This book teaches the most crucial function of a chord instrument in the Celtic seisún (session)- that of playing tasteful, interesting, imaginative, and supportive improvised accompaniment. Celtic Back-Up presents accurate and directly applicable information on the theory, conception, stylistic considerations, procedures, and resources for accompaniment. Every facet of seisún accompaniment is thoroughly explored. with this book you will come to understand why many of our Celtic authors are reluctant to suggest chord accompaniment with their melodies in the first place; the idea is to be open to fresh ideas and improvise the accompaniment as you go.

Studies of the Irish presence in America have tended to look to the main corridors of emigration, and hence outside the American South. Yet the Irish constituted a significant minority in the region. Indeed, the Irish fascination expresses itself in southern context in powerful, but disparate, registers: music, literature, and often, a sense of shared heritage. Rethinking the Irish in the American South aims to create a readable, thorough introduction to the subject, establishing new ground for areas of inquiry. These essays offer a revisionist critique of the Irish in the South, calling into question widely held understandings of how Irish culture was transmitted. The discussion ranges from Appalachian ballads, to Gone with the Wind, to the Irish rock band U2, to Atlantic-spanning literary friendships. Rather than seeing the Irish presence as “natural” or something completed in the past, these essays posit a shifting, evolving, and unstable influence. Taken collectively, they offer a new framework for interpreting the Irish in the region. The implications extend to the interpretation of migration patterns, to the understanding of Irish diaspora, and the assimilation of immigrants and their ideas.

"Placing the New Southern Studies in conversation with film studies, this book is simply the best edited collection available on film and the U.S. South.---Grace Hale. University of Virginia --

From its origins in the culture of late medieval Europe to enormous global popularity in the twentieth, the guitar and its development comprise multiple histories, each characterized by distinct styles, playing techniques, repertories, and socio-cultural roles. These histories simultaneously span popular and classical styles, contemporary and historical practices, written and unwritten traditions, and Western and non-Western cultures. This is the first book to encompass the breadth and depth of guitar performance, featuring twelve essays covering different traditions, styles, and instruments, written by some of the most influential players, teachers, and guitar historians in the world. The coverage of the book allows the player to understand both the analogies and the differences between guitar traditions; all styles--from baroque, classical, country, blues, and rock to flamenco, African, and Celtic--will share the same platform, along with instrument making. As musical training is increasingly broadened this comprehensive book will become an indispensable resource.

This collection of 35 Celtic tunes represents ten different performance styles from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. the majority of these pieces are dance tunes such as the jigs and reels popular at Irish sessions, the informal gatherings of musicians in pubs, community halls, and homes. Although relatively new to the session ensemble, the autoharp bears a distinct resemblance to the Irish folk harp. Fittingly, this collection includes harp tunes by famed Irish harpist Turlough O'Carolan as well as other slow airs. All of the pieces in this book have been arranged to be played on any standard 15 or 21-bar chromatic autoharp in either melodic or rhythmic (backup) style. A melody line with suggested chord accompaniment is included so other instrumentalists can easily join in. the book's companion CD includes performances of all 35 selections, ably illustrating the rhythmic and stylistic nuances of this engaging music. In notation and tablature.