DADGAD solo guitar piece

I Wrote this piece the other day as I'm going to be spending some time in Ireland and I wanted to write a few pieces in an Irish tuning to play while I'm over there. Structurally its quite simple, essentially just sectioned up like a pop song. I like the use of droning strings and cluster chords though, and I like the melody too.

folkguitar.mid

folkguitar.pdf

See the thing about DADGAD tuning, is that all guitarists are inclined to play in the key of D major, which is kinda annoying. You didn't do that, so credit goes to you there.

As far as Irish tunes go, this doesn't really fit it, Irish folk tends to be more rhythmic, and more often in compound time signatures and... well there are plenty of other details about it that I can't think up without listening to Irish folk, but generally I don't think it sounds suitable.

I think, although it's meant to be relatively simple, I still believe it could be more rhythmically interesting, there's almost nothing there that would keep me awake when playing it, other than the occasional harmonic. Also, There are a lack of directions on the score. I know guitars are hardly dynamically godly like a violin, but there can still be variations, and perhaps a retardo at the end, up to that final chord.

And there are notes that ring out in the music that isn't written down on the score, a lot of the bass notes.

I mean, I dunno if all this matters or whether it's basically just a tune, but yeah. Other than that it's pretty pleasant.

You may just want to go for Drop D tuning. I didn't see many major instances where you would use the first string (maybe the harmonics and the last measure).

See the thing about DADGAD tuning, is that all guitarists are inclined to play in the key of D major, which is kinda annoying. You didn't do that, so credit goes to you there.

As far as Irish tunes go, this doesn't really fit it, Irish folk tends to be more rhythmic, and more often in compound time signatures and... well there are plenty of other details about it that I can't think up without listening to Irish folk, but generally I don't think it sounds suitable.

I think, although it's meant to be relatively simple, I still believe it could be more rhythmically interesting, there's almost nothing there that would keep me awake when playing it, other than the occasional harmonic. Also, There are a lack of directions on the score. I know guitars are hardly dynamically godly like a violin, but there can still be variations, and perhaps a retardo at the end, up to that final chord.

And there are notes that ring out in the music that isn't written down on the score, a lot of the bass notes.

I mean, I dunno if all this matters or whether it's basically just a tune, but yeah. Other than that it's pretty pleasant.

Cheers for the feedback, yeah its definately not traditional irish music, I just wanted to do a tune on an irish style dadgad nylon tuned guitar. I wrote a folk tune a while ago actually of no specific regional style, I'll attach it to this post.

The midi and score are definately lacking, I wrote it on guitar and just quickly jotted it out in midi to post here as I don't have a proper recording. When I play it I add more little variations variations and play a little free'er with more melodic emphasis and a more dynamic tempo variation between the sections so I think it'd be a bit more interresting. Its not really going to ever be a really intense and attention demanding piece though, it was always intended to just be a 'nice' tune with some pleasant melodies.

I don't thing drop D would work with it, a lot of the melody, harmonics and especially the open cluster chord shapes that give it its nice ambience come from the A and D drone strings, thanks for the suggestion anyway though.

untitled folk.mid

Nice. Did you compose this on an ordinary nylon string guitar?

Nice. Did you compose this on an ordinary nylon string guitar?

Its one of the Ibanez exotic wood series, its got a shallow body and a cutaway and the back of the neck is shaped slightly closer to an acoustic guitar. Its a bit quiet acoustically but its got a nice pickup and preamp and sounds amazing recorded or amplified live. Heres a little sample of how it sounds.

http://files.getdropbox.com/u/134504/fingerpicking%20riffs.mp3

Thanks, Oscar. I like the rich, mellow tone. Nice playing, too. I'm only vaguely familiar with the Ibanez series--I think Tony McManus, the renowned Scottish fingerstylist, plays one on a recent recording.