Shows
This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking PodcastGerry Gaffney (Live audience) 'How forms reveal the true nature of an organisation'If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Interested in training for your organisation with This is HCD? Let's speak by booking a 15-minute call.This was a show of firsts! Our very first live podcast in front of an audience, and also the first time we had the wonderful Gerry Gaffney on the show. The show was recorded at the incredible offices of FutureYou, a boutique recruitment consultancy based in downtown Sydney.It's also our 10th episode o...
2017-12-1838 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastTransforming & Measuring: An Interview with Gerry McGovernGerry McGovern talks to Gerry Gaffney about the empowered customer and the consequent need to transform organisations.
2016-10-2849 min
Irish Guitar PodcastLesson 90. Thousand Farewells
Occasionally Tony will pick up a tune that just seems to feel so natural to play, so easy on the fingers, it rolls off the musical tongue so to speak. This is one of those tunes. It’s eerie but it’s as if Ryan composed this for guitar. It’s the perfect range for the guitar, played between a Low A and the A two octaves above, there’s plenty of space between the notes, no high B to “fret” over, and a busy chord progression to play with.
2014-08-2308 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 89. Shoemaker's Daughter“Shoemaker’s Daughter” is a composition of legendary Cavan fiddler Ed Reavy (1897-1988).
The A Part of this tune is played in a G Mixolydian Mode, whilst the B Part is in G Major. Transcriptions in Irish music of tunes that change to different modes that retain the same Tonic Note often, mistakenly, use the same key signature.
2014-08-1608 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 88. Scatter the Mud
“Scatter The Mud” is a tune sometimes played in E Minor but this version is in the more common A Minor (Dorian mode). Tony has arranged this version for Open A tuning (EAC#EAE) but we have included a version in standard tuning for those who wish to stick with the standard tuning.
2014-08-0909 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 87. St Patricks' DayThe tune is in jig time (6/8) but is a set dance and is played considerably slower than normal jig tempo.
However, other than tempo, all the “rules” that apply to jigs apply to this tune.
2014-08-0207 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 86. Saddle the PonyA very well known tune, so much so that it is played by musicians outside of the Irish music genre.
the standard key is G, but Tony transposed it to A Major on the banjo, then started playing it on the guitar in Open A major tuning and came up with this arrangement.
The book also includes a version in standard tuning for those who don’t want to get involved with Open A at this point in time.
Open A tuning is E A C# E A E, from lowest to highest pitch.
2014-07-2612 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 85. O'Rourke'sAs much as Tony would like to claim credit for this composition it’s not his to claim. This tune was in circulation a long time ago.
This tune is normally played in A mixolydian so you will need to capo on the second fret.
2014-07-1909 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 84. Forget Me NotSome musicians play this tune in C, others in D.
Tony plays it in D on the banjo but in C on the guitar. For this lesson the capo is on 2, thus it’s in D.
In the podcast, Tony talks about the importance of listening to other versions of any tune you are learning.
2014-07-1309 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastThe Moderators Survival Guide: An interview with Donna Tedesco and Fiona TranquadaDonna Tedesco and Fiona Tranquada, authors of "The Moderator's Survival Guide" talk to Gerry Gaffney about moderation. They discuss styles like Friendly Face, Down to Business, Inquisitive Mind and By-the-Book, the risks and pitfalls, Gerry's labcoat, and advice to moderators of all levels.
2014-07-0739 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 83. O'Carolan's Receipt for DrinkingThis tune is sometimes known as “Dr. John Stafford”.
The tune begins on a C chord. For the accompaniment Tony plays and holds a bass note and then, instead of a full chord, he plays the notes of a chord individually.
2014-07-0508 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 82. Mullingar RacesTony describes how to play a triplet on the lower (thicker) strings when describing how to play this reel.
2014-07-0509 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 81. Máire Rua
Máire Rua, translated as “Red Haired Mary”, is a slip jig in G.
The B Part of the tune moves into a D Mixolydian mode but as this mode contains the same notes as G Major, that is one sharp (F#), there is no need to change the key signature. The tune moves back to G Major for the last bar of the tunes, which is in fact identical to the last bar of Part A. Tony often pairs this tune with a slip jig we looked at in Lesson 16, Na Ceannabháin Bhána.
