Workshop Information

Recently, we have been trialling running a short tune-learning workshop at the beginning of each session. This involves spending 30-40 minutes learning a new tune by ear. The idea is to increase the confidence of the sessioners for playing tunes by ear and relying less on the music. After we have learned a tune, we will post notes about the tune we learned here.

The tunes here should all be shown as scores. If they're not then it could be your browser doesn't support the library used to draw the music. You can probably see the ABC notation used to generate the music. I'm trying to add PDFs to all the music so you can download that to see the score. Alternatively, use a new browser!

Select a date below:



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2012.12.14 - (No tune this month)

This month we played Christmas carols and played with some handbells!



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2012.11.09 - Navie on the Line (reel)

The Navvy on the Line can be played as a hornpipe or a reel and is attributed to James Hill.


X:1
T:Navie on the Line
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:G
Bc |dgfe dcBA |GBDG B2 AG |FADF A2 BA |GBDG B2 Bc |
dgfe dcBA |GBDG B2 AG |FGAB cdef |g2 gf g2 ::
AG |FADF AcBA |GBDG B2 AG |FADF AcBA |GABc d2 Bc |
dgfe dcBA |GBDG B2 AG |FGAB cdef |g2 gf g2  :|

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2012.10.12 - Planxty Irwin (Jig)


X:16004
T:Planxty Irwin
T:Colonel John Irwin
R:Jig
C:Turlough O'Carolan (1713)
O:Ireland
Z:Paul Hardy's Session Tunebook 2011 (see www.paulhardy.net). Creative Commons cc by-nc-sa licenced.
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=70
K:G
d|"G"g2f "C"e>fg|"G"d2c "Em"B>AG|"C"c2A "G"B>cd|"D7"F2G A2f|
"G"g2f "C"e>fg|"G"d2c "Em"B>AG|"Am"c2A "G"B>cd|"C"GA "D7"F "G"G2:|
|:d|"G"g>ag gfg|"D7"a>ba "D7"afd|"G"b2b "D7"a>bg|"A7"fge "D7"def|
"G"g2f "C"e>fg|"G"d2c "Em"B>AG|"Am"c2A "G"B>cd|"C"GA "D7"F "G"G2:|

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2012.09.14 - The Faery's Reel (reel)


X: 1
T: The Faery's Reel
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B2 BA GBdB | cBAG FGAc | B2 BG c2e2 | fgaf gfed |
B2 BA GBdB | cBAG FGAc | B2 dB cBAG | FGAF G3 A :|
|: d2 dB e2 ed | c2 cA d2 dc | B2 BG cdeg | fgaf gfed |
d2 dB e2 ed | c2 cA d2 dc | BG G2 cBAG | FGAF G3 A :|

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2012.08.10 - Mountain Road, The (reel)


X: 1
T: Mountain Road, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
F2 AF BFAF| F2 AF EFDE| F2 AF BFAF| GE FD EDB, D |
F2 AF BFAF|F2 AF EFDE| FAA2 BAFB|ABde fgfe|
d3 A BAFA| d3 e fgfe| d3 A BAFA| GE FD EDB, D |
d3 A BAFA| d3 e fgfe| dcdA BAFA| GE FD EDB, D |

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2012.07.13 - Banshee, The (reel)


X: 1
T: Banshee, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:G3 D EDEG|AGAB d2 Bd|eged BAGA|BAGE E2 DE|
G3 D EDEG|AGAB d2 Bd|eged BAGA|BAGE E2 D2:|
|:ea ag efge|dBBA B3 d|eB ~B2 egfg| eBBA B4 |
ea a2 efgf|eBBA B3 d|eged BAGA|BAGE EDD2:|

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2012.06.12 - Donnybrook Fair (jig)


