It's been a while since I posted my music. Thanks for the nudge Paul!
Here's my arrangement of two Turlough O'Carolan tunes - Sheebeg and Sheemore AND Planxty Irwin played in a medley. I discovered these tunes on the banjo while on vacation this past fall at Brookhill Bed and Breakfast in the white mountains of New Hampshire.
The performance was recorded using the Romero strung with steel strings and tuned to eCGCD with a capo on the 5th fret. I play fingerstyle without finger picks and switch back and forth between using my thumb nail and flesh of the thumb to either accentuate the clarity of the notes or to bring out the bass. A very light touch is needed from the right hand to get this one right.
O'Carolan's music is so beautiful and works really well on the banjo.
The two pieces are exquisitely calming. My students will get to hear them after lunch and I predict we'll do grand work. Thanks for every one of your posts, Ric.
I should know my history better, but I think the deal is that none of Carolan's music was written down until about 100 years after his time. And even then, only the melody lines were notated. So how it's chorded, which has a huge impact on the feel and mood, is up to the performer. Your versions sounded really fine.
I should know my history better, but I think the deal is that none of Carolan's music was written down until about 100 years after his time. And even then, only the melody lines were notated. So how it's chorded, which has a huge impact on the feel and mood, is up to the performer. Your versions sounded really fine.
I believe some of Turlough O'Carolan's tunes were notated by an afficianado named Bunting during a harp festival in Belfast in 1792, a half- century after O'Carolan's death, At any rate, O'Carolan, being blind did not write down any of his works.
Of course this is Baroque music . . . something I know a bit about . . . and you play it very well!
I read once (can't remember where) that Turlough O'Carolan used wire strings (versus gut), so the sound of his harp probably wasn't too far off from your banjo on this recording! Again, very nice. Best Regards, Tom
Tom - I did not know about O'Carolan using metal strings and did a little research. It appears he used brass strings which would have produced a very bright sound for sure.
