Lessons
From 2004 to 2014 I contributed the guitar
workshops and lessons to Folk North West Magazine.
It was a great time, and I made friends
with a lot of people who have now become good friends
in the process.
Following several e-mail requests, here are all the lessons from those years (somewhat "wart's "n all"....I now note !)
( Please note, unless marked "trad" all arrangements on this site copyright Jim Ronayne, MBA, ....registered ukcs 234691)
Title | Tuning | Audio File | Notation / Tablature | Playing notes | Scorch Link
|
Notes |
Study 1 | DADGAD | Lesson 1 | Lesson 1 | Study Notes | Lesson 1 |
When I first started
to play guitar, this is what we all learned to do first
( PIMA) Thumb =p, Index finger = i, Middle finger =m and
ring finger =a ( or in Spanish, pulgar, indigo, medico
and anular) Anyway when I was a kid learning this
picking pattern involved the "dreaded" F chord. Here is
a more accessible exercise.
|
Study 2 | DGDGBD | Lesson 2 | Lesson 2 | Study Notes | Lesson 2 |
Second picking
pattern (PAMI ) Trust me, you'll thank me for these
little exercises one day .......honest....you really
will !
|
Study 3 | DADF#AD | Lesson 3 | Lesson 3 | Study Notes | Lesson 3 |
Third pattern (PIAM
). Just change the chords, vary the tempo, and this one
will see you through 99% of all rock ballads and 50% of
all folk songs so learn it well.
|
Study 4 | DGDGBD | Lesson 4 | Lesson 4 | Study Notes | Lesson 4 |
When I was a kid I
spent hundreds of hours playing Joni Mitchell tracks
over and over again, working out the chords and trying
to figure out what she was doing. Anyway here is a
tuning and some arpeggios for songwriters everywhere.
Instant "Joni"
|
Ronnie's Tune | DADGBE | Ronnie's Tune | Ronnie's Tune | Ronnie's Tune | Ronnie's Tune |
I wrote this when I
was teaching a mate of mine. It's a great little tune
for beginners to work at to get their "alternating
thumb" working.
|
Lord Franklin | DADGAD | Lord Franklin | Lord Franklin | Lord Franklin | Lord Franklin |
I basically "ripped
this arrangement off" from John's. I was just about to
play it in a little club on Merseyside a few years ago
when John walked in to see what I was up to. No pressure
there then ! Thanks mate !
|
The Butterfly | DGDGBbD | The Butterfly | The Butterfly | Study Notes | The Butterfly | Arranged Keith Offord / Transcribed JR |
The West Wind | DADGBE | The West Wind | The West Wind | Study Notes | The West Wind | Arranged Phil Hare / Transcribed JR |
Si Bheag, Si Mhor | DADGAD | Si Bheag, Si Mhor | Si Bheag, Si Mhor | Study notes | Si Bheag, Si Mhor |
Here is a nice tune
to learn, by the celebrated Irish harpist Turlough
O'Carolan.
|
Danny Boy | EADEAE | Danny Boy | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | Danny Boy |
Please note that in
the tab here I've used numbers in circles to refer to
the study notes NOT to strings played.
I apologise for any confusion
|
Lord Inchiquin | EADEAE | Lord Inchiquin | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | Lord Inchiquin | So, a new season of lessons for Folk North West magazine. Thank you to those of you who wrote to Ken asking for the column to restart. |
Blues in E | EADGBE | Blues in E | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | Blues in E |
There are more
"improvisations" / songs based around this little chord
sequence than I can name. Please take this little lesson
and do your own thing with it. Add your own lyrics, make
up your own lead lines.
|
Blues in A | EADGBE | Blues in A | Guitar tab | Study Notes | Blues in A |
So, "Blues in
E" generated about 5 times more responses than any of
the other tunes for FNW. So here's another little
blues in a similar kind of style. Have fun with it and
most importantly play it your own way once you've got
the basic tune down. Once again this little chord
sequence must be responsible for more songs and tunes
than I'd care to try to list here. Start playing it
very slowly and within 6 weeks you'll be doing Eric
Clapton impressions down at you local club.
|
Tennessee Waltz | DADGAD | Tennessee Waltz | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | Here is a nice little study in DADGAD. Although the notation shows repeats for both sections I've just recorded them once here. |
12Bar Blues in A | EADGBE | 12 Bar blues in A | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | As the blues lessons appear to have been by far the most popular lessons in the magazine last year here is a final little blues to end the year on. I'd recommend that you start learning this one with a metronome and build up to speed quite slowly as you consolidate the fingerings. | |
Three Chord tricks in DADGAD | DADGAD | DADGAD. Chords | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | Apologies that this lesson did not come out
precisely in time with the magazine. |
|
Kemp's Jig | DADGAD | Kemp's Jig | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | Have fun with this one. | |
Lucy's Tune | CGDGCD | Guitar Tab | Study Notes |
This little tune first appeared
during a session on Geoff Speed's show on Radio
Merseyside, and whenever I've played it in concert it
seems to be the one that everyone asks for the tab
for, so finally, here it is. There is a solo version
here, and then John and I were travelling around
Ireland a few years ago and John put this second part
to it, which we recorded a few months later. ( All
world wide copyrights Ronayne / Renbourn / Music )
|
||
The Kesh Jig | DGDGBD | The Kesh Jig | Guitar Tab | Study Notes |
I sat in with a friends band a few months ago and this was one of the tunes in the set. Here it is in a solo guitar setting. .........Please note-: The audio recording here is played extremely slowly and at teaching speed. For performance, multiply the speed by three or four at least, but build your speed up slowly. ( always, always, always !) Accuracy first / speed second. Enjoy this one. |
|
The Choice Wife | DADGAD | The Choice Wife | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | As above | |
Banish Misfortune | DADGAD | Banish Misfortune | Guitar Tab | Study Notes | As above, another of Rory's tunes | |
Off To California |
DGDGBD | Off to California |
Guitar Tab |
Study
Notes |
As above, another of Rory's tunes | |
Drone Bass Blues |
EADGBE | Drone
Bass Blues |
Guitar Tab |
Study
Notes |
By popular request back to little blues pieces | |
Blues in E |
EADGBE | Blues in E |
Guitar Tab |
Study Notes |
There is a little stretch for the pinky in this one, if it's uncomfortable stick a capo on the 4th fret and work back a fret at a time over 4 months. Apologies to everyone that the Scorch file here will not play, we are trying to sort it out. | |
Bunyan's Hymn |
DGDGBD | Bunyan's Hymn |
Guitar Tab |
Study Notes |
An accompaniment in Open G | |
One Direction Blues |
EADGBE | bluesine2 |
Guitar Tab |
Apologies that this tune was not added prior to magazine publication as usual | ||
Graemsay |
DADGAD |
Graemsay |
Guitar Tab |
Notes |
An Orkney tune that I accidently learned from
Paul Bonnett whilst discussing the joys of Scottish
whiskey distilleries |
|
Run Rig
Jig |
DADGAD |
Run Rig Jig |
Guitar Tab |
Notes |
This tune works quite with
well the above "Graemsay" as a medley |
Mountains of Mourne |
EADGBE | MOMourne | Tab |
Notes | This
will be my last lesson for Folk North West Magazine for
the immediate
future. I would just like to say thank you to everyone who
has followed
and encouraged the workshops for the last 10 years. It has
been a
genuine privilege, all the best and good luck with all
your playing. |
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