Irish Music on 8-string Model D

Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 16 Dec 2005 3:31 pm

When I had National Reso-Phonic build me an 8-string Model D, it was for the express purpose of allowing me to play Irish traditional music in a more competent manner. After trying all kinds of tunings, I came up with D tuning with a 2 and a 3 of the scale on top. It turned out to be just what I'd been looking for.

D A D F# A D E F#

The low D is a .068 and the high F# is a .014.

So, here's a sound clip with a few pictures from my visits to Ireland. The tune is Sheebeg and Sheemore (Sí Beag is Sí Mór) from Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), Ireland's most famous Irish harper. The arrangement is mine.
http://www.petegrant.com/8-string_sheebeg.html

Ron Bednar · Post by **Ron Bednar** » 16 Dec 2005 6:05 pm

Hey my friend...That is so beautiful. The photos that you took and added to the clip make the music so much more meaningful. Always in awe...
Cheers, Ron[This message was edited by Ron Bednar on 16 December 2005 at 06:06 PM.][This message was edited by Ron Bednar on 16 December 2005 at 06:08 PM.]

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 16 Dec 2005 6:12 pm

sin é go díreach!..tá sin ar fheabhas..

féith an cheoil Ghaeilge

Baz

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Steel players do it without fretting

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 16 Dec 2005 6:18 pm

Beautiful arrangement ... beautiful photos, Pete. How do you play so cleanly?!

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 16 Dec 2005 6:20 pm

Pete-that music and slideshow with those outstanding photos was one of the coolest things I have seen and heard on the internet in a long time.

I put on the headphones and was transported to Ireland for a few minutes.

You know, we kind of decided on JerryD's bulletin board awhile back that you should be declared "Northern California Dobro Laureate."

I'm going to place a call to Arnold, "The Governator" on Monday morning!

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Mark

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 16 Dec 2005 6:22 pm

Off subject-but since Andy just posted before me: I bought your book, "Lap Steel Guitar" at Tall Toad Music in Petaluma yesterday. Andy, I can't put the thing down-it's great!

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Mark

Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 16 Dec 2005 10:17 pm

Thanks for the great replies, lads. It warms my heart.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 16 Dec 2005 11:21 pm

Another beautiful job by one of my favorite players. Thanks, Pete!

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 17 Dec 2005 3:28 am

What a lovely presentation. It took a while on my dialup connection, it was worth the wait.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum SD12U, Carter D10 8/8, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Fender Steel King, Understanding wife. http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 17 Dec 2005 3:40 am

Very beautiful, I loved it! I could listen to music like that all day....

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 17 Dec 2005 5:29 am

Yeah Pete! Beautifully done. The photos are great too!

Have you heard any of Frankie Laine's stuff? He does some dobro on Irish stuff; I heard a solo CD he did awhile back-not a lot of full bore jigs and reels but some nice playing. He also used it backing Donegal fiddler Paul O'Shaughnessy.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 17 Dec 2005 5:37 am

The Song, the Instrument and the Player are
all perfectly matched here.
Nice work Pete!

Phil ONeill · Post by **Phil ONeill** » 17 Dec 2005 5:38 am

Every now and then we hear something
beautiful and amazingly played.Thanks
for sharing this with us Pete.I think OCarolan
is smiling somewhere!

Phil

Lee Gillespie · Post by **Lee Gillespie** » 17 Dec 2005 6:14 am

That is absolutely great. Your rendition and feeling shows thru. Thank you for sharing. Lee

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 17 Dec 2005 6:46 am

Man, those chromatic strings really ring. Beautiful!

Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.

Max Laine · Post by **Max Laine** » 17 Dec 2005 9:53 am

Well that was beautiful! Recognised some views from the Clare coast, suits the music perfectly. And what a great tuning, I tried it on my Fender Deluxe Eight and now I'm hooked, I want an eight string baritone Weissenborn to put it on!!!

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 17 Dec 2005 2:45 pm

That was beautiful indeed. Both aurally and visually.

It also reminds me of an old story about the Irishman who walked out of a bar.....hey, could happen!

Is that a Trilogy bridge on your National?

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 17 Dec 2005 3:14 pm

Well that's a holiday treat, my favorite O'Carolan tune and it couldn't have been done up any better. Nice "slide show" all around, and I liked the happy ending-- so thanks Pete!!

--Steve

Terry Robbins · Post by **Terry Robbins** » 17 Dec 2005 6:58 pm

Derek Bell playing a metal strung harp could not have done a more beautiful rendition.

Jim Jasutis · Post by **Jim Jasutis** » 17 Dec 2005 7:10 pm

Really wonderful. Just the kind of music I would like to learn to make. Any suggestions as to where to start? Anyone know of books or resources to help coming up with arrangements, when you have a known melody to start with, or is this something that just comes from listening to many, many recordings, until you get the sound in your head that you want to get to the strings?

Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 17 Dec 2005 9:27 pm

Andy, thanks. I guess anything that might be attributed to cleanliness could be that I play with some pretty strong attack at times so the "signal-to-noise ratio" is high. But you can hear some other places where I either lift or lay down the bar that just make little noises regardless, but I figure that's just the nature of the instrument.

Mark, thanks a bunch. Dobro Laureate, indeed. Every state should have one.

Thanks, Brad. Hope you're playing up a storm.

Thanks Howard, Steinar, Roy, Phil, Lee, Drew, Stephan. I'll be putting another tune up maybe this coming week. It's a jig.

Yes, John. I bought Frankie Lane's CD entitled 'Dobro' in Doolin a couple of years ago. I managed to speak with him on the phone once, but I've yet to connect with him. Hopefully next time. (Incidentally, dear readers, John McGann has a delightful Irish CD that's available now from one of the bands he plays with, Boston Edge. It's absolutely the real stuff.)

Hey, Max. Yes. There were shots from the end of Fisherstreet, Doolin, Co. Clare, not far from Gus O'Connor's Pub. Oh, oh. The idea of an 8-string Baritone. Very scary. Very.

HowardR. Yep. That's a Hipshot Trilogy -- both tailpiece and roller nut. It's the first resonator guitar one that Dave has made. I know he had done lap steels but he had to retool somewhat to do the 8-string. I'm grateful.

Thanks, Terry. What a fine compliment.

OK, Jim. I'll see if I can tackle a little bit of what you've asked here.

You want to listen to every instrument in Irish traditional music and find out the unique style each instrument brings to the overall experience. For uilleann pipes, listen to Paddy Keenan (www.paddykeenan.com), Davy Spillane, and Leo Rickard, but especially Paddy. For harp, my favorite -- or should I say favourite? -- is Grainne (gran-yuh) Hambly. On banjo, I'm knocked out by Gerry O'Connor, Kieran Hanrahan, and Kevin Griffin. For fiddle, Frankie Gavin, Kevin Burke, Liz Caroll, and "fiddle" Gerry O'Connor (who is a different person from "banjo" Gerry O'Connor, who also happens to play fiddle, but _shreds_ the flatpicked Irish tenor banjo). On accordion, you can't go wrong listening to Sharon Shannon. Listen to singers like Dolores Keane, Mary Black, Cathy Jordan from Dervish, and any singer from Cherish the Ladies or Solas. I'm sure John McGann can add substantially to this list.

See if you can find an Irish session in your neck of the woods and go and watch. Find out if you can sit in and if there's anyone there to show you the ropes. Start out slow and don't play too much. Follow the guitars or bouzukis. Play single lines or drones that fit.

There are also instructional sets from Homespun tapes, like Kevin Burke's book and CD. I learned a lot from "The New Approach to Uilleann Piping" by H.J. Clarke. Find some unaccompanied CDs and accompany them. I really like Leo Rickard's "Pure Piping" (www.leopipinghot.com).

Max Laine · Post by **Max Laine** » 17 Dec 2005 9:55 pm

Oops this is addictive... just got home from a night shift, it's 8am here and I'm fooling around with this tuning... If you drop the F#'s down to F you have a beautiful minor tuning... "Carolan's Dream" is right there, "Carolan's Welcome" with little more work. Pete, have you tried this minor version?

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Dec 2005 5:24 am

Well, Pete, having heard you from two feet away, there's a magic that happens when you play that has nothing to do with technique, attack, etc. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I second the recommendation for John McGann's record, The Boston Edge, with Joe Derrane on buton accordion and Seamus Connolly on fiddle ... exceptionally well played stuff!

Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 19 Dec 2005 3:07 pm

Yeah, Max. I've played around with tuning both F# strings down to F. It's easy with my Hipshot Trilogy --I'll sometimes tune between songs at an Irish session: flip, flip. As a matter of fact, it's a whole lot easier for my axe to embrace the tuning than it is for my feeble brain, which keeps saying, "Whaddya mean 'minor-third, major-third'? It's always been 'major-third, minor-third'? What kind of trick are you trying to pull on me? Hmmmph! Ungrateful wretch!"

Thanks, Andy. I'm looking forward to our next visit next time I'm out your way or vice versa.

Paul Honeycutt · Post by **Paul Honeycutt** » 20 Dec 2005 7:47 pm

Hey, Pete, that tuning is close to DADGAD that a lot of Irish guitar players use. (F# instead of G plus the E and F#) Was that the inspiration?
I play 12-string guitar and mandolin in a non-traditional Celtic band called Lalla Rookh. We just finished tracking out third CD and we're really happy with the way it's coming out. They won't let me play the acoustic steel. Maybe someday!
It's great music.