For Irish and Celtic fingerstyle enthusiasts: After six years of traveling, compiling and honing contemporary techniques for traditional jigs and reels, I am happy to announce that Mel Bay has now published our second book/CD companion set, and every tune in the book is recorded to CD (same for the eBook and tune download).
My advice, for beginners especially, is to learn the bare bones melodies, getting each and every note, and that's what this book and companion CD demonstrate, with beginners in mind. I offer 34 jigs and 34 reels, complete with chords in the transcriptions and played on the CD. Everything matches and the tunes are laid out in alphabetical order for thumbing through quickly - no hassle.
Please check out the Mel Bay link, and see (below) my wife Denise's lovely cover art, one of her first oil paintings, "Listen to the Flow":
Easy Irish and Celtic Session Tunes for 5-String Banjo: Best-Loved Jigs and Reels
I will be available on BHO to field questions, and I will be doing workshops demonstrating "Celtic Fingerstyle Banjo" - the first one coming up in July at the Öland Celtic Irish Music Festival, Borgholm Castle, Sweden, where I will be performing with multi-instrumentalist Dave Harper (tenor banjo/flutes/whistles/guitar) and doing the European launch for Best-Loved Jigs and Reels. Here's Mel Bay's description from the back cover:
"This rich collection of 68 jigs and reels features some of the most cherished tunes played by session players from 21st-century Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Celtic Diaspora. Tom Hanway demonstrates contemporary “Celtic fingerstyle banjo” through modern techniques and traditional Irish and Celtic melodies using standard G tuning. Additionally, this book explains the Four Celtic Modes that are found throughout the tunes in this collection. Through these lessons, you can learn the essentials needed to play stock Irish and Celtic tunes, which can later be combined in medleys to play at sessions."
Please feel free to write me, ask for advice, or send a friend request here. I'm here for you.
Best,
Tom