
practice dadgad tuning on guitar, with strings tuned to d a d g a d; focus on key of d and seven-note scale, noting no b or e sharp.
Master the music alphabet on the guitar in dadgad tuning by counting frets from the D string, identifying sharps, and mapping notes up to 12th fret on the sixth string.
Master the six-string notes in dadgad tuning, learn the d major scale, and identify the seven notes allowed in the key of d for melodies and chords.
Turn the seven notes in the key of d into chords: d, e minor, f# minor, g, a, b minor, c sharp diminished; practice returning to d with chord variations.
Learn to build chords from the sixth string in dadgad tuning in the key of d, covering d major, e minor, f# minor, g, a, b minor, and c# diminished.
define a chord as three or more notes played together and illustrate the d chord in dadgad, using the first, third, and fifth notes of the d scale.
Identify three primary chords in D major—D, G, and A—and see how notes D F# A, G B D, and A C# E fit in one-four-five progression.
Learn how to form chords from the seven notes in the key of d in dadgad tuning, with examples for d, e, f-sharp, g, a, b, and c-sharp chords.
Play along with Miss Monahan's Reel using the D–G–D–A chord progression on electric guitar, and master the A shape on the fourth string second fret with a fifth-string bass emphasis.
Learn to derive the relative minor in dadgad tuning by counting up six from d to b minor, then substitute d g a with b minor e minor f# minor.
Explore chord substitutions in DADGAD tuning, using shared notes like d and f# and b, d, f#, through the relative key concept; practice replacing C major with A minor.
Learn bass-leading techniques in dadgad accompaniment, using notes like f-sharp to lead into the next chord from d to g, with examples moving to b minor.
Utilize a 12th‑fret D major chord shape in DADGAD tuning to enrich the progression. Move the D voicing to the 12th fret for a bass‑leading transition to G.
Discover how dadgad tuning enables middle voiced d to create versatile chords across strings, yielding G, A, and minor voicings with a bright, high sound, plus middle-string scale practice.
Learn to play dirty old town in key G major, with or without a capo, using the three main chords G, C, and D and their open shapes.
Discover voicings of the e minor and e minor seven in dadgad tuning, comparing a partial six-string version at fret two with the full chord.
Demonstrates using a capo to play in G from D-shaped chords, showing primary chords D, G, A and B minor; choose between no capo or fifth-fret capo to sound G.
Learn the dirty old town vocal line in dadgad tuning by stepwise fretboard guidance, focusing on the melody note F sharp and related chords.
Learn hammer ons and pull offs in dadgad tuning to get two notes from one strike, using the second and fourth frets, with left-hand plucking to produce a B minor.
Explore hammer-ons and pull-offs in dadgad tuning, compare re-hitting the second fret for louder notes, and learn to bend with a band to exploit the flattened third blues note.
Learn the reel strum pattern with a four-beat rhythm and a first-beat accent, muting strings and tapping along, in G with a fifth-fret capo and a D-shape chord reference.
Practice reel drone exercises to hear chord changes in the melody and test D, G, and A chords by ear, then map melody notes to chords or substitute for accompaniment.
Vary your accompaniment to elevate repeated tunes by adding drone dynamics, bass runs, and chord substitutions. Explore relative minors, inversions, and bass-note walking to connect chords smoothly.
Learn jig accompaniment in D with a drone, tap the beat, and play a D-G-D with F# bass, E minor, and A, forming a 2-5-1 cadence.
Master the right-hand strum pattern for jigs in dadgad tuning by emphasizing the first and fourth beats with a down-up-down-down-up-down sequence, practiced in 6/8 compound time.
Learn to lock in the jig rhythm with downward strums and full jig pattern, using down, up, down on each beat and rhythm variations guided by a metronome; practice slowly.
Practice playing along with the full tune, starting on the D chord, and note that the G chord lasts only one beat.
Explore Irish trad and folk guitar in dadgad tuning through a performance video of the drunken landlady, demonstrating authentic tuning, rhythm, and melodic approach.