2014-06-2107 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 80. Garden of DaisiesThe Garden Of Daisies is a set dance and is played in hornpipe time, but somewhat slower than your average hornpipe.
Note that the tempo on the recording of Marie Walsh is the correct tempo for tunes of this type.
2014-06-1409 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 79. Coalminer's ReelHere we have a tune in Open A (although in the book you'll also find a version in regular tuning.)
The Open A tuning Tony uses is, from the lowest string to the highest:
E A C# E A E.
2014-06-0712 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastUX: A client perspectiveCatherine D'Elia talks to Gerry Gaffney about how UX contributed to the design of a new Jury Management Service. She says that explaining UX and getting buy-in are crucial.
2014-06-0414 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 78. Castlebar Races, and Mouse in the MugThese two tunes are both in G Major and coincidentally have the same three notes at the beginning.
The first part of Castlebar Races is played in open position, the second part almost entirely in third position; that is the first finger is positioned at the third fret. It is also used to play any F# notes (2nd fret, 1st string). Where you have consecutive F# / G notes use your first finger for both.
For Mouse In The Mug you’ll find something similar. The first part of the tune is open position. For...
2014-06-0112 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 77. McFadden's Handsome DaughterMcFadden’s Handsome Daughter is an A Major tune but for the guitar Tony plays it in G with capo on the 2nd fret.
The tune is a composition of John McFadden (1847-1913).
2014-05-2509 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 76. Kid on the MountainThis slip jig moves between E Minor and G Major. The E Minor parts of the tune use the Natural Minor Scale rather than the Dorian Mode.
2014-05-1810 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastWhere UI guidelines come from: An interview with Jeff JohnsonJeff Johnson talks to Gerry Gaffney about user interface design guidelines, zombie processes, and why your first answer to the following question is typically wrong. A baseball and a bat together cost $110. The bat costs $100 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
2014-05-1740 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 75. Crossing the ShannonThis tune is sometimes known as “The Funny Reel” and is played in D. On the guitar Tony plays it in C with the capo on the 2nd fret.
2014-05-1110 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 74. Boys of the TownThere is at least one other jig known as “Boys Of The Town”, starting on a high G (3rd fret, 1st string). But this “Boys of the Town” starts on a middle G (open 3rd string). The two tunes are quite different and in no way related.
2014-05-0411 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 73. An t'Athair Jack Walsh“Athair” is the Irish word for “father”, and the Anglicized title “Fr. Jack
Walsh” is often used as the title for this tune, as is “Tatter Jack Walsh”.
The tune is played in the D mixolydian mode and thus contains the same
notes as a G Major scale. A cursory glance at the chords used in the sheet
music should alert you to this. The two main chords used are D and C and
this combination in a “D” tune invariably tells you it’s mixolydian. The key
signature is...
2014-04-2809 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 72. Yellow Tinker
The “Yellow Tinker” is a tune in the G mixolydian mode. In other words the scale used is a C Scale but played in the key of G.
The tune is associated with the playing of Galway accordionist Joe Burke , and perhaps because of Burke, it is very popular and widely played.
The first and third parts of the tune are almost pure mixolydian, whilst the second part of the tune is almost pure G Major, although Tony didn’t alter the key signature for the second part, despite there being an arg...
2012-02-1206 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 71. Swedish Jig (or Arthur Darley's)The “Swedish Jig", sometimes known as Arthur Darley’s, is a most unusual tune.
In the first part of the tune a time signature change occurs in bar 7 from the standard 6/8 to a 9/8, just for one bar, before reverting back to 6/8. In effect you play an extra half a bar.
Also the first part consists of 12 bars rather than the standard eight.
The A part is in D Major, but changes to D Minor for the second part, and then back to D Major for the third part. Both the second and third part...
2012-02-0510 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 70. Sonny's MazurkaPolish in origin, mazurkas are not very common in Irish music. Sonny’s Mazurka is arguably the most well known of the mazurkas played in Ireland. As mazurkas are written in 3/4 time the rules that you use for waltzes also apply to mazurkas. In this tune most of the bars have a crotchet on the first beat followed by two groups of quavers over the next two beats. As an accompaniment, a basic strum consisting of a bass note on the first beat followed by full or partial chord strums for each of th...
