Arpeggios for

Accompaniment
the high art of
f ingerstyle arrangement
q
orking on repeating picking
patterns is a good way to devel-
op fluency and coordination
between your left and right hands (see my
lesson Fluid Arpeggios, HTPG Vol. 2 No, 5,
for a set of pattern-picking exercises). As an
example of how to transform arpeggio prac-
tice into an interesting accompaniment, lets
look at a well-known British folk song, The
Trees They Do Grow Mph.
Youll find versions of this song in
Scotland, Ireland, and England, and many
are notable for their fine modal melodies.
Putting guitar accompaniments to songs like
this is a fairly recent development.
Traditionally, they were sung a Capella, so
arranging them for the guitar requires careful
consideration of rhythm and harmony-a
careless treatment can destroy a songs
essential character.
Since the early 6Os, British players
worked with material of this type (for better
and for worse). Prime movers included

VOL.3 NO.6 / HOW TO PLAY GUITAR 67

Davey Graham, Martin Carthy, and Bert
Jansch, each of whom developed his own dis-
tinctive approach; in the process, British gui-
tar found its way into some interesting areas
that are several stages removed from tradi-
tional American picking styles.
One problem that arises in arranging tra-
ditional songs is how best to maintain the
rhythmic flow. Odd meters can present a chal-
lenge, but the real trick is preserving the free-
dom to vary the phrasing from verse to verse.
In this version of The Trees They Do Grow
High, the phrasing is fairly regular, and only
minor adjustments are needed. For more
complex material, you might listen to some of
the solutions Davey, Martin, and Bert have
come up with. I recommend Daveys album
with traditional singer Shirley Collins, Folk
Roots New Routes (Righteous Records),
Martins first solo album, Martin Curthy
(Topic), and Bertskzck Orion (Transatlantic).
Since many British folk songs are based on
old church modes, they are subject to ill-con-
sidered harmonizations. It isnt essential to
religiously stick to a melodys exact modal
framework, but it is important to be aware of
these characteristics before departing from
them. For some good words on modality, read
A.L. Lloyds Folk Song in England (Paladin).
The melody of The Trees They Do Grow
High can be reduced to EAeolian-E, F#, G,
A, B, C, D-but C is omitted. I took advantage
of this opportunity to introduce C# into the
accompaniment, suggesting both the A
major chord and E Dorian, a firm favorite
among British traditional singers. The main
accompaniment is quite straightforward,
and is based on the chords Em, D, G, Bm, and
A. The right-hand patterns are varied to
avoid an obvious alternating bass.
I learned this version of the song from
Jacqui McShee, who sings it on both
Pentangle, Sweet Child (Transatlantic), and
The John Renbourn Group Live in America
(Flying Fish). n

The Ykees They Do Grow High

Traditional

The
- I

they QKW high and the

h I I

man-y is the time

68 HOW TO PLAY GUITAR / VOL.3 NO.6

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