Bill Troxler
  • Home
  • Films
  • Classes
    • Practice
    • Bodhran for Beginners
    • Just Enough Music Theory
    • The Celts & Their Music
    • Celtic Tunes
    • Pan-Celtic Repertoire
    • The Common Ground of Music
  • 20 Hour Pledge
  • Tune Bank
  • Articles
    • Broadway Musical
    • Bluegrass
    • Barbershop Singing
    • The Hammered Mbira - A New Musical Instrument
    • Military Bands
    • Troubadors
  • About Me
  • Recordings
  • Bodhran - Next Steps

Reels

The links below provide three formats of the reels we may explore in class. 
  • lead sheet in standard notation
  • mp3 audio file for listening and an mp3 for download (in the rightmost column)
  • lead sheet in ABC notation

Recordings of the tunes were made at a tempo of 120 beats per minute in a time signature of 2|4.

Each tune will begin with FOUR measures of clicks in this order STRONG BEAT - weak beat.  The tune will begin on the FIFTH strong beat or on the pick to that beat.  To time your start, count four strong beats and begin playing on the next strong beat.  OR count three strong beats and play the pick up note(s) to the song. 

All recordings were done on the Irish Tenor Banjo.  The click track drops out after the four introductory, count-in measures.

The tunes were played without any ornamentation and without any swing.  I played them as close to the metronome as possible.  The intent was to convey the melody.  All of the tunes need some swing and ornamentation to bring them alive.  This page also has performances of three individual tunes grouped as sets.  You can also visit the SETS link to download the lead sheets in standard notation and hear how the tunes are played in performance.

If you download the mp3 you can use one of the many free players to adjust the tempo of the music to fit your needs without changing the pitch of the music. 



Sets of Three Tunes

knotted_cord_reel.mp3
File Size: 2858 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

knotted_cord.pdf
File Size: 21 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-knotted_cord.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

gypsy_princess.pdf
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-gypsy_princess.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

gypsy_princess_reel.mp3
File Size: 2819 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

See the Jig page for a lead sheet to Andy McGann's Jig

rannie_maccellans_reel.mp3
File Size: 2864 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

rannie_maclellens_reel.pdf
File Size: 33 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-rannie_maclellans_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

virginia_reel.mp3
File Size: 2803 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

virginia_reel.pdf
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-virginia_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

john_brosnans_reel.mp3
File Size: 2821 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

john_brosnans.pdf
File Size: 21 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-john_brosnans_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


sean_reids__reel.mp3
File Size: 2822 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

sean_reids.pdf
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-sean_reids_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

tinikers_wife.mp3
File Size: 2805 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

tinkers_wife.pdf
File Size: 17 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc_tinkers_wife.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

bunnys_hat.pdf
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc_bunnys_hat.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


over_the_moor_to_maggie.pdf
File Size: 41 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc_over_the_moor_to_maggie.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

sgt._earlys_dream.mp3
File Size: 2836 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

sgt_earlys_dream.pdf
File Size: 33 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-sgt._earlys_dream.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

broken_pledge.pdf
File Size: 34 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc_broken_pledge.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


red_haired_lass_-_road_to_errogie_-_mt_road.pdf
File Size: 33 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc_red-haired_lass.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

abc_road_to_errogie.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

abc_mountain_road.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


Individual Tunes

sally_gardens.mp3
File Size: 2842 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

sally_gardens.pdf
File Size: 38 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-sally_gardens.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


the_league.mp3
File Size: 2742 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

the_league.pdf
File Size: 21 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-the_league.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


joe_banes_barndance.mp3
File Size: 2808 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

joe_banes_barndance.pdf
File Size: 42 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-joe_banes_barndance.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


joe_banes_reel.mp3
File Size: 1638 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

joe_banes_reel.pdf
File Size: 20 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-joe_banes_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


frances_john_mcgovern.mp3
File Size: 1542 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

frances_ford_mcgovern_reel.pdf
File Size: 25 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

abc-_frances_john_mcgovern_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File


killavil_reel.mp3
File Size: 2848 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

abc-killavil_reel.txt
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: txt
Download File

killavil_reel.pdf
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


farewell_to_london.pdf
File Size: 34 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Recording of Farewell to London coming soon. In the meanwhile, listen to Bobby McCaul playing the tune in a set with Donald Blue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOsWFe_Tyk
The composer wrote this tune as a three-part reel.  Ultimately he performed it as a two-part reel.

This transcription is the two-part version.  You'll find a three-part version of the tune on The Session. 
https://thesession.org/
It's easy to confuse the title of this tune with another tune called Darby's Farewell to London.  That tune is also great. But it IS a different tune!