2012-01-3006 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 69. Old BlackthornVersion:1.0 StartHTML:0000000167 EndHTML:0000000698 StartFragment:0000000454 EndFragment:0000000682
This tune is one of those lovely 16-bar reels in the key of D Major, of which there are many in Irish music. Structurally it is a very simple tune, containing only three chords (D , A, and G).
2012-01-2305 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 68. O'Carolan's DraughtOne of the better-known compositions of the great Turlough O'Carolan.
Tony has set this arrangement in 4/4 rather than 2/2 or “cut” time, that is 4 groups of 2 quavers rather than 2 groups of 4. This is a subtle difference although with a tune played at the somewhat slower tempo than a reel, or even a hornpipe, the difference is barely noticeable. On reflection this tune could be written as 4/4 or 2/2.
In the first part of the tune there is one high B (6th bar). And the second part of the tune has some tricky left hand work so we’ve inc...
2012-01-1509 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 67. Nell Fee'sTony learned this lovely 3-part polka from the playing of New York button accordionist Patty Furlong.
48-bar polkas are not common in Irish music and are not used much for sets. Tony consulted Marie Brouder here in Melbourne about this. Marie is the number one person on set dancing in Melbourne and she could only find one dance that was of 48 bars duration. That is the first figure of The Kilkenny Set.
the lowest note is the open D string and the highest is the F# on the first string so the tune is fairly c...
2012-01-0808 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 66. Maggie in the WoodsThis is an often-played polka, normally in the key of G. Polkas, like marches, are in 2/4 time. That is, there are two groups of quavers, or the equivalent. Where you have two groups of four quavers, you should play: down on the first quaver down on the next quaver. In this tune the only time you play an up stroke is on the last semiquaver (or sixteenth note) of a group of what would be two eighth notes if there were no sixteenth notes.
2012-01-0108 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 65. Jim Connolly's JigThis is one of Tony's own compositions, which he wrote in honour of his friend Jim Connolly, an accordion player from Rossinver in North Leitrim.
It's played in C, with a capo on the 2nd fret. The second part is higher than the first.
The “normal” speed recording is the first track off Tony’s CD “An Sliabh Glas” and includes “Shores of Lough Gowna”, followed by “Jim Connolly’s Jig”. By the way you can purchase the CD, or tracks from it, on Amazon and iTunes and various online outlets. See the CDs page on this site for lin...
2011-12-2509 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 64. Gold RingThere are two jigs that carry the name “The Gold Ring” (“An Fáinne Óir” in Irish). One is a 7-part jig in G particularly popular with pipers, and the other, a 4-part jig in D Major. This tune is the D Major tune, and it's one of Tony's all-time favourties.
Although this is a D tune, Tony plays it in C with a capo on the second fret. This tune has a wide range of just over 2 octaves, but if your left hand is positioned correctly you should need very little, if any, lateral movement to reach all...
2011-12-1812 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 63. Frost is All OverA delightful jig with a strong underlying rhythm, which is probably why it is quite often used for playing at céilithe (social dances).
In the second bars of both the third and fourth lines you will note that Tony uses the same finger for the first two notes of those bars (G and F#), plays the high B with his fourth finger and the high A with his third finger.
In the booklet (Book 4), we’ve included a separate accompaniment sheet for this tune. Note that Tony uses a D Chord with an F# in...
2011-12-1107 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 62. First Clan March of the O'SullivansMarches usually have a 2/4 time signature, but this tune is one of a number of tunes designated as a march, but carrying a 6/8 time signature. (“The Butcher’s March” is another.)
This tune is also quite often played as just a normal jig as part of a set.
It's fairly compact in the left hand, only going up to the high G on the first string, and of course even though called a march it should be treated as a jig without ornamentation, although you may wish to go the whole way and just play it as...
2011-12-0408 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 61. Farewell to ErinThe most challenging tune in Book 4, this is totally unrelated to "Farewell to Ireland". It's not at all unknonwn to encounter such confusingly similar titles in Irish music! Normally played in A Dorian, but Tony has arranged it for gutar in E Dorian. You can capo up to the 5th fret, but on the podcast there's no capo. Tony has also brought the first part in some places so it can be played in one octave, giving it a more dynamic sound. In some places there are triplets using three different...
