David
James <djames@tiompanalley.com>
May
10, 2002 (many revisions since)
This response arose from many mail messages on Irtrad-L requesting
help deciphering the "arcanery" of backing/ accompanying Irish tunes
on guitar or piano (mostly guitar). What I suggested is that we produce a
document in collaboration, which contains our collective "wisdom" on
the subject of "backing." This is NOT meant to be a definitive text,
only a draft for everyone to add to. Send me your contributions at djames@tiompanalley.com.
SOME
KEYS AND CHORDS FOR CELTIC MUSIC
The Idea here is to find the classification that the tune you are
hearing/learning/reading comes under. Then, starting from the top, find the
key. Then go down vertically. From the top row to the bottom are the most-often-found
accompanying chords to the least-often-found accompanying chords. The first
three or four in the column will often suffice, and the rest can be added to
spice up the tune AFTER LEARNING IT. My best advise to the accompanist is to
actually learn the tune on whatever instrument you are using. After the
fourth or fifth tune you will notice that backing chords come more easily, and
the flow of the chord changes becomes more evident. The "position" on
the instrument will often suggest a chord - for example, on a guitar in
"standard" tuning, if the notes of a phrase fall on open G and B
strings and on the third fret on the high E string, it would be a pretty good
bet to use a "G" chord for this spot. Etc.
KEY
SIGNATURES CUSTOMARY FOR IRISH MUSIC: No
#/b One # Two # Three # One
b Two b
Tunes
in Major Keys (Usually ending in Doh - Ionian Mode Ð often called Òone, four,
fiveÓ tunes)
Sharps/flats: 0 1# 2# 3# 1b 2b
Key
of (Tonic Ð 1st): C G D A F Bb
Fourth
Chord: F C G D Bb Eb
Fifth
Chord: G D A E C F
RELATIVE
MINOR(6): Am Em Bm F#m Dm Gm
"Second"
Minor: Dm Am Em Bm Gm Cm
"Third"
Minor: Em Bm F#m C#m Am Dm
"Third"
Seventh: E7 B7 F#7 C#7 A7 D7
DOUBLE
TONIC 1 - DORIAN/ AEOLIAN MODE
Sharps/flats: 1# 2# 3# 4# 0 1b
Last
Note(s): G,A D,E A,B E,F# C,D F,G
One
Tonic: Am Em Bm F#m Dm Gm
Two
Tonic: G D A E C F
Major
Chord: C G D A F Bb
"Third"
Minor: Em Bm F#m C#m Am Dm
"Fourth"
Major: F C G D Bb Eb
Resolution: D A E B G F
DOUBLE
TONIC 2 - MIXOLYDIAN MODE
Sharps/flats: 0 1# 2# 3# 1b 2b
Last
Note: D A E B G C
One
Tonic: Dm Am Em Bm Gm Cm
Two
Tonic: C G D A F Bb
Relative
Minor: Am Em Bm F#m Dm Cm
Fourth
Major: F C G D Bb Eb
Seventh: Bb F C G Eb Ab
By
"Last Note(s) is meant not necessarily the last note on a sheet of written
music, but the final note of "rest" or "repose" on which
the melody can be brought to a close - to the ear of a traditional player,
however, not necessarily that of an "art" musician. [Breathnach]
These
are the six most frequently encountered key signatures in Celtic (and American,
for that matter) traditional music, and the chords that usually go with them.
Of the six, the ones you'll encounter most are one, two, and three sharps (D, G and A and their related
"double tonic" modes, Bm/A, Em/D and Am/G). A relative minor is a scale which starts
one-half plus one whole step down from the "tonic," or doh note of the scale, or, more
properly, on the sixth note up. It has that "minor" sound because the
third note up in the scale is flat, or one-half step lower than the scale we
consider "normal." It's called "relative" because a minor
scale starting on that note has the same number of sharps and flats as the
"normal" Òdoh-re-miÓ scale. A third interval is two whole steps up
from the ÒdohÓ note (e.g., from C to E). A fourth interval is two whole steps
and one half-step up from ÒdohÓ (e.g., from C to F). A fifth interval is up one whole step
higher than a fourth (e.g., from C to G). A seventh interval is one whole step
down from ÒdohÓ (e.g., from C to Bb).
The
chords in the columns below the Key Signatures are for playing backing or
arrangements. Start by looking at the key signature. Then look at the last note
of the "A" and "B" parts. Let's say the tune you are
looking at has one sharp (key of G). If the last note of the tune is a
"G," the tune is probably in the major key (Ionian mode) and uses the
G (or "tonic"), the C (or "fourth"), the D (Or
"fifth"), and the relative minor (E minor) chords in the set of
backing chords, then also sometimes A Minor. A good example of this type is The
Kesh Jig.
About 60% of Irish tunes are in this mode.
If the
last note of a tune with one sharp is D or E, A or G, we're into the realm of Double
Tonic.
Corresponding to the Dorian or Aeolian modes, these tunes use E-minor, D, G,
and B-minor, sometimes C and A. Good examples of this type of tune are the Monaghan
Jig and The
Butterfly. Use
the Double Tonic - Dorian/Aeolian chart. If the last note of the one-sharp tune is
an "A," it is probably a "Double Tonic - Mixolydian" mode
tune, and use that chart. A good example of this type of tune is Star of
Munster, or The
Congress Reel.
Use A-minor, G, E-minor, sometimes C and F. Some of these double tonic tunes
owe their origins to the bagpipes, one of the earliest instruments in the
traditional music of many lands, whose nine-note scale has a flatted seventh.
Also, while we're on the subject, two more points. Irish music has
only recently acquired harmonic accompaniment - in the last part of the last
century, so the rules are flexible. And note that many Irish tunes go no lower
than "D" above "middle C." This is probably due to the uilleann
pipes, flute and tin whistle, which only go this low. Tunes that go down to
"G" below "middle C" were likely written for/by fiddlers,
banjo or accordeon players.
(Confused
about modes? So am I, often! See: Breand‡n Breathnach, Folk Music and Dances
of Ireland -
ISBN 0 85342 509 4, and Trip to Sligo, by Bernard Flaherty - ISBN 0 9516407 0 4, for
more discussion.)
David
James
Tiomp‡n
Alley Music
574-276-7822
tiompanalley.com
"Have
Dulcimer, Will Travel"