X: 1
T: Donnybrook Fair
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|:GFG AGA|Bee dBA|BAB GAB|AGE DED|G2G A2A|
Bee dBA|B2B GAB|AGF G3:|gfe fed|efe dBA|
Bee dBA|Bee e2f|1gfe fed|efe dBA|BAB GAB|
AGF G2f:|2gfg aga|bge dBA|B2B GAB|AGF G3|

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2012.05.11 - Coleraine, The (jig)


X: 1
T: Coleraine, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Amin
|:"Am"EAA ABc|"G"Bee e2d| "C"cBA ABc| "E"B^GE E2 D|"Am"EAA ABc|
"G"Bee e2d|"Am"cBA "E"B^GE|"Am"A2A A3:|"C"c3 cdc|
"G"Bgg g2^g|"Am"aed cBA|"E"^GBA E^F^G|"Am"A^GA "Bm"BAB|
"C"cde "Dm"fed|"Am"cBA "E"B^GE|"Am"A2A A3:|

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2012.04.13 - Little Diamond, The (polka)


X: 1
T: Little Diamond, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
A>B AF | DF AB | A>B AF | GF EF/2E/ | DE FG | AB cd | ed c/2d/e |1 d2 B2:|2 d2 e2 :||!
fd ge | fd cB | Ad c/2d/2e | fe e2 | fd ge | fd cB | Ad c/2d/2e | fd d2 :||!

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2012.03.09 - Maids Of Ardagh, The (polka)


X: 1
T: Maids Of Ardagh, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Amix
F>A BA|de f2|fe/f/ gc|ed BA|F>A BA|de f2|fe/f/ gc|ed d2:|
ef/e/ ce|fe a2|ef/e/ ce|fe c/B/A|ef/e/ ce|fe a2|ef/e/ dB|BA A2:|

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2012.02.10 - Waiting for the Federals (American Reel)

This tune is also an old-time American tune that's made its way over to the Celtric repertoire. It's also known as the Seneca Square Dance and is associated with contra dances. As with the Pig's Foot, it's often written as a reel or a polka, it should be played in an old-timey way which is more like a polka but a bit more relaxed.

A great recording can be found by Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham (on a few of their albums) which starts very slowly, like an air, and then moves to be played much faster, like you'd hear at a session.

It's often played at Celtic sessions after the Pig's Foot, which is why we've taught it this month.


X:1
T:Waiting for the Federals
R:American Reel
L:1/8
K:G
"G"B4B2AB|d2B2BAG2|B4d3B|"D"ABAGE2G2|
"G"B4B2AB|d2B2BAG2|"C"ABAG"D"E2F2|"G"G4G4:|:
"G"g4gage|d2B2BAG2|"Em"g4gfga|"D"be2fe2f2|
"G"gabag2e2|d3ABAG2|"C"ABAG"D"E2DF|"G"G4G4:|

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2012.01.13 - Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Closer to the Fire (American Reel)

This tune is an old-time American tune that's made its way over to the Celtic repertoire. It was used as the theme tune for Transatlantic Sessions 3 series. It's often written as a reel or a polka, but it should be played in an old-timey way which is more like a polka but a bit more relaxed (see the video below).

For those interested, the Pig's foot is a tool used by blacksmiths and the fire is his furnace!

I've kept the chords really simple here but feel free to throw a few more in. For example, you could throw some Cs in there just before the Ds. Just try it out.

There's a video below of the tune being played by the Transatlantic Sessions. They syncopate the first note of the tune, but it's still in 4/4. In a session you're more likely to hear it played straight as we've written it here.


X:1
T:Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Closer to the Fire
R:American Reel
L:1/8
K:G
GA | "G"BcBA G2 EF | GAGE D4 | DEGA B3 c | "D"B2 A4 GA |
"G"BcBA G2 EF | GAGE D4 | DEGA B3 G | "D"A2 "G"G6 :|
|: "G"Bd-dB d2 Bd | edBc d4 | d4 g2-g d | "D"e2 d4 |
"G"Bd-d Bd-d Bd | edBc d4 | B3 c BAGB | "D"A2 "G"G6 :|

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