2011-11-2711 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 60. Fairies' HornpipeThis well known tune comes in the standard 32-bar format, with two parts, each played twice. It is an ideal tune to play if a hornpipe is requested by a step dancer. Unusually for such a melodic tune the whole tune is played within one octave excepting the three F# notes that occur near the end of both sections. In the last two bars of each section multiple note triplets occur. It is important that you pick each triplet rather than slurring or tying them. In Irish music, when played on a fretted...
2011-11-2008 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 59. Dunmore LassiesAs the highest note in this tune is the F on the first string you will not have to concern yourself with left hand positioning.
In fact by keeping your left hand at a right angle to the fretboard you should not have any lateral movement in your left hand at all.
Make sure to play the tune at a speed that allows you to include ornamentation.
The half moon markings over certain notes in the sheet music are suggested points in the tune at which you can add your ornaments but feel...
2011-11-1306 min2011-11-0406 min2011-10-2909 min2011-10-2306 min2011-10-1609 min2011-10-0914 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastUser research interviews: An interview with Steve PortigalGerry Gaffney interviews Steve Portigal about conducting interviews for user research. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2011-08-1643 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastHuman transit: An interview with Jarrett WalkerGerry Gaffney interviews Jarrett Walker. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2011-08-1033 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastGlobal UX: An interview with Whitney QuesenberyGerry Gaffney interviews Whitney Quesenbery. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2011-08-0228 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastSpeech user interfaces: An interview with James LewisGerry Gaffney interviews James Lewis. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2011-06-2041 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastDriver Safety: An interview with Dr Michael ReganGerry Gaffney interviews Mike Regan. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2011-04-2242 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastUX in the UK: Gerry Gaffney interviews Andy BuddGerry Gaffney interviews Morgan McKeagney. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2011-03-1720 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastUsability in Ireland - Gerry Gaffney interviews Morgan McKeagney
Gerry Gaffney interviews Morgan McKeagney. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-12-3123 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastSurveys - an interview with Caroline JarrettGerry Gaffney interviews Caroline Jarrett. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-12-1637 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastSimple and usable - an interview with Giles ColborneGerry Gaffney interviews Giles Colborne. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-10-1623 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastBeyond the Usability Lab with Bill AlbertGerry Gaffney interviews Bill Albert. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-08-1430 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastPromoting cycling culture, with Mikael Colville-Andersen
Gerry Gaffney interviews Mikael Colville-Anderson. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-07-0915 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastAdam Greenfield on EverywareGerry Gaffney interviews Adam Greenfield on ubiquitous computing. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-06-1552 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastDavid Hill on ThinkPad's evolution design strategyGerry Gaffney interviews Lenovo's David Hill. For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2010-03-0227 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastWhat every intranet team should know - an interview with James RobertsonGerry Gaffney interviews James Roberston from Step Two Designs about managing intranets.For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2009-11-1829 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastMicrosoft Surface and multi-touch interfaces - an interview with Shane MorrisGerry Gaffney interviews Shane Morris about designing for Microsoft Surface and multi-touch interfaces.For a transcript of this and other episodes, visit www.uxpod.com.
2009-11-0324 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 54 - Timor the TartarThis tune is Scottish in origin, and is an example of how closely related the Scottish and Irish traditions are, and yet both music forms are quite different.
Tony's arrangement is in G Major, capo 2, thus the "real" key is A Major.
Listen to the lesson (TimorTheTartar.mp3, 8 minutes 23 seconds. 2.87 MB)
2009-06-2908 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 53 - Three Sea CaptainsThis tune is written in jig time (6/8) but is in fact a set piece, or set dance. During the podcast. Tony comments that, sadly, such set pieces don't often an airing at sessions.File size is 3.9MB.Duration is 11 minutes 22 seconds.
2009-06-2111 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastEvery piece of content matters - an interview with Gerry McGovernGerry Gaffney interviews GerryMcGovern, author of "Killer Web Content".(This site is maintained for historical purposes only. Visit www.uxpod.com for a transcript of this and other episodes, and a searchable archive.)
2009-06-2132 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 52 - Paddy's Polka (No. 2)This polka is in G Major, so when coupled Paddy's Polka (no. 1), there's an interesting key change from D Minor to G Major.In this tune, the B part can begin on either a G Major or E Minor. Tony's preference is for the E Minor, so that's how it's notated in the booklet (Book 3).File size is 2.62MB.Duration is 7 minutes 37 seconds.
