize for "infecting" them with Irish music. For me it has become a passion that only gets deeper as I continue to explore it.
-Pat Kirtley |
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发表于 2005-10-29 19:52:26
