First off, I'm not really qualified to be commenting on where to add triplets or double stops in Irish tunes. But I do have a theoretical idea of where they could go. So this post is to help document what I am in the process of figuring out.
Where to Add Triplets
There are lots of places to add triplets, but here are two that are probably the most simple or obvious.
Triplet Rule Number One: Any time there's a quarter note/long note/crotchet you can add a triplet. By quarter note or long note I simply mean a note that has a brief pause after it. For example, look at the G note at the beginning of measure one of The Sally Gardens, or the D note at the beginning of measure 3. Those are quarter notes and a perfect place to add a triplet. You can just do GGG in place of that G. Or DDD in place of that D. That's going to sound OK. You don't have to get any fancier than that at first.
Triplet Rule Number Two: Any time there's a 3rd interval on one string, you can add a triplet, whether you are going up or down. There's an interval like that in measure two of The Sally Gardens. The first two notes of that measure are D and B, fret 5 to fret 2. So you could make that a triplet by playing D-C-B, frets 5-3-2. Or take a look at measure three. You could do it going the other direction by adding a C note between B and D for a B-C-D triplet. Or if you miss that one, there's another chance at the end of that measure where the last two notes are (3rd fret) G and (open) E. You could do G-F#-E as a triplet.
That's all I'm going to say about triplets for now! On to double stops.
Where to Add Double Stops
I think of a double stop as being a two note mini-chord. Basically, you still play the same melody note as you would normally but you find a note on the next lower string that harmonizes with it. I've been thinking about some choices you can make that the odds should be in favor of. I'll go string-by-string since it's not always the same. Note: sometimes there are two choices that can be used interchangeably. Other times it may be one or the other depending on the harmony of the moment.
D String/3rd String Melody (Double Stop on G String/4th String)
Open D. Double stop on 2nd fret A (D chord) or 4th fret B (G chord / B minor chord).
2nd fret E. Double stop on open G (C major chord / E minor chord) or 4th fret B (E minor chord).
4th fret F#. Harmonize with 2nd fret A (D chord) or 4th fret B (B minor chord).
5th fret G. The obvious choice that will always work is the octave 4th string open G. Another good choice is the 4th fret B (G chord).
A String/2nd String (Double Stop on 3rd String / D String)
Open A. Double stop on 2nd fret E (A chord) or 4th fret F# (D chord).
2nd fret B. Harmonize with open D (G chord) or 4th fret F# (B minor chord).
3rd fret C. Double stop on 2nd fret E (C chord / A minor chord).
4th fret C#. Double stop on 2nd fret E (A chord).
5th fret D. Octave with open D or double stop on 4th fret F# (D chord).
E String / 1st String (Double Stop on 2nd String / A String)
Open E. Harmonize with 2nd fret B (E minor chord), or 3rd fret C (C chord or A minor), or 4th fret C# (A chord). The choice of C and C# is not an either/or. You have to know which of those notes is part of the mode the tune is in.
2nd fret F#. Double stop on open A (D chord).
3rd fret G. Double stop on 2nd fret B (G chord).
5th fret A. Octave with open A or double stop on 3rd fret C (A minor chord) or 4th fret C# (A chord). Once again, C vs. C# depends on the tune.
You may notice there are some common shapes or patterns.
With any of these, use sparingly until you figure out what sounds good. If it's adding to the music great! If it's taking away from it then don't.
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