2009-06-1507 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 51 - Paddy's Polka (No. 1)This tune is played in D Minor.
This is an ideal tune for music teachers to
teach their students as it is uncomplicated, and from an accompaniment
viewpoint, is very basic - only two chords, D Minor and C.
File size is 2.43MB.
Duration is 7 minutes 4 seconds.
2009-06-0907 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 50 - Manorhamilton JigThis lesson is one of Tony's own compositions.On his regular trips to Ireland Tony spends time in the North Leitrim region, which is the ancestral home of the O'Rourkes. Manorhamilton is part of that region.File size is 5MB.Duration is 10 minutes 21 seconds.
2009-05-3110 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 49 - McDermott'sThis reel is normally played in D, but Tony's arrangement is in C, with a capo on the second fret.File size is 3.61MB.Duration is 10 minutes 32 seconds.
2009-05-2410 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 48 - Joe Bane'sJoe Bane was a tin whistle and flute player from the Magherabaun area near Feakle in East Clare. Musicians such as Mary McNamara and Martin Hayes picked up a lot of tunes from him.This is a hornpipe, and Tony plays it in the key of F.File size is 3.49MB.Duration is 10 minutes 10 seconds.
2009-05-1710 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 47 - Glass O'BeerAnother 16-bar reel, the first part is in B Minor, and the second in D Major.File size is 2.7MB.Duration is 7 minutes 53 seconds.
2009-05-1007 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastHuman behaviour in traffic - an interview with Tom VanderbiltGerry Gaffney interviews Tom Vanderbilt, author of "Why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us)".(This site is maintained for historical purposes only. Visit www.uxpod.com for a transcript of this and other episodes, and a searchable archive.)
2009-05-0822 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 46 - Flower of the Flock (in open D)This tune is a 16 bar reel, normally played in the Key of G.Tony's arrangement is played in an Open D tuning, so to play in G you'll need to capo the 5th fret.Details on the tuning, and on chord shapes for Open D, are provided in the booklet (Book 3). The tuning is D A D F# A D, from the lowest pitched string to the highest.File size is 3.43MB.Duration is 10 minutes.
2009-05-0310 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastSelling usability - an interview with John RhodesGerry Gaffney interviews John Rhodes about how to sell usability, and about John's book "Selling Usability: User Experience Infiltration Tactics".Please visit www.uxpod.com for a transcript of this and other episodes.
2009-04-2721 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 45 - Fisherman's JigThe Fisherman's Jig is in fact a slip jig.Slip jigs comprise only a small percentage of the Irish Music repertoire and you can attend session after session and not hear them at all. Tony often plays this with Na Ceannabhain Bhána (which we had in Lesson 16 in Book 1).File size is 2.54MB.Duration is 7 minutes 25 seconds.
2009-04-2707 min2009-04-2009 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 43-and-a-half - Danny BoyThis is a bonus lesson, since it's not within the genre that we're studying. Rather, it's Tony's arrangement of Danny Boy, also know as The Londonderry Air.It may be a bit daunting for the newcomer. Sheet music and tab notation are provided in Book 3.File size is 3.79MB.Duration is 11 minutes 3 seconds.
2009-04-1311 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 43 - Crib of PerchesTony picked this tune up from the late Billy Moran. Billy was a button accordionist from Galway who migrated to Australia in the late 1940's and made an enormous contribution to the musical heritage of Australia. The A, or first, part is played using the D Mixolydian Mode and the B or second part uses a D Ionian (or Major) mode.File size is 4.88MB.Duration is 14 minutes 13 seconds.
2009-04-0514 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 42 - Cliffs of MoherThis week we have a lovely jig.Tony talks about the use of overtones to enhance your playing, and which can be used to good effect in this tune.File size is 4.01MB.Duration is 11 minutes 41 seconds.
2009-03-2911 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastImmersion, and socially responsible design - an interview with Marc RettigGerry Gaffney interviews Marc Rettig of Fit Associates on immersion, responsible design, and working with conscious organisations.You can read a transcript at www.uxpod.com.
2009-03-2824 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 41 - Charles O'ConorThis week we have another piece by the famous blind harper, Turlough O'Carolan.(Note that we've migrated the web content for the podcast to www.irishguitarpod.com; there you'll find more extensive content.)File size is 2.89 MB.Duration is 8 minutes 25 seconds.
