Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi, can anyone recommend to me some tunes that either go below low G or above high B?
I’m having a custom 5-string cello/tenor banjo built (CGDAE) and would like a good tune that utilizes all 5 strings. If it’s a tune that goes above B I’ll just transpose it all down a string so that I can utilize all the strings.
Thanks!

There are many that go to the low G. Fiddles and accordion players enjoy them. Whistles and flutes make due by jumping an octave or skipping a note here or there. Low G to high B is first position on a violin so many ITM tunes have stuck to the notes in this range.

I'm sure you'll find someone here with a tune. I look forward to hearing the response.

Yeah, I figure tunes that go beyond the low G to high B range are extremely rare, but I figured there’s got to be something, even if it’s from an album from a fiddle virtuoso that likes to move up from first position. I really want to be able to showcase this banjo with a tune that requires fretting on all 5 strings.
I suppose worst case scenario is that I can make an arrangement of a tune that extends the typical range beyond where it goes traditionally (one of the tunes named The Gold Ring looks like it could be a good candidate for this). Another option is going up an octave on both the A and B part the second time through, or something like that. I’ll figure something like that out if I don’t get any recommendations.

There are quite a few tunes that go above high B - Sean sa Cheo in A, for instance - but I don't know any that go below low G, because that's the lowest note on fiddles. If I were you, I'd be inclined to play a tune, a time or two, down an octave.

Never heard of any tune in the Irish tradition going "below low G". One going "above high B" would be "The Contradiction" reel.

benhall.1 wrote:There are quite a few tunes that go above high B - Sean sa Cheo in A, for instance - but I don't know any that go below low G, because that's the lowest note on fiddles. If I were you, I'd be inclined to play a tune, a time or two, down an octave.

Was coming here to say just this. I recommend finding a nice range-y flute tune in D with lowest note bottom D, play it through a time or two like normal, and then blow everyone's mind by playing the entire thing down an octave.

Vincent Broderick's The Tinker's Daughter or Midsummer's Night seem like they might be fine choices. (But I don't play banjo or five-string anything, so take those with a grain of salt.)