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Celtic Guitar Foundations

Play 6 Easy Celtic Arrangements

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Celtic Guitar Foundations
Tony McManus

Tony McManus

Educator

acoustic, world music

Genres

About this course

Celtic music has an emotional impact that draws people in from all over the world. It’s a style with a ton of diversity in geography, history, and culture. It’s extremely rewarding to play, but our challenge is to find a voice for the guitar that is authentic and true to the music.

Tony McManus introduces you to the spirited melodies and evocative rhythms of Celtic music with Celtic Guitar Foundations and 6 very accessible arrangements of traditional Celtic songs.

”In this course we’re going to learn to play six traditional Celtic guitar pieces. For each, I’ll first show you a system of approachable etudes, giving you immediate access to the necessary techniques, structures and forms.

I’ll then perform each piece in full, showing you some of the creative ornaments and embellishments I would use on stage.

Along the way you’ll learn a handful of useful tunings, grasp some of the mechanics of the idiom, understand the use of stylistic embellishments, and develop an emotional connection to the music.”

You’ll have all of TrueFire’s advanced learning tools at your finger tips to personalize your workspace and learn at your own pace.

You can loop, slow down, or speed up any section of a lesson. Plus, all of the tab and notation is synced to the videos for the optimal learning experience. You’ll also get tab and standard notation files to print out.

Grab your guitar, and let’s play Celtic tales with Tony McManus!

What you'll learn

  • Perform the four-chord accompaniment pattern for the tune
  • Execute proper muting and staccato articulation in Celtic music
  • Apply Breton-style phrasing and articulation techniques
  • Switch between melody and accompaniment roles
  • Understand the two-bar phrase structure of gavotte form
Release date: 08/11/2023 • 1h 44m runtime
late beginnerintermediateacoustic guitarguitarfingerpickingtechniquehome recording
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Sample lessons
Neil Gows Lament
Neil Gows Lament
Full Performance
Banks of Sicily
Banks of Sicily
Overview
Sicily Etude 1
Sicily Etude 1
Performance
Sicily Etude 1
Sicily Etude 1
Breakdown

What's included

48 lessons • 26 charts

Celtic Guitar Foundations
Hello I’m Tony McManus. Welcome to Celtic Guitar Foundations.

Celtic music has an emotional impact that draws people in from all over the world. It’s a style with a ton of diversity in geography, history, and culture. It’s extremely rewarding to play, but our challenge is to find a voice for the guitar that is authentic and true to the music.

In this course we’re going to learn to play six traditional celtic guitar pieces. For each, I’ll first show you a system of approachable etudes, giving you immediate access to the necessary techniques, structures and forms.

I’ll then perform each piece in full, showing you some of the creative ornaments and embellishments I would use on stage.

Along the way you’ll learn a handful of useful tunings, grasp some of the mechanics of the idiom, understand the use of stylistic embellishments, and develop an emotional connection to the music.

You’ll play your way through the entire course using TrueFire’s suite of learning tools so you can learn at your own pace.

Grab your guitar and let’s get started!
My Lagan Love
In this lesson, we will explore the Irish tune "My Lagan Love" from the north of Ireland. We'll delve into the unique features of this song, including its dadgad tuning (D A D G A D) and its utilization of the mixolydian mode with both a flat seven and a sharp seven. Together, we'll break down the form of the song into two sections (A, a, b, a), teasing out the melody so it can easily sit under your fingers. With the tools available on this platform, you'll have the ability to slow down and loop sections as you need, allowing for a comfortable pace. By the end of this lesson, you will be ready to put all the elements together and perform "My Lagan Love" as a standalone piece of guitar music.
Exploring DADGAD Tuning
In this lesson, you will learn about the unique and prominent tuning used in Celtic guitar music, known as dadgad tuning (D A D G A D). We'll explore the process of tuning the guitar to this configuration, starting with the double drop D tuning, and then moving to the dadgad. We'll discuss how this tuning relates to open D tuning and its roots in the 1960s. I'll demonstrate how it lends itself beautifully to Celtic music, allowing you to play across the strings, and create rich, ambiguous sounds. Alongside this, we'll explore the major scale and the corresponding chords for each degree, including D Major, E minor, F sharp minor, G major, A major, B minor, and C sharp diminished. This tuning will be central to our exploration of Celtic guitar in this course.
Lagan Etude 1
In this lesson, I will perform the tune "My Lagan Love," and then we'll break it all down in detail. Together, we'll explore the intricacies of this beautiful piece, gaining a deep understanding of its structure and musical nuances.
Lagan Etude 1
In this lesson, I will guide you through the first half of an Irish air called "My Lagan Love," which belongs to a style known as Sean-nós, meaning "old style." Unlike many traditional tunes, this style doesn't follow a specific pulse, and it often follows an A a B A structure. I'll explain the techniques used in playing two A's of this tune, emphasizing the mixolydian mode, the fifth mode of the major scale with a flat seven. We'll look into how I use multiple strings to make the melody ring, and how I choose to play the fifth below the root of the chord to create a dark sound. I will also explain how I use my index fingernail to spread the chords, adding more drama to the A part of "My Lagan Love." Whether you're looking to understand the theoretical aspect or learn the practical techniques, this lesson will offer a comprehensive understanding of this unique piece.
Lagan Etude 2
In this lesson, I will perform the tune "My Lagan Love," and then we'll break it all down in detail. Together, we'll explore the intricacies of this beautiful piece, gaining a deep understanding of its structure and musical nuances.
Lagan Etude 2
In this lesson, I will guide you through the B and final A parts of "My Lagan Love," highlighting the unique structure and musical elements that make this piece stand out. Unlike many traditional Irish and Scottish airs, this song beautifully combines both the flat seven and the natural seven, resulting in a rich mix of sounds. We'll explore how the melody modulates, going to the four chord and transitioning between the flat and natural seven. Through the use of hammer-ons, I aim to make the melody flow seamlessly, weaving together the distinct sections. Whether you want to understand the theoretical nuances or pick up practical techniques for playing "My Lagan Love," this lesson will deepen your appreciation and understanding of this exquisite piece of music.

+ 41 more lessons

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Reviews

5 results

mikecee

Verified buyer

01/18/25

Great Celtic Guitar Course taught by the legendary Tony McManus

So glad to find Tony McManus teaching on TrueFire. I’ve always been drawn to Celtic music and as a hobby guitar player excited to get Celtic Guitar Foundations taught by the legendary Mr McManus himself. Still working through the course, but even the intro and first few lessons were taught so comprehensively that I am confident of the journey ahead. If you have ever wondered about playing some Celtic guitar pieces don’t hesitate in purchasing Celtic Guitar Foundations or any other teaching from Mr McManus, he is a legend and a great teacher.

akerr

Verified buyer

10/29/24

Awesome

LouHQ

Verified buyer

07/10/24

It's not all about the tabs

These lessons aimed at guitarists new to celtic tradition show Tony to be a thoughtful teacher. The true value is not in the tabs but in his gentle reminders to on how learn - don't try to play 'the whole thing' straight off, have the melody in your head and play it slowly before you add all those celtic embellishments and harmonisations.

NickTuneUpGuitars

09/19/23

The starting point for Celtic guitar

So good. If you're starting out with learning McManus' songs and style then start with this one

bivio

Verified buyer

08/28/23

great video and great lessons with clear explanation...and above all a great artist

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