Introduction to DADGAD, from Celtic Guitar with Tony McManus

In this Peghead Nation course, Tony McManus teaches you how to play reels, jigs, airs, and other traditional forms, both fingerstyle and with a flatpick. He walks you through melodies and shows you how to bring tunes to life with the ornamentation that defines Irish and Scottish traditional music. In this sample lesson, Tony gives an introduction to D A D G A D tuning, which is closely associated with playing Celtic music on the guitar.

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Tony McManus is recognized throughout the world as one of the leading guitarists in Celtic music. From early childhood, his twin obsessions of traditional music and acoustic guitar have combined to produce a startlingly original approach to this ancient art. In Tony’s hands the complex ornamentation normally associated with fiddles and pipes is accurately transferred to guitar in a way that preserves the integrity and emotional impact of the music while sounding completely suited to the guitar.

Tony’s first, self-titled, recording in 1996, followed by Pourquoi Quebec in 1999, led to worldwide recognition. However, it was with the release of Ceol More in 2002 that Tony’s stature as a first-class musician reached a new level. Critics hailed the focussed, spell-binding nature of the music, from the plaintive Jewish hymn “Shalom Aleichem” to the ingenious arrangement of the Charles Mingus classic “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” Along with nominations for Tony as Musician of the Year by both the BBC Folk Awards and the Scottish Traditional Music awards, Ceol More made the Album of the Year list in Acoustic Guitar magazine and was named the “Live Ireland Awards” Album of the Year.

Tony’s live work ranges from intimate solo performances to a duet with Italian flatpicker Beppe Gambetta to a trio with brothers Gary and Greg Grainger to the quartet Men of Steel (with fellow guitarists Dan Crary, Gambetta, and Don Ross). He is an enthusiastic collaborator as leader and sideman, and has worked with Dougie MacLean, Phil Cunningham, Mairi MacInnes, Liam O’Flynn, Martin Simpson, Kevin Burke, Alison Brown, Martyn Bennett, Natalie MacMaster, Patrick and Jacky Molard, Mairead ní Mhoanaigh and Dermot Byrne, the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, John Jorgenson, Jean Michel Veillon, Catriona Macdonald, Seikou Keita, Xosé Manuel Budiño, Ewen Vernal, and Andy Irvine. He is also in great demand as a studio musician and has contributed to more than 60 recordings.

His 2009 release The Maker’s Mark showcased 15 of the finest luthier-built guitars in the world. Recording a solo piece on each instrument, the project caught the attention of the mainstream rock guitar press in a way that acoustic work rarely does.

Never one to be typecast, Tony’s 2013 album Mysterious Boundaries stemmed from a challenge from mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall to learn the Bach E Major Prelude for Violin on guitar. This led to an exploration of classical and baroque music, seemingly very different from the jigs and reels that he grew up with. By examining the boundaries between genres and sticking to his steel-string guitar (rather than the conventional nylon-strung classical guitar) McManus produced a work of great originality and beauty, hailed by his peers as “a masterpiece” (John Renbourn) and “beyond beautiful… it’s perfect!” (Tommy Emmanuel).

His 2015 duet album with Beppe Gambetta, Round Trip, features virtuoso fingerstyle playing, flatpicking, and beautiful songs, recorded on a selection of great instruments.