Explore accompanying a traditional tune in D Dorian using the chord one (D minor) and chord seven (C major), with modal D5 options and capo variations.
Practice the four-beat D followed by four-beat C in DADGAD tuning, a staple in Irish traditional tunes; listen for the note shift to change to C or another chord.
Experiment with switching between C and A chords, including the A minor, by holding the fourth string at the second fret to add variety and reduce repetition.
Explore a C chord option, move to F, then lean back to D, counting one, two, three, four to fit in different basins and return to D.
Explore dadgad tuning in the foundation of irish trad and folk guitar, using c and d chords with bass runs for a richer sound, including fifth-string bass notes.
Explore mid-voiced chord shapes around the fourth string D at the 12th fret, forming major and minor voicings of D minor, C, and A minor in DADGAD tuning.
Move from high chords to lower chords by stepping down the fretboard with D, A minor, G major, F major, and E minor, then back to D for Dorian tunes.
In the recourses folder I have added a recording of the banjo part at three different speeds . These recordings can be downloaded and used to help practice accompanying later in the lesson.
Study the aeolian mode as the natural minor. Learn the d aeolian notes, including b flat, and practice the scale on one string and across two strings.
Explore Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, and Aeolian modes on guitar in dadgad tuning, and learn how flattening seventh, third, and sixth alters major to minor, darker tones.
Tamlin part 3 builds triads by deriving chords from the Aeolian mode’s first, third, and fifth notes, explaining D minor, E diminished, and related inversions with common ways of playing.
Discover how to build chords from the open fifth string in DADGAD tuning, including A sus4, B power chords, and C and D shapes, to simplify fast chord changes.
Explore how to accompany Tamlin in D aeolian by matching melody notes to chords, using D minor, B flat, and C, and relate sixth and fourth string notes to fingering.
Substitute chords in tamlin part 8 in d aeolian with dadgad tuning to match melody notes, using g minor instead of b flat and an a chord instead of c.
Explore higher voiced chord variations in Tamlin part 10 with DADGAD tuning, using D minor, B flat, and C through scale movements and power chords to shape the accompaniment.
Explore chord options for Tamlin part B, substituting G minor and A minor for C to vary accompaniment as the tune repeats.
Add bass notes and melody to part B of tamlin, using the D chord for the first four notes, then the remaining four, with light pin contact and wrist motion.
Form seventh chords in dadgad tuning using four-note tetrads or frontline triads. Count backward from the root to identify the seventh, with D and D minor seventh examples.
Build seventh chords for every note of the Daolin scale, using dadgad tuning, and identify four types—minor seven, major seven, dominant seven, and minor seven flat five—on the D note.
Play a dadgad-tuned chord scale with seventh chords in the aeolian mode, from Dm7 to Fmaj7, Gm7, Am7, Bbmaj7, C7, and Dm7.
Apply four-note chord substitutions in tamlin part B: use D minor seventh, A minor seventh, and B flat major seventh with C triad to harmonize the melody.
Explore seventh-chord substitutions in tamlin part b, replacing the d minor triad with Bb major seventh, then substitute c major with am7, and move through dm7, gm7, and am7.
Illustrate banjo and guitar together within a foundation in irish trad & folk guitar context, and provide a backing track to practice along with the performance video.
A series of easy to understand lessons, teaching the essential theory and techniques on how to approach accompanying Irish Traditional & Folk Music Accompaniment on Guitar in DADGAD Tuning.
“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
What makes this course unique from other courses is that students are not just told what to play in a specific piece of music rather they are taught the essential tools/theory which allow them to understand how to accompany any piece of music.
- Step by step system for selecting the best chords for a piece of music
- How to substitute/swap chords to create your own unique sounding accompaniment for music
- How to connect chords progressions together with Bass Line to create continuity & movement
- An easy to understand system for playing chords in 3 different voices/positions (low, middle & high)
No requirements needed apart from a guitar and an interest to learn - You will learn everything you need to know
Suitable for guitar players of all levels interested in learning how to accompany Irish traditional and folk music in DADGAD tuning on guitar
Taught by David Whelan (BA) Hons Music