Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature

Subject: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 26 Mar 01 - 08:46 PM

I fell in love with this Thurlow O'Carolan harp tune when Ray and I had our tuna boat "Miss Sushi." I would stick a tape of it in the boombox everytime we headed out on a trip. The air was so full of promise then. We would leave the Kennebec and pass by Seguin Light. Then I would have to rewind the tape while Ray set our waypoints for the tuna grounds. That was many years ago, but I still play the tape. There is a certain rolling to the tune that just fit the ride of an old wooden boat.

I have recently been trying to learn this tune on my guitar, but can't seem to get the same rolling effect that comes though on the many tapes I have of this tune now. Does anyone have the guitar tablature or sheet music for Si Bheag Si Mhor? I realize this is going to be a big challenge for me to get this right. I need all the help I can get.

Ray has passed away and "Miss Sushi" is gone, but the tune remains imbedded in my heart. I think of them both whenever I here this tune.

wdyta12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 26 Mar 01 - 08:51 PM

Yeah its me wdyat12. This was hard to write.

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: Kaleea
Date: 26 Mar 01 - 10:56 PM

I have no tab, but I play this tune on my guitar in D major with the melody (pick-up notes) starting on the D on the 2nd string (B string), 3rd fret. If you strum the chords for the tune, the melody is right there under your fingers. Then pluck around the melody & you have it! Try it!

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: Tom D.
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 12:06 AM

The "Step One - Play Pennywhistle" songbook and accompanying CD by Peter Pickow includes this tune as well as a lot of other standard Irish tunes. The sheet music has the individual notes (for pennywhistle or other any other instrument, for that matter) as well as the aplicable chords. I got a copy at Sam Ash in New York City for about $5.00, including the CD! Sam Ash probably has a website, which I will ascertain as soon as I post this. Good luck,

Tom D.

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 12:14 AM

Thank You.

You Folks have been helpfull. Homeless, You too.

Thanks,

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: Tom D.
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 12:21 AM

FOLLOW-UP:

The only Sam Ash website I found was for guitars, amps, etc. However, they have an 800 number: 1-800-4-samash.

Tom D.

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 12:58 AM

Kaleea,

What if I drop the sixth string down to D. Will I still be able to play this? I like the bass notes in the harp and hammered dulcimer mucic I have heared.

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: alison
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 03:36 AM

I found mandolin tab... not sure if it helps or not... but maybe if you play the mandolin..

and a guitar tab search engine

AHA

found it here spelt shebeg shemore... you need to scrolll down the page...

have fun....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: harpmolly
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 11:17 AM

Sigh...

I wish you could hear my friend Davy play this one on the guitar. It's my all-time favorite tune, and has been since the first time I heard him play it (though I liked it fine before then too :)).

Really a beautiful piece of music--it's also the very first tune I learned on the harp, and the only one so far I can play with my eyes closed (in tribute to blind Turlough, of course *grin*).

Moll

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:57 PM

Thanks alison,

That's a fantastic site. How will I ever put that many notes into the music I play. Must go practice now. I have a long way to go.

See you in The Celtic Room,

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:59 PM

Mollificent,

I wish I could see Davy play this one.

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: harpmolly
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 02:36 PM

Head up to Dusty Strings in Seattle, and you just might. *grin*

(And hopefully in a few months you might see me too...but I'm not going to say anything more about that because I'll jinx it.)

Moll

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 01:04 AM

Tom D,

I will call that number you gave us. Thanks. I also dabble in recorder...not quite a pennywhistle, but fun to play just the same and it is alot more portable than my guitar.

Thanks again,

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 01:07 AM

Mollificant,

I would surely like to hear you and Davy play a duet.

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 01:10 AM

One reason Si Bheag is difficult to get "sounding right" is that it was written for harp. I can't do it on the fiddle. The octave/changes in the melody line are really difficult to get that smooth, rolling sound on anything except a harp. It is a "simple"tune, but one of those that is quite difficult to play well with the "heart feeling" on any instrument including harp. The EZ ones are quite often the most difficult ones........

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 01:16 AM

Sorcha,

I appreciate your explaination for my difficulty, but I must try.

Thanks,

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 01:30 AM

wydat, try to find harmonics and "ghost notes", they are what makes the tune so haunting. It is, after all, about the fairies...think about them when you play it.....the Si/Shi/Shee/Sidhe etc means "fairy/little people," etc. As Banshee (bhanshide) means "Fairy woman".....harmonics and octaves are what make it a little easier to play on the harp, you have both hands to make octaves, etc. Try "doubling" your notes...........pluck the same note in two pitches (or the same pitch)..........Remember that it is the Battle between the Little (bheag) fairies and the Big (mhor)fairies.....

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 02:37 AM

Sorcha,

Ray and I saw many things offshore, but we never saw any fairies. We saw silkies, whales, sharks, porpiose and other tuna boats in the fog. We chummed whiting alot and watched the other boats catch our fish.

I am fluent in harmonics played on the guitar. I also like to play in open or dropped tunings. I like to extend my octave range with such tunings and just maybe I can use all the relavent advice here on Mudcat(ghost notes and doubling) to Wow you all on the Celtic Room someday with my rendition of Si Bheag Si Mhor. I hope Ray is listening.

Thanks Sorcha,

wdyat12

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: harpmolly
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 11:47 AM

wdyat12: someday I'm sure you will. :D

I think I have so much fun playing this piece because I suspect I've got to have faery blood somewhere in my past. If you saw me, you'd understand why. :) i'm the most pixie-ish person I know. *grin*

For me, the hardest part of this piece is deciding whether to play it slowly and mournfully, or fast and trippingly. It's adaptable to either, really. Mournful does give you more room for expression, though.

M

Subject: RE: Si Bheag Si Mhor Guitar Tablature
From: wdyat12
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 11:21 PM

Hopefull for me Mollificent. I don't want to scare Ray. I think he would like it if I could play the tune like we thought of each trip offshore from the moment we left the mooring.

wdyat12