2009-03-2208 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 40 - Caisleán an ÓirCaisleán an Óir is a hornpipe.This arrangement is in D Dorian, a type of D Minor, but without a Bb in the key signature.The D Dorian has the same notes as the C Major Scale.File size is 2.27MB.Duration is 8 minutes 8 seconds.
2009-03-1508 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 39 - Bernie Cunnion'sTechnically not too demanding, this is a lovely tune, quite typical of the beautiful music that emanates from the hills and valleys of North Leitrim.The recording on this podcast episode is from Tony's CD "The Maid At The Well". (You can purchase this CD, or individual tracks from it, on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Rhapsody, and other online music outlets. But don't purchase "Bernie Cunnion's", because it's free on the podcast!)A couple of announcements:1. Tony's CD "An Sliabh Glas", is also now available online. Visit www.irishguitarpod.com for track listing and sleeve...
2009-03-0812 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 38 - The Ash PlantThis is a short reel, with 16 bars. It's in the key of E Minor, with two sharps in the key signature, which means it's in the E Dorian mode.Tony sometimes refers to this as the "Irish Minor", and many Irish minor tunes use a Dorian mode.Sunday, 1 March 2009File size is 4.79MB.Duration is 13 minutes 57 seconds.
2009-03-0113 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 37 - Andy McGann'sNot to be confused with "Andy McGann's Jig" (which we had in Lesson 19), this is a completely different tune.It's one of the many compositions of the late New York fiddler Andy McGann. It is in the key of D, but on guitar Tony plays it in C, with the capo on the second fret.This is the first tune in Book 3.File size is 2.91MB.Duration is 8 minutes 29 seconds.
2009-02-2208 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.0 - An Interview with Shawn HenryGerry Gaffney interviews Shawn Henry about the release of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.0 (www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/).A transcript of this episode is available at www.uxpod.com.Note that the User Experience Podcast is now hosted within the Information & Design website (www.infodesign.com.au) - and it's searchable.
2008-12-2123 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastIt's Only Words - an Interview with Janice (Ginny) RedishGerry Gaffney interviews Ginny Redish about the communication needs of web users, about whether those needs are changing, and about how to meet them. "It's not about the words," says Ginny, "it's about helping people accomplish their goals." She says that this has led to a change from command-based to task-based communication.Ginny's book is "Letting go of the words: Writing Web Content that Works" (tinyurl.com/3m5fee).Ginny mentions the forthcoming book by Caroline Jarrett and me - that's "Forms That Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability" (tinyurl.com/44muxd). In t...
2008-09-2419 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastThe Bizarre Myth of Customer Service - an Interview with David JaffeGerry Gaffney interviews David Jaffe about customer service.David talks about the "bizarre myth that the head of customer service is responsible for customer service", and the problems that arise from treating customer service as a cost centre.He tells us that resolution, not handling time, is what matters.David asks: Why do companies spend millions of dollars on customer research but not learn anything from the day-to-day interactions they already have?He talks about how inappropriate measures result in the the wrong behaviour from front-line staff, and what happens when...
2008-07-2127 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastDeveloping Usability Software - an Interview with Sam NgGerry Gaffney spoke to Sam Ng from Optimal Usability in New Zealand (www.optimalusability.com). Sam is responsible for OptimalSort, an online card sorting tool (www.optimalsort.com).Sam speaks about the challenges of balancing user-centred design practices with the need to meet deadlines. Do small development teams really need to use personas?Sam says software can be "too convenient" if we rely too much on stats to "spit out" answers.Sam mentions some other products:Morae (www.techsmith.com/morae.asp)Axure (www.axure.com)
2008-06-2617 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 36 - Swallow's NestThis tune is a composition of the late Paddy O'Brien from Nenagh in Co. Tipperary.Paddy O'Brien's tunes are often very challenging, but are also very musical. You will need to move your left hand into the third position when you reach the 11th bar. You can use the gap provided by the open E at the beginning of the bar to move into the third position, and then move back to open position for the last two bars.This, incidentally, is the last tune in Book 2.File size is 2.93MB.
