English Or Irish Style?

[wntrmute]

Learn how to play in the LDT style.

[fidjit]

Edited to add PS: I see you come from Essex. Lot of good players in Essex. I don't live there now (thus raising the average ability level in the county) but I was born in Ilford.

ah now I've lowered it again

 

Used to know a butcher at Ilford. By the roundabout. Probably before you were even a twinkle.

We both raced on bikes for the Zeus RC and Romford Racing Club. Er, in the late 50's this was.

 

Chas

 

with chords you need to understand how a chord is made up,if you understand tonic solfa,it is relatively easy,a major chord is made up of do me and soh. 1 3 5 of the major scale,to get a minor chord me is flattened a semi tone.

a chord can be jumbled up 351[ist inversion]531[second inversion]135[ root position].

doh is changeable, in a c major chord it is c,in a g major chord it is g,so you always work out your me and so notes from your doh note.

next thing to understand about chords,is that if they share two notes in common with another chord[example cmajor [ceg] and eminor [egb],it may be possible to substitute,or partially substitute one for the other,the most likely scenario for the example given, would be if the melody,is either an e or g note,because those notes are common to both chords.

Its like learning a whole new language. lol!

[hjcjones]

well last night I was on the brink of tears coz I couldn't do it. know its childish...but I don't know....blame it on my hormones. lol!

You do need to persevere. There will be times when it will be frustrating, when it won't go right and seems like it never will. But the moment will come when you can do it, and it's wonderful.

 

There will be times when you'll sit up playing half the night trying to get it right, and other times when you'll sit up playing half the night because you have got it right.

 

I'm going to give it a try for at least a month before I give it a rest for a while (chords that is).

It could take at least a month, quite possibly more. Or you might crack it tomorrow. Stick at it, that's the thing. Peter's right, it takes a lot of hard work and for most of us none of it comes easily. But it's clear from your posts that you have the necessary passion for music and for the instrument, and the rewards make all the effort worthwhile.

 

One day, when you can play well, some fool will come up to you and say "I wish I could play an instrument". Well. it's easy, you just have to practice for hours. And hours. And then practice more. And always keep learning.

 

PS like Chris, I too am an Essex Calf in exile.

[Anglo-Irishman]

with chords you need to understand how a chord is made up ... next thing to understand about chords ... this is an over simplification,but it should get you started.

www.dickmiles.com

 

Dick, that is as nice and concise a summary of some basic music theory that I've ever come across. Thanks for posting your explanation. A lot of information in music theory articles and books goes over my head. Your post brings it down to a nice beginner's level. I appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Wow!

You understood that!?!?!?!

 

Way over my head - I needn't bother trying to read the books, then!

 

The way I see it is: these buttons on the press give you a C chord. Those buttons on the draw give you an F chord. And THESE buttons on the draw give you a G7 chord. You need these for tunes played on the middle row. Plus the Am chord, which is THESE buttons on the press, or THOSE buttons on the draw. You'll soon learn to hear which chord comes when. And then you can learn the buttons and bellows directions for G, D7 and Em (you know the chord of C already), so you can play in the inner row.

 

Do you think all those rhythm guitarists know music theory? Not a bit of it!

 

I must admit, music theory can be fun, if you're mathematically or logically minded. But pragmatism gets you there, too!

 

There's an old adage in the computer trade: Theory is when everybody knows everything, and nothing works. Practice is when everything works, and nobody knows why.

 

Cheers,

John

[Jim Besser]

I only asked my original question coz I find chords really hard..I wondered if by playing in a different 'style' would limit my choice of tunes.

 

In coaching some beginning players, I have learned that one good approach to chord playing is to learn some tunes in OCTAVES -- the same note on the left and right hands, insofar as the tune allows for that. Once you get that, start deviating from octave playing by gradually adding some harmony notes, then some chords with the left hand. That helps some people get past the "can't do different things with different hands" hurdle.

Edited September 9, 2008 by Jim Besser

[LDT]

PS like Chris, I too am an Essex Calf in exile.

you mean another escapee

 

One day, when you can play well, some fool will come up to you and say "I wish I could play an instrument". Well. it's easy, you just have to practice for hours. And hours. And then practice more. And always keep learning.

