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I've just spent a nice afternoon playing tunes in Sheffield with my old mate Mike Lydyat ( Google it) who has put a phenomenal amount of material on the web . He has worked out tablature for all O'Carolan's tunes. Check out his site. We will be putting some stuff on soon.

 

http://www.docsworkshop.force9.co.uk

 

Mike

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I've just spent a nice afternoon playing tunes in Sheffield with my old mate Mike Lydyat ( Google it) who has put a phenomenal amount of material on the web . He has worked out tablature for all O'Carolan's tunes. Check out his site. We will be putting some stuff on soon.

 

http://www.docsworkshop.force9.co.uk

 

Mike

 

Ha Ha .. so, from Carolan's Concerto to Carolan's Concert..ina! ;)

 

But seriously, I look forward to hearing any music you guys produce.

 

Cheers

Dick

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For those more at home with dottage, there is always The Complete Works of O'Carolan from Ossian Publications.

 

Starts with a nice little biography and the dots are done up big for those of us who don't see as well as we used to ;) .

 

There are a couple of suprises when it comes to keys though.

Edited by Mark Evans
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We were discussing the whole business of harmony in Irish music and reckoned that if harps were used they must have had quite a lot. My mate Mike said the book he had only showed the 'top line' and that there are no actual historical records of Carolan's harmonies . Any info? We also reckoned he'd have been influenced by the Baroque and harpsichords etc.

Keith Hinchliffe, another guitarist pal, , also from Sheffield tries for the 'harp space' in his guitar tunings

 

http://www.keithhinchliffe.com

 

Mike

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We were discussing the whole business of harmony in Irish music and reckoned that if harps were used they must have had quite a lot. My mate Mike said the book he had only showed the 'top line' and that there are no actual historical records of Carolan's harmonies . Any info? We also reckoned he'd have been influenced by the Baroque and harpsichords etc.

Keith Hinchliffe, another guitarist pal, , also from Sheffield tries for the 'harp space' in his guitar tunings

 

http://www.keithhinchliffe.com

 

Mike

 

They say he was. In his lifetime Baroque music was mostly monody, which had melody with harmonic accompaniment. Seems what we have as transcriptions suggests it, but how sure one can be, who knows. My Dominique is learning a number of O'Carolan tunes and I put in a one line harmony adding 5ths from time to time and avoiding 3rds (she gives me dirty looks as those damned equal temperment 3rds on the concertina really clash with her fiddle). It's fun.

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  • 1 month later...

Is there any documentary evidence of what harmonies O'Carolan actually played or has everybody had to work it out from 'the top line'? Mainly harp, keyboards and guitar players I suspect. And hence modern ideas of harmony although listening to Baroque music must help, music notes are available for keyboards, Viol consorts etc

 

Looking for 'good' chords is certainly stimulating

Edited by michael sam wild
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  • 4 weeks later...
Is there any documentary evidence of what harmonies O'Carolan actually played or has everybody had to work it out from 'the top line'? Mainly harp, keyboards and guitar players I suspect. And hence modern ideas of harmony although listening to Baroque music must help, music notes are available for keyboards, Viol consorts etc

 

Looking for 'good' chords is certainly stimulating

 

 

I was under the impression he didn't use much if any: there is a story you can find online about O'Carloan which is really funny -

 

In another anecdote, it was said that David Murphy, who was harper to Lord Mayo and once played before King Louis XIV of France, told Carolan his tunes were like "bones without beef". Carolan thereupon dragged Murphy kicking and screaming through the room. While Murphy screamed, Carolan remarked, "Put beef to that air, you puppy."

 

truely an iconic irishman

 

taken from: http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AMusic/OCarolan.html

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