Trad Guitar Basics

Course details

The first known use of guitar in Irish traditional music was by the Flanagan Brothers, who used the instrument to accompany dance tunes and songs, in the US in the 1920s, but it was not until the 1950s and '60s that it became popular in Irish music. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem incorporated guitar into their arrangements of Irish songs, and the use of the guitar by ballad singers became widespread during the ballad boom. Gradually the guitar became more commonly used in accompanying instrumental music, and there have been many developments in trad guitar since the 1960s. Artists such as Steve Cooney, Arty McGlynn, Denis Cahill, Paul Brady and Dick Gaughan have taken guitar playing in many interesting directions, developed unique styles, experimented with alternative tunings and absorbed a wide range of different influences, including jazz, rock and world music.

Waltons New School of Music's Trad Guitar Basics course provides an extensive introduction to the form and how to play it. The course covers the following elements:

• Chord shapes and strum patterns
• Bass runs and chords
• Using the capo
• Combining chords and single-note playing
• Alternative chords and variation
• Standard and alternative tunings
• Along the way participants will be introduced to the major figures and styles through listening sessions and practical examples.

Although this course is an introduction to traditional guitar, it is not a course for guitar beginners. Participants in the Trad Guitar course should have at least one year’s playing experience, be able to read guitar tablature and have a good grasp of basic open-position chords as well as standard barre chord fingerings. Changing from one chord to another should not be a problem.

Trad Guitar Basics is one of our group courses. Private, partner, group and intensive lessons in Irish traditional guitar and other guitar styles are also available.