The Rather Famous Reel

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:03 pm

Below is an approxiamate abc for a rather famous reel. It is, in fact, so very famous and well-known and popular at sessions that ... I ... er ... don't know the name of it. Any ideas?

X:1
T:A Rather Famous Reel
R:Reel
M:4/4
Q:1/4=210
L:1/8
K:G
A2.eA (3cBA .eA | {B}A2.eA BAGB | A2.eA (3Bcd ef | g2{a}g edBGB :|!
A2 .aA .gA .fA | (3A{B}A.A .eA (3cBA GB | A2 .aA .gA .f.A | BcdcBAGB |!
A2 .aA .gA .fA | (3A{B}A.A .eA (3cBA GB | ABcd efga | gedc BAGB ||
cABG A2 AB | cB.Ad dBGd | cABG A2 .af | g2{a}ge dBGB |!
(3cBABG A2 AB | cB.Ad dBGd | cABG A2 .af | g2{a}ge dBGB ||!
c2 .gc .ac .gc | {d}c2 dcBAGB | c2 .gc .ac .ga | gedc BAGB |!
c2 .gc .ac .gc | (3c{d}c.c dcBAGB | ABcd efga | gedcBAGB :| A4 ||

Thx,

djm

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:41 pm

That would be the Gravel Walk(s), I believe. Know anyone who plays this on pipes? Any recorded pipes versions of this tune?

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:49 pm

Thanks, Bill. I wish I had your memory for tunes. Actually, I wish I had any sort of memory period! I picked this up off RTÉ's Céilí House. It was in the middle of a set by a céilí band of some sort (fiddles, boxes, banjoes, etc.). I just liked the tune and wrote it out as best I could from the whistle.

Yes, I can see that this would be a bit of a bear on the pipes. It doesn't sit well on the drones. I don't think its actually in G, but some other esoteric minor key that I can't be bothered to figure out (beyond my skill level).

Thx again,

djm

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:54 pm

I can't read abc, but Gravel Walk is in A dorian.

Just for future reference.

edit:
I think I'm going to make a "How to find the key/mode of a tune" tutorial. Would that be useful?

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:58 pm

It would be for me.

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:03 pm

Congrats, as long as it doesn't have more than two sharps in the key signature, that's all I care about.

djm

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 7:22 pm

That's definitely Gravel Walks.

I've got a copy of Clandestine's The Ale is Dear and one of the tune sets is more of a a bit of a medley of tunes. In that set, EJ playes the A and B parts of Gravel Walks, but not the C or D parts (hear snippet here)...He's mentioned to me in the past at session that it's difficult on the pipes.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:54 pm

It's a little off the topic of the OP, but for Cynth and anyone else, I've posted my treatice on key-finding here.

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:10 pm

I remember once seeing a project for kids (ha!) where they would lay out the notes in columns, and then cut out a cardboard slide indicator that could be run up and down the columns to help identify key signatures, the number of sharps and flats, modes, etc. I wish I could find the instructions again. Even better would be if someone could duplicate the function in a little Java program and put it up on the web.

djm

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:12 pm

THIS IS A HANDY GUIDE TO KEYS/MODES FOR TUNES:
http://www.slowplayers.org/SCTLS/modes.htm

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:19 pm

Thanks, Congrats. I'll bookmark that. That was an interesting way of explaining modes---it definitely shed some more light on the subject for me. My one problem is with that root chord thing. But if it is complicated then I think I'd best just work on thinking about the last note and realizing that whatever it is could be fooling you. Thanks!

TheSilverSpear · Post by **TheSilverSpear** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:47 pm

I kind of play this tune pipes. It's bloody hard. No weird notes -- it's in a reasonable key -- but some interesting octave jumps for the pipes. Jumping from the high G to the high A with the C natural as a pedal note is kind of the Olympic downhill skiing of piping. So yeah, the B and D parts are a hassle and I have yet to figure out how to play them well. But the A and C parts are a lot of fun. You can rip it on that C part and then realize you are totally screwed going into the D part.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 5:32 am

I used to play this tune on the GHB, but the version was a two parter, first and second parts. Still, on the GHBs, an awesome thing to play and hear.

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:08 am

I've played said tune on GHB and flute. Like JES and E.J. Jones, I played a two parter on GHB. The 3rd and 4th parts are playable but it would be difficult and a little awkward sounding. Those C naturals can be played on GHB but they're never quite "on" unless you have a really good reed but still usually takes some underblowing. And it's a bit of a finger twist. It would be more playable on border pipes which can play a truer C natural.

I've heard Clandestine live a few times and I know quite a few people who lament their fracture. Another good source for Gravel Walks on GHB is The 78th Fraser Highlanders' "Live In Ireland" CD: a watermark pipe band recording.

Cheers,
Aaron

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:53 pm

I don't want to appear to be a drudge, but in view of the fact that this is an Uilleann pipe forum, I would have thought that any discussion of a piping version of this tune would have zeroed in on citing examples of how an Uileann piper would deal with it rather than citing Highland piping versions.

A check of Johnson's piping discography reveals that the tune only appears on a Neff Brothers recording which I don't own. Does anyone know if there is a significant piping presence there or is it just a fiddle solo?

Given the dearth of recorded Uilleann piping versions of this tune, does any
one play this tune, or does one just head for the bar or reach for the fiddle when it comes up in a session?