https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:27:43 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186818 Fri, 30 Jun 2006 14:41:42 +0000 Guitarnoise that directly address this question.

First and foremost is the incomparable David Hodge's introduction to Celtic Music: A Celtic Air.

If you do a search for "celtic" in the Lessons section, you should find 13 other lessons that are directly or indirectly about Celtic music.

I hope this helps.]]> Guitar Players Discussion hbriem https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186818 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186729 Fri, 30 Jun 2006 05:16:26 +0000
And though it wasn't touched upon (I don't believe), the music also came over. There is a lot of Gaelic culture, including music and dance, that you can see a relationship between - Irish hardshoe dancing and Southern U.S. line dancing, the reels, the use and style of the 'fiddle'. I think it's probably easier to see if you compare Gaelic music (yes, I think Gaelic is a much better description) and the music of Appalachia. The old tunes, the traditional songs, the manner of singing, even, as far as dulcimer, the instrumentation.

This all said to bring in the idea that Gaelic/Celtic music has what seems to be a pretty strong branch here in the U.S., a separate development as it were, and though U.S. Country and Western isn't exactly like traditional tunes or sounds from Ireland and Scotland, the comparisons themselves are sorta interesting when considering the music from that part of Europe.

Best regards. I recall that show as well. And that was a few years ago...that show first aired in the mid to late '80s :) I had the book that went with the show at one time...and I believe PBS just aired a sequel to the show about a year ago.

There are many tunes in the American tradition that came over from the British Isles (and elsewhere, of course). Right before I joined GN, I had started working on a book proposal for a book tentatively titled "Celtic Hymns for Fingerpicking Guitar," which was to include several arrangements of hymns with melodies that originally came from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (a few of my early lessons here at GN were tunes that were to be in that book). During my research, I came across a story about Paddy Maloney of the Chieftains and how when he first heard the country/bluegrass tune Cotten-Eyed Joe, he recognized it as an old Irish reel called The Mountain Top...to quote Maloney, "It was the same tune and it was one that obviously went across from Ireland."

Several years ago I had several friends in a US-based Irish band called Scartaglen. The band's singer, Connie Dover, later released several of her own CDs...after recording her first solo CD I recall her saying that Scottish musician/producer Phil Cunningham (Silly Wizard) upon hearing her singing the 19th century American folk song Jack of Diamonds quipped "That's no Jack of Diamonds...that's Farewell to Tarwathie."

Back to the PBS show...I seem to remember that the show mentioned that the music from Cape Breton (Canada) was played more like it was in Scotland originally than it is in Scotland today...fun and interesting stuff.]]> Guitar Players Discussion dsparling https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186729 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186545 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:44:34 +0000 Er, any chance of sharing those arrangements? :D Check your PM. :)]]> Guitar Players Discussion slejhamer https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186545 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186538 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:56:33 +0000

Er, any chance of sharing those arrangements? :D]]> Guitar Players Discussion Dylan6776 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186538 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186519 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:39:36 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion greybeard https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186519 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186483 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 07:11:29 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion U2Bono269 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186483 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186322 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:50:25 +0000
The term "Celtic" does seem to be a bit of a catch all, but the traditional music from the different "Celtic" countries is very distinct and different from one another (even traditional music in one country can be quite varied - there are several regional styles of Irish music, at least as far as feel and ornamentation - quite noticeable in fiddle playing, though a blending of regional styles has occured in the last several years with the advent of global media).

Even here in the states...I believe there about nine regional styles of Missouri fiddling.]]> Guitar Players Discussion dsparling https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186322 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186318 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:36:19 +0000
And though it wasn't touched upon (I don't believe), the music also came over. There is a lot of Gaelic culture, including music and dance, that you can see a relationship between - Irish hardshoe dancing and Southern U.S. line dancing, the reels, the use and style of the 'fiddle'. I think it's probably easier to see if you compare Gaelic music (yes, I think Gaelic is a much better description) and the music of Appalachia. The old tunes, the traditional songs, the manner of singing, even, as far as dulcimer, the instrumentation.

This all said to bring in the idea that Gaelic/Celtic music has what seems to be a pretty strong branch here in the U.S., a separate development as it were, and though U.S. Country and Western isn't exactly like traditional tunes or sounds from Ireland and Scotland, the comparisons themselves are sorta interesting when considering the music from that part of Europe.

Best regards.]]> Guitar Players Discussion DemoEtc https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186318 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186298 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:19:53 +0000
In my own vague definition, I (wrongly) exclude Welsh music, because it feels very different in spirit and also Cornish and Manx music, because I don't know any. That applies even more so to other historic Celtic centres such as Galicea and Asturias. I do include the music of Brittany, however, but that's because the Breton harpist Alan Stivell has done tremendous work in presenting it alongside Scottish and Irish music to great effect.

The link Slejhamer supplied says it all in my opinion - and that author makes a good point that, what we commonly think of as Celtic music would be more accurately termed Gaelic music, limiting it to the music of Scotland and Ireland, rather than the music of Wales, Brittany and elsewhere.

A final observation I'd like to add is that, here in Scotland, while my guitarist friends and I commonly use the term 'Celtic', I notice my various 'piping and fiddling' friends, talk only about Scottish or Irish traditional or folk music and almost never use the term 'Celtic music' to describe the type of music they play.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Fretsource https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186298 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186264 Wed, 28 Jun 2006 17:51:47 +0000
http://www.ceolas.org/ceolas.html

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Music

I mostly come from the traditional side of Irish music, and not as a guitar player - but I have found that guitar is a great instrument on which to play the music.

Sorry I don't have more time to elaborate...:)]]> Guitar Players Discussion dsparling https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/celtic-music-can-it-be-defined/#post-186264