I’d quite like to have an off-thread chat with any of you who are keen guitarist as well whistle or flute players. Stuff like whether you do recording of yourself (mixing tracks with BOTH guitar and whistle/flute), what good resources you have found for celtic guitar on the web, whether there is a discussion group like this somewhere for celtic guitar (and if not whether we should start one), etc, etc.
Please use this thread to identify yourself if you’ve any interest in this topic, then we’ll take the discussion off-line into emails since it’s unlikely to be of much interest to those who don’t play guitar.
Hi, Champ, I play guitar, too and love Glen Weiser’s Celtic guitar page. I’m back to it after many years away from it and switching gears from folk and finger picking to Celtic style playing. I’ve also gone back to studying music theory and practicing scales.
I’m a “sort of” guitarist. I wouldn’t say keen exactly but I have played in a Celtoid band. I haven’t found the kind of resources that you are probably looking for. There is a guitar forum associated with Acoustic Guitar magazine. It’s not Irish or Celtic oriented but you can still post questions there, particluarly in the section called Playing Guitar-unless, of course, you’re interested in Gear or something. Paul Kotapish is the moderater of the Playing section and has played with Kevin Burke’s Open House band.
I’ve been playing guitar (not keanly) since late 60’s. You’d think I’d be farther along with it, but initially it was mostly to accompany a pretty good voice. Now that the voice is mostly gone, I’m picking up whistle and flute to replace voice as my melody instrument. Most of my comments about sessions and play come from my folk and guitar backgrounds. I like the idea of a forum like this for Guitar, but don’t think one exists.
One alternative is to check to see if Dale and Rich might set up another forum like they have for flute and pipe. However, rather than guitar, I’d rather see it as “All the other stuff the whistlers play when there winded”. That way the rhythm guitar posts will be mixed with bodhran posts, mixed with melody guitar, mixed with fiddle, mixed with concertina, mixed with Joshes Cat. Any thing the whistlers play, especially as they relate to common whistle genre’s Irish, scottish, old time, contra-dance, cajun, and whatever else strikes our fancy.
I’d be glad to e-mail back and forth. But group discussion seem to work out much easier in a forum setup than in a mail-list.
I like Lee March’s idea! I’m interested in learning the guitar somewhere down the road, but I’ve been unable to find a message board as informative as this one. Yes, definatly titled “when whistlers get winded,” it would be nice to pick up the guitar on those allergy days! They’ve got the right idea . . . I’m not sure how useful an all guitar page would be, but it would be nice to have a place for all the other tradtional instruments! A liitle on bodrans or playing the bones, can anyone recommend a good harp, are there any fidders out there, stuff like that. I think a general board would be a great addition to an already interesting, fun message board.
Well, I am kind of a guitar player. During the 60’s my mom was a major, really good folk guitarest, and when I was five, she got me my first guitar. I took lessons for about 3 months, then refursed to practice and the lessons got booted. Now after 10 years of having a really tinny guitar, I have picked it up and started playing again. I have to say I am really enjoying guitar and I would definately love to see a “what whistle players play when they get winded” forum
Quick question while we are on the topic of guitar: I was looking at guitar TAB sites today and on one they were talking about “hammers”, “Slides” and goodness knows what else. Can anyone explain to me what these tearms mean?
A hammer-on is when you pick one note, but quickly press down on a designated fret to produce a different sound. A pull-off is when you pick a note that is fretted, but quickly pull your finger away from the neck of the guitar, keeping a slight hold on that string so that it moves with your finger (essentially a hammer on but in reverse). A slide is just picking a note at one fret and then quickly sliding to another fret. In each of these techniques the right hand picks only once but due to the movement of the left hand you hear 2 notes.
Champ,
I play guitar and often visit the Acoustic guitar gear or players forum.The thing I’ve noticed on some guitar forums (not the one mentioned)is the general lack of civility and respect shown to others.Harmony Central has an anything goes mentality that I dont like.Many of us here play other instruments and the occasional O.T.discussions are mostly friendly with a community spirit that is sadly lacking in some forums.I would be happy to participate in the occasional O.T. guitar,mandolin or fiddle thread but would not welcome an extra forum.Its a shame the way our election went. Cheers mate,Mike
I am a guiar player. I have played classical, rock, folk, blues, and now play bluegrass and old-time american music.
I also dabble in celtic/Irish guitar, but the bluegrass keeps me busy and I sort of view my tin whistle as my “Irish music” instrument. I also have the guitar form of WhOA-- called “GAS” (“Guitar Acquisition Syndrom”, which is even more damaging to the ol’ pocket book than WhOA!)
Anyway, I have learned some irish fingerpicking tunes, and can fake my way around some session favorites. I have found that Pat Kirtley’s website is really good for Celtic fingerstyle guitar:
I’ve been playing guitar semi-seriously for a few years now. It is actually my “main instrument” as much as I can be said to have one.
Lately, I’ve begun playing an arpeggiated “acoustic” style on electric guitar and am quite pleased with the result.
I haven’t made a serious effort at learning celtic styles on guitar – but then come to think of it I haven’t made a serious effort at learning celtic styles on the whistle, either
I’ve recently taken up guitar also, mostly for vocal accompaniment. I use it to figure out songs by ear, as well do some fingerstyle playing. The guitar enables me to put a song in the key that’s right for my voice, either through tranposing or using the capo. I’m very much the hack multi-instrumentalist, so it was inevitable that I’d pick up guitar sometime–I have my dabbling musical dilettante reputation to uphold! Jack of several instruments, master of none . . .
BTW: If you want a decent guitar at a great price, try the Olympia, made by Tacoma. The action and sound are great, and the Elixir strings saved me from giving up on guitar (and mandolin).
I used to play classical guitar in high school. Since then, I’ve dabbled with folk, bluegrass, and jazz guitar, as well as mandolin, but my main instruments have always been basses - acoustic and electric. Then almost four years ago I got a Chapman Stick. Playing a Stick is sort of like simulaneously playing a guitar and a bass, or sometimes like 2 guitars and a bass. Anyway, that’s now my main gigging instrument when I’m not playing Irtrad on whistles and flute. (Not that I’m anywhere ready for Irtrad gigs yet.)
I also am a guitarist primarily. Been playing for 28 years. I mainly play in church now, using whistle as a second instrument. I take old hymns, 200 years old or more and arrange them in acoustic Celtic style or an eclectic old American style for performance and/or recording. I do home recording on a DAW (digital audio workstation) running Cakewalk SonarXL. I also make song tracks for vocalists.