I think people are avoiding me....coz everytime I meet someone I go 'Oooh look what I'm playing. Here try it. Do you want to play one too?'

 

There will be times when you'll sit up playing half the night trying to get it right, and other times when you'll sit up playing half the night because you have got it right.

Had one of those can't stop moments last night....my mum came in and says in that tone of voice 'I'm going to bed now'.

lol!

You understood that!?!?!?!

 

Way over my head - I needn't bother trying to read the books, then! wink.gif

 

The way I see it is: these buttons on the press give you a C chord. Those buttons on the draw give you an F chord. And THESE buttons on the draw give you a G7 chord. You need these for tunes played on the middle row. Plus the Am chord, which is THESE buttons on the press, or THOSE buttons on the draw. You'll soon learn to hear which chord comes when. And then you can learn the buttons and bellows directions for G, D7 and Em (you know the chord of C already), so you can play in the inner row.

 

Do you think all those rhythm guitarists know music theory? Not a bit of it!

I've never grasped chords on any instrument before....I'm the kind of person who learns best by this method:

 

See person play

Get taken through tune bit by bit

Try put it together with help

go away and practice

come back try again and smooth out rough edges.

 

I prefer being shown visually than reading...

[fidjit]

ok...I wanted to know (its probably a really obvious question).

I know there's Irish style and English style for playing but is there certain songs for certain styles or can you play any song in either style?

 

Essex escapee to Scandinavia.

 

Woodford Green to the green woods.

 

Chas

[LDT]

Woodford Green to the green woods.

 

you gotta be careful in 'good green woods'.....there's knights, wild women and all sorts of characters wandering round them

[Dave Rogers]

Woodford Green to the green woods.

 

you gotta be careful in 'good green woods'.....there's knights, wild women and all sorts of characters wandering round them

 

Plus Trolls in Scandinavia, I should think...

[fidjit]

Woodford Green to the green woods.

 

you gotta be careful in 'good green woods'.....there's knights, wild women and all sorts of characters wandering round them

 

Plus Trolls in Scandinavia, I should think...

 

We have wolves and bears too. Not many Dragons though.

 

And I've have never seen a lithe blond tied to a tree yet.

 

Still looking.

 

Chas

[David Levine]

god preserve us from all playing like Noel Hill[no disrespect intended]he is a very good player,but variety of styles [imo]is what makes the music interesting.

 

I totally agree with this. Noel Hill would agree with this! But there's not much chance that any

of us could play "like Noel Hill," whatever that means. I do admire his technique and his ability -

and he's a great teacher - but his music often makes me nervous and jumpy.

 

Trying to play like Noel Hill is like trying to play violin like Jascha Heifetz or to play golf like

Tiger Woods. Learning from and copying a mentor seems to be the way traditional music is

learned and passed on. If by some stroke of great good fortune you should be able to play

like Noel or golf like Tiger you would surpass them (or, rather, add to what they do), having

taken their playing to a new level. Noel learned from Paddy Murphy. No doubt at one point

he tried to play like Paddy. But he doesn't sound much like Paddy Murphy these days.

 

Yes, there are people who slavishly copy everything Noel, or Matt Molloy, does. You see this in

kids who have three or four tunes down perfectly, just the way the master taught them to play.

In time they will come into their own voice and hopefully set new standards of technique and

musicianship.

 

Noel Hill isn't the only great player out there, of course. A learning player copies technique from

Dymna O'Sullivan, Michael O'Raghalligh, Tim Collins, Mary MacNamara, and many others. We

listen to them all and learn from them all and hopefully do not sound like a parrot of just one

of them.

[LDT]

Having such a plethera of 'experts' helping me out on this forum..I should end up with a pretty 'eclectic' style.

[philapilus]

Having such a plethera of 'experts' helping me out on this forum..I should end up with a pretty 'eclectic' style.

 

that and the fact that you're a bellowhead fan, which pretty much makes it impossible not to end up being eclectic!