This month John introduces a great three-part reel as a way to demonstrate his approach to playing in E minor. “The Cup of Tea” can be heard regularly at Irish sessions, and there are some wonderful recordings, including a classic duet on the 1994 Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn album. As in previous lessons, you’ll learn the first-position chord forms in dropped-D tuning and then some movable forms up the neck. After you’re comfortable playing through the harmonized E minor scale, John will show you a basic backup progression for “The Cup of Tea” followed by a more embellished version. In this video, John shows you the essential chords in the lower position, walking up the E minor scale. Most of the chord shapes will be familiar from previous lessons.
