The ‘Mug of Brown Ale’ is a great traditional Jig in the Key of Am (dorian mode), and the techniques required make it an excellent benchmark tune for the intermediate picker. The right-hand picking is certainly a challenge, and the left-hand needs to accomodate position changes and be efficient. In this lesson, we’ll break down the techniques to ensure you can get around the tune! Go to lesson...
Tag Archives: Key of Am
Childgrove: Mandolin Lesson (Advanced Beginner Benchmark)
Childgrove is a traditional English country dance, played in the key of Am. There are 2 variations in the arrangement, and is a great benchmark for the advanced beginner. If you’re comfortable with the rhythm, left-hand position, articulation and variation’s within the tune, I would consider you to be an advanced beginner, and well on your way to an intermediate player. Go to lesson...
Bobby Casey’s: Melodic Banjo (Intermediate Benchmark)
Bobby Casey’s is a traditional Hornpipe, heard as a slow Reel, in the key of Am. The banjo is tuned aDGBD and this arrangement is a great benchmark for the advancing beginner > intermediate player. It’s played at a slow tempo, but uses several techniques needed to really progress to an intermediate level melodic/single-string picker. Go to lesson...
Childgrove: Banjo Lesson
In this banjo lesson we’ll take a look at Childgrove; a traditional English Country Dance. This arrangement is in the key of Am and it’s a great tune for the advancing beginner/intermediate picker, with 2 variations that use both the single-string & melodic techniques. Played at a slow/medium tempo, we’ll focus on the right-hand fingering needed to play both the techniques as we work our way through the tune. Go to lesson...
Bobby Casey’s | Floating Technique | Guitar Lesson
In this guitar lesson for the traditional Celtic tune, Bobby Casey’s, we’ll take a look at an arrangement that uses the floating technique. Often referred to as ‘harp’ like, the floating technique allows us to stack our melody notes over each other, creating a very pretty, unique sound to the guitar. Go to lesson...
O’Carolan’s Dream: Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson
G’day! In this O’Carolan’s Dream: Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson, we’ll take a look at a pretty fingerstyle arrangement of the tune for the intermediate picker. O’Carolan’s Dream is a Slow Air composed by Turlough O’Carolan in the key of Am. It’s really important for the flow of this tune that we let all the notes ring out & as part of this lesson we’ll look at the techniques needed to help play the tune fluently. Go to lesson...
Star of Munster: Mandolin Lesson
G’day! In this Star of Munster: Mandolin Lesson, we’ll take a look at an arrangement of this traditional Celtic reel for the advancing beginner/intermediate picker. The tune is played in the key of Am (dorian mode).
A feature of this tune is the consistent 8th note rhythm structure, which makes for a great picking study, but also gives the tune a real drive. Go to lesson...
Star of Munster: Single-String Banjo Lesson
G’day! In this Star of Munster: Single-String Banjo Lesson, we’ll take a look at an arrangement of this traditional Celtic reel for the intermediate picker. The arrangement is played in standard tuning, in the key of Am (dorian mode).
A feature of this arrangement is the use of the single-string technique, which makes for a great picking study, but also gives the tune a real drive. Go to lesson...
Star of Munster: Flatpicking Guitar Lesson
G’day! In this Star of Munster: Flatpicking Guitar Lesson, we’ll take a look at an arrangement of this traditional Celtic reel for the advancing beginner/intermediate picker. The arrangement is played in both position 1 & 2, in the key of Am (dorian mode).
A feature of this arrangement is the lack of articulation, which makes for a great picking study, but also gives the tune a real drive. Go to lesson...
Congress Reel: Mandolin Lesson
G’day! In this mandolin lesson we’ll take a look at the traditional Irish tune, Congress Reel. A challenging reel, the tune is in A Dorian, a minor mode. Being the 2nd mode of G Major, it shares the same key signature and contains the notes A B C D E F# G. Go to lesson...