2008-05-1112 minIrish Guitar PodcastLesson 35 - Silver SpireThis reel is in D, so there are no notes that are played on the first fret. Also the highest note in the tune is the F# on the 1st string, 2nd fret, so you won't have to move your left hand.The tune does require picking on all six strings. Keeping your left hand 'square' to the fretboard will help. In the accompaniment, there area a few B Minor chords placed at strategic points in the second part of the tune, which add a touch of melancholia.File size i...
2008-05-0407 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastUsability - An Interview with Jakob NielsenGerry Gaffney conducts a wide-ranging interview with Jakob Nielsen.Is web usability where it's at? Does usability have a say on climate change? Why is the keyboard so popular?Jakob talks about having data propagate to multiple devices, about why government agencies continue to apply an outdated "waterfall' model, and about how usability can make developing countries rich quickly and thus improve the environment.He talks about the need to make things easier if you want people to do those things, about future directions in user interaction, and about the need to start...
2008-04-2734 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastPackaging Design for the Web - an Interview with Luke WroblewskiGerry Gaffney spoke to Luke Wroblewski, Senior Principal of Product Ideation & Design at Yahoo! about what web designers can learn from the world of product packaging, about 'unpacking' as a metaphor for registration, and about embracing the fact that your content will be clipped, cut, copied and embedded.Luke's forthcoming book is Web Form Design - Filling in the Blanks (www.rosenfeldmedia.com/books/webforms).Luke's company is LukeW Interface Designs (www.lukew.com); his blog is Functioning Form (www.lukew.com/ff).Luke mentions Jumpcut (www.jumpcut.com).The design p...
2008-03-2020 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastMentoring - an interview with Patrick KennedyGerry Gaffney spoke to Patrick Kennedy from Step Two Designs in Sydney (www.steptwo.com.au) about mentoring.What are the benefits - and the pitfalls - in mentoring?The book Patrick mentions is The Tao of Coaching, by Max Landsberg (tinyurl.com/yt8kaj).(Our book links go to Amazon, and we get a small commission from books sold in this way).Check out Patrick's Point of View blog (www.gurtle.com/ppov).Duration: 17:05File size: 2.93MB
2008-03-1117 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastUser Experience at Google - an interview with Patrick LarvieGerry Gaffney spoke to Patrick Larvie, Google's Manager of User Experience Research.Patrick reveals Google's secret - rapid user feedback, early and often.He also talks about the influence of culture on technology.The book Patrick recommends is Karaoke Nights: An Ethnographic Rhapsody, by Rob Drew (tinyurl.com/2ewbft).There was also a reference to the Google Image Labeler (images.google.com/imagelabeler).Gerry concluded with a plug for Information & Design's usability training courses in Melbourne (infodesign.com.au/training/courseschedule.asp).Duration: 34:29File size: 5.92...
2008-02-2634 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastExertion Interfaces and Engagement - An Interview with Florian (Floyd) MuellerGerry Gaffney spoke to Floyd Mueller about his work with exertion interfaces - where the world of video games meets the sweat of the sportsground, and where you can jog, box or play ball with people in distant locations.Floyd discusses the impact of the Nintendo Wii, and how the lessons to be learned from sports psychology can be applied to video conferencing tools.He explains that in virtual table tennis, the player puts meaning in the ball by imparting spin and force; the game carries meaning through the network; and the meaning is what...
2008-02-1730 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastAccessibility - An Interview with Dr. Sofia CelicGerry Gaffney spoke to Dr. Sofia Celic of Vision Australia (www.visionaustralia.org.au) about issues faced by the visually impaired and others.Sofia says that a knowledge of accessibility should be "in any serious developer's toolkit".Two screen readers were mentioned - Jaws (www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp) and Window-Eyes (www.gwmicro.com).OzWAI (www.ozewai.org) is the Australian Web Adaptability Initiative.Sofia mentions the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) (www.hreoc.gov.au).Microsoft has case studies and videos online (w...
