Learn a Slack-Key-Tinged Fingerstyle Arrangement of “Lady Athenry,” a Traditional Irish Jig

This arrangement originally appeared in Celtic Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar.

Here’s another great tune by Turlough O’Carolan, the 17th-century Irish harper who wrote some great pieces that work really beautifully on guitar. I picked up “Lady Athenry” from traditional harpists, and it seemed like a good fit for the “Celto-Hawaiian” tuning (C G D G B D) I also use on “Jock Stuart.” Although this is a dyed-in-the-wool old Irish melody, you’ll notice a bit of a slack-key influence; at times my arrangement sounds more Hawaiian than Celtic.

A lot of fretting-hand movement is involved in this tune, so take things slowly, making sure that everything rings clearly and in time—and most important, that the melody really sings. As usual, if you find it too challenging to play the ornaments, like the 16th-note triplets in bar 8, feel free to leave them out.

While I play much of the piece in low positions, I sometimes venture up the neck, like for those double-stops in bar 48. I really like how the guitar sounds warmer and darker in those quarters, and it’s always good to add a little tonal contrast to the arrangement. Meanwhile back down the neck, in bar 10, there’s a somewhat awkward stretch—you’ll need to grab the sixth-fret F# with your fourth finger and the first-fret A with your index finger. But the reach is worth it, as it sounds lovely to have the D chord’s third, that F#, in the bass there. If at first you can’t quite handle the stretch, just do a little pinky yoga every day, and you should be able to manage it.

About Celtic Songs For Fingerstyle Guitar: Immerse yourself in Celtic music in a range of alternate tunings while learning melodies and ornamentation techniques from folk traditions. In this collection, modern fingerstyle great Steve Baughman teaches his gorgeous interpretations of 17 songs, meticulously arranged for solo guitar. In addition to video demonstrations performed by Baughman, each piece is presented in standard notation and tablature and includes historical context and performance tips.

LADY ATHENRY