I've spent the last semester with Elke studying how to back tunes. We first started with chords, then worked a bit on arpeggiated backing, then dabbled in close harmony. I'm still only at the basic level, and it takes me a half-dozen times through a tune - and then only in the most accessible keys - to begin to get the chord progression. So it'll take a lot more practice for this to be a functional addition to my session-playing skills. But it's already showing some interesting results.

I've been noting some chord progressions in tunes for a while now, but it's only with this study that I've begun to get an instinctive sense of how they work. I'm especially beginning to get the bi-tonal tunes.

But the most interesting side effect is that I now seem to be able to play rhythm guitar. Not well, mind you. The night before last, I installed a new set of tuners on the Yamaha guitar I've had for a while, along with a set of bronze end pins. I haven't played this guitar much since I bought it, and it's mainly been used by Anders and Chris when they come over. When I finished replacing the tuners, I tuned it up to DADGAD, and started noodling. I did a bit more noodling last night, and find that I'm fairly easily taking to the following progessions and keys:

I-IV-V: D/G/A, A/D/E
I-VII: A/G, G/F
Im-VII: Am/G, Bm/A, Em/D, Gm/F
Im-VII-V: Am/G/E, Em/D/B, Gm/F/D

I'm pretty much limited to one voicing for each of these, and haven't found a good voicing for the C chord (keeping me from playing the keys of G-major ans D-mix). And while not at all impressive from a guitarist's standpoint, I went from nothing to this in two nights. So I'm pretty happy. I plan to concentrate on these for a while, since they will give me a basic backing for the major Celtic tune keys and modes.