Riffs of Tradition: Top Celtic Guitarists

We selected these great Celtic guitar players because they changed how people play. This list shows what this musical style is all about and highlights players known for their ability. You can trust that you are about to read about key artists who play Celtic guitar very well.

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This piece looks at five top players: Tony McManus, Steve Baughman, Pat Kirtley, Al Petteway, and Soïg Sibéril.

The list above is just a quick start to Celtic guitar music and the people who play it. We have more details about their playing methods and best albums. Keep reading to learn how these players added so much value to this type of music.

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Tony McManus

Tony McManus grew up in Paisley, Scotland, surrounded by Irish traditions. He first tried the fiddle and whistle, but he chose the guitar as his main instrument when he was ten. That decision became very important because it shaped his job in music and changed how modern Celtic songs sound.

McManus also liked school and almost earned a PhD in math. But his love for playing songs was stronger and became more important than his studies. His skill for making Celtic tunes sound alive on the guitar made him famous. He showed he could play bagpipe and fiddle notes on guitar strings and handle the hard parts of Gaelic songs.

People saw his help to the genre when he played solo in 1994 at the first Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. He played for 2500 people, and that show proved his place in the industry while starting his long and successful time as a professional musician.

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Check out Tony McManus' Album. By clicking this link, you'll be directed to its page on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TR3tmf

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Steve Baughman

Steve Baughman is from the Caribbean and built a great career playing Celtic and Appalachian fingerstyle guitar. He is very well known for this. He started liking this music when he began playing guitar at age ten while his family lived in Southeast Asia.

Baughman is known for using the clawhammer method on guitar, which is usually for banjos. He took this style outside of folk music and used it in rock, funk, and blues. This fresh work appears in his album called Clawhammer Guitar The Collection, which Acoustic Guitar magazine called a required album.

Besides playing alone, Baughman worked with famous artists like Pierre Bensusan, Martin Simpson, and Pat Kirtley. One of his most praised projects is the album Celtic Guitar Summit made with Robin Bullock. It had songs written by Baughman and was voted one of the top albums of 2003.

Even with big success, Baughman stays humble and looks back on his path with happiness. From starting in Southeast Asia to teaching guitar classes across the US, his life in music still encourages others. He says it makes the unknown parts of life feel like they matter.

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Steve Baughman released an instructional book about Frailing. It is a very versatile pattern that works as well with singer-songwriter guitar accompaniment as it does with fingerpicking blues and old time fiddle tunes. By clicking this link, you'll be directed to its page on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Bx01Xy

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Pat Kirtley

Pat Kirtley grew up in Kentucky and mixes his local music background with styles from other countries for a special way of playing fingerstyle guitar. His songs show he understands American folk very well, but he also uses the hard beats found in Celtic tunes.

Kirtley is not just good at playing guitar; he also likes recording music and working with electronics. His work in this area helped him make great records that have very clear sound. Kirtley connects acoustic music with modern electronic tools to make things sound better.

His talent won him awards, including first place at the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Kirtley brought a fresh sound to Celtic music that respects the old ways but adds new energy. Kirtley also helps Celtic music as a teacher. His classes and books give new players a chance to learn his methods, which helps keep the fingerstyle guitar style strong for a long time.

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The Pat Kirtley Irish Guitar book presents 17 solo guitar arrangements of traditional Irish tunes including a few original compositions in the same vein by himself, Pierre Bensusan, and Duck Baker. By clicking this link, you'll be directed to its page on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZO0vmx

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Al Petteway

Al Petteway left a strong mark on acoustic fingerstyle guitar. He was known for clear notes and the feeling he put into his songs, earning respect from the Celtic music group. The way he affected players in many styles and his large group of listeners shows how talented he was.

Petteway worked with many others during his career and helped with soundtracks for many documentaries and movies. His skill for matching music with stories on screen made more people like his work. This let his special acoustic sound reach many different types of listeners.

Awards filled Petteway’s career and proved his high status in the business. Besides prizes, his dedication to the music group showed in his teaching and guidance. Even though he died in 2023, his effect stays strong in the songs he left. He serves as a guide for current players and new musicians. His memory still touches the guitar community everywhere, making sure his history in music will be praised for many years.

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The Midsummer Moon book by Al Petteway ventures into new territory with 15 Celtic-inspired, traditional, and New Age fingerstyle compositions in standard and alternate tunings. By clicking this link, you'll be directed to its page on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gGRVfb

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Soïg Sibéril

Soïg Sibéril was born in Paris on February 1, 1955. He started playing guitar at 18 because he liked American folk and blues. He moved to Brittany in the mid 1970s because he grew interested in Breton music, starting his strong connection with that culture. Meeting Irish guitarist Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was very important because he learned DADGAD tuning. He used this tuning for Breton music, which helped make the guitar a normal part of that tradition.

Sibéril's career started in the late 1970s with the group Kanfarted Rostren and then Skrilled. His music history is full of team projects like Kornog, Gwerz, Pennoù Skoulm, Den, Les Ours du Scorff, and Breizharock. Besides working in groups, Sibéril did well as a solo player and in duets. He worked with Nolwenn Korbell, and they put out the album Red in 2007.

His list of records has many team efforts, live shows, and work on film projects. This proves his strong link to Celtic music. From making Duo libre with Cédric Le Bozec to starting Back to Celtic Guitar with Jean Félix Lalanne, his job shows his power in guitar music inside and outside Brittany.

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Check out Soïg Sibéril's album titles Habask. By clicking this link, you'll be directed to its page on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BnhnpX

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Final Thoughts

The best Celtic guitarists left a big mark on Celtic and folk music. Through their hard work, they grew the list of guitar songs and mixed different styles and methods that helped the tradition a lot. Using ideas from their background, these players managed to keep the old parts of Celtic music while making it better with their own special versions.

Their role in keeping Celtic music alive for modern people is very important. They kept the feeling of this style while changing it for new groups, which shows their creativity. Using things like DADGAD tuning gave a new look to Celtic music. Through many albums and shows, they created a path that keeps encouraging people to play.

To end, these top Celtic guitarists added a lot to Celtic music. Their hard work in keeping the tradition going and moving it forward makes sure the beautiful sounds of this art will keep playing for many years in the future.

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Here is a list of good quality guitars suitable for Celtic music and other genres. By clicking this link, you'll be directed to different brands on Amazon: https://amzn.to/47JKW0X