2008-01-2414 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastUsability Now - an Interview with Daniel SzucGerry Gaffney spoke to Daniel Szuc in Hong Kong about the state of usability today. Although we were on the 22nd floor, in the background you can hear the sounds of the Hong Kong traffic.Daniel's company is Apogee (www.apogeehk.com)The Usability Toolkit is the one Gerry and Daniel co-authored (www.theusabilitykit.com).UPA is the Usability Professionals' Association (www.upassoc.org).Disclosure: Gerry and Daniel have various commercial connections.Duration: 18:11File size: 6.24MB
2008-01-1118 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastOpen Source Usability, and the Modified Delphi Card Sorting Method - an Interview with Celeste Lyn PaulGerry Gaffney spoke to Celeste Lyn Paul about the state of usability efforts in open source software, and about her card sorting method - the Modified Delphi.Celeste mentioned Open Usability (openusability.org)Gerry mentions a previous card-sorting episode of UXpod with Donna Maurer (tinyurl.com/3xzglj)Celeste mentioned Michael Gladwell's book 'Blink' (http://tinyurl.com/235vnd)The spreadsheet that Celeste spoke about is Joe Lamantia's on BoxesAndArrows (http://tinyurl.com/3742xt)Celeste's blog is weblog.obso1337.orgDuration: 25:46File size: 8.84MB
2007-12-1225 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastWeb Analytics - an Interview with Brian DonohueGerry Gaffney asked Brian Donohue from iQcontent (www.iqcontent.com) about when, why and how to use web analytics.Brian talked about avoiding 'zero insight', and how you can use analytics to understand users, improve your site, and validate success.A few books and resources were mentioned:Web Analytics Demystified by Eric Peterson (tinyurl.com/ys498j) Web Analytics: An Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik (tinyurl.com/2bnc8d)Google Analytics Shortcuts by Justin Cutroni (www.gashortcut.com)Sitescan (sitescanga.com)Emetrics (www.emetrics.org)Advanced...
2007-11-2722 min
UXpod - User Experience Podcast"This is who we are; this is what we do" - Social Media - an Interview with Tom RafteryGerry Gaffney interviews social media maven Tom Raftery.What does it mean to be a 'social media consultant'? In a wide-ranging discussion, Tom talks about:
The meaning and relevance of social mediaWhether bus drivers in Cork will use social media softwareWhy companies should embrace complaintCarbon-neutral data centres
Tom's blog is Tom Raftery's Social Media (www.tomrafteryit.net/)You can follow the progress of Tom's carbon-neutral data centre - the Cork Internet Exchange (www.cix.ie/). Tom's presentation on reducing IT's carbon footprint is online (tinyurl.com/2u5bvz).Several venues...
2007-10-0523 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastDesigning for Mobile Devices - an Interview with Jason FurnellGerry Gaffney asks Jason Furnell about designing for mobile devices.Along the way, Jason talks about the poetry of movement, the Agile development methodology, and how to navigate a career path in design.He tells us that without a vision, great minds can go to waste; and how high-fidelity wireframes can help communicate a simple vision.Jason's blog is 'the architecture of everything'. (jasonfurnell.wordpress.com)The William Gibson book is 'Spook Country'. (tinyurl.com/2a7mf9) Duration: 20:29 File size: 7.2MB
2007-09-2820 min
UXpod - User Experience PodcastWeb Accessibility Guidelines - an Interview with Gian Sampson-WildWhat is the current status of Version 2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines? Gian Sampson-Wild tells us the story.She also explains how Flickr and Google have used Ajax without sacrificing accessibility.For more on the Maguire vs SOCOG case, see Joe Clark's reader's guide (www.contenu.nu/socog.html).A listener subsequently pointed out a USA case - National Federation of the Blind v Target, as described on the Disability Rights Advocates website (http://tinyurl.com/djrfd) - thanks elDavo.Gian's blog is The Kismet...
2007-06-1216 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastSecurity and UsabilitySecurity and usability are frequently in conflict. Workarounds are common, and there may be unrealistic expectations of what users would or should do.I mention that ChinesePod made Time Magazine's Top Ten Podcasts of 2006. (www.time.com/time/topten/2006/podcasts/10.html)The Usability Kit (Gaffney/Szuc) is available for purchase online. (www.theusabilitykit.com)This episode is 7 minutes 10 seconds in duration. File size is 4.1MB.
2007-01-1707 minUXpod - User Experience PodcastCultural Probes - an Interview with John Murphy (updated)The Cultural Probes technique provides a
way to explore the user's world when other
methods are not available or appropriate.Gerry Gaffney discusses the technique with
John Murphy, of Design4Use.
Note that this interivew was updated on July 17
to provide some additional detail.
2006-07-1114 min