Scottish tunes for mandolin

[whistler]

The Trumpet Hornpipe and The Lamb Skinnet are both great tunes.

I think of those two as English tunes - the latter of the two being Northumbrian.

Troy's Wedding, a pipe tune by Colin Magee from British Columbia, is a great tune on mandolin. Not actually Scottish in origin, but very much in the Highland piping tradition.

[Dobes2TBK]

The Jig of Slurs/Atholl Highlanders set looks to be a fun bit for exercising/strengthening the 3rd & 4th fingers.

[Ronny]

Jim, I usually change the birls (ornementation on the low A), grips and hedre bagpipe ornementations with triplets... With the mando, we don't have to cut all the notes the bagpipe have to (because of the continuous blow), so we don't have to play all the ornementations.

[Eddie Sheehy]

I use a 'slur' of the course below the note to create a 'grip' effect - e.g slur (drag pick across both courses ) a D note on the A course with a G note on the E course ...

[JP07]

Hi,
I must thank you for all these informations. It is really interesting for me.
I just have to work now !
Just another question, do you think the Corries can be considered for Scottish Traditionnal Music, as Planxty, De Danann, Bothy Band for ITM, so reference bands ? (For me...)
Thanks

[Bertram Henze]

Just another question, do you think the Corries can be considered for Scottish Traditionnal Music, as Planxty, De Danann, Bothy Band for ITM, so reference bands ? (For me...)
Thanks

For me, the reference bands of the time were The Tannahill Weavers, Kentigern, Silly Wizard. One of the more contemporary examples would be Deaf Shepherd (they even have a left-handed bouzouki player, that would be Donal Lunney's counterpart).

[Dagger Gordon]

The Corries came before the other bands you mention, and were very popular indeed - indeed they remain so many years after Roy Williamson's death.

However they weren't really the same type of thing - it was almost all songs with much less emphasis on instrumental music. But if you want to learn lots of Scottish songs you won't do any better than listen to the Corries. Incidentally, Roy wrote the song 'Flower Of Scotland'.

[Fretless]

Piping in here with another vote for strathspeys. A couple of weeks ago my mando-playing Sweetie, who usually accompanies me on guitar when I play Scottish tunes, decided to switch to playing melody on a few of them. He was fooling around with Captain Campbell (strathspey) and when I heard his snaps I was blown away; they sound deliciously crisp on mandolin!

Since then we've been experimenting with sets and came up with some winners. I've been taking monthly lessons from a Scottish fiddler so we're mainly using tunes he's taught me - I'd call them beginner to intermediate level, nothing really difficult.

Anyway, one set we're having lots of fun with is Calum's Road (march), Captain Campbell (strathspey) and Glenburnie Rant (reel). Sometimes we squeeze in Old Grey Cat after Captain Campbell - ramps up the tempo very smoothly. Glenburnie Rant is easy to learn and fits in with almost anything; the bonus is that it doesn't sound like a beginner tune, so a good bang for the buck.

Oh, and John Kelly - thanks for introducing me to The Sweetness of Mary I learned Joan Boes' Swingin' On Home from Andrea Beaton last year.

Fretless

[trebleclef528]

Piping in here with another vote for strathspeys. A couple of weeks ago my mando-playing Sweetie, who usually accompanies me on guitar when I play Scottish tunes, decided to switch to playing melody on a few of them. He was fooling around with Captain Campbell (strathspey) and when I heard his snaps I was blown away; they sound deliciously crisp on mandolin!

Since then we've been experimenting with sets and came up with some winners. I've been taking monthly lessons from a Scottish fiddler so we're mainly using tunes he's taught me - I'd call them beginner to intermediate level, nothing really difficult.

Anyway, one set we're having lots of fun with is Calum's Road (march), Captain Campbell (strathspey) and Glenburnie Rant (reel). Sometimes we squeeze in Old Grey Cat after Captain Campbell - ramps up the tempo very smoothly. Glenburnie Rant is easy to learn and fits in with almost anything; the bonus is that it doesn't sound like a beginner tune, so a good bang for the buck.

Oh, and John Kelly - thanks for introducing me to The Sweetness of Mary I learned Joan Boes' Swingin' On Home from Andrea Beaton last year.

Fretless

Hi Fretless,
You probably already know of Nigel gatherers wesite where he has loads of Scottish tunes... if not you can fin it at http://www.nigelgatherer.com/tunes/tab/tab1.html

I wish the weather here in Scotland was as nice as the music! its been raining for 4 days solid. By the way do you know the story behind "Calums Road" ?
Best wishes
Ian

[John Kelly]

Hi Fretless, as Trebleclef says, Nigel's site has a great collection of Scottish tunes; it was there I got "The Sweetness of Mary". Another source of good Scottish tunes is the series of books published by Taigh Na Teud such as the 4 set series "Ceol na Fidhle" and the "Ceilidh Collection" series. Standard notation of the tunes with guitar chords suggested. I find the books a great source of material.

[kmmando]

They'd sound good on this!



http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/90U-6132.htm

[Bren]

Right now, I'm liking corny-sounding Adam Rennie tunes: Caddam Woods, JB Milne (particularly), Kemnay House.
Try them!

[Bren]

Right now, I'm liking corny-sounding Adam Rennie tunes: Caddam Woods, JB Milne (particularly), Kemnay House.
Try them!

Whoops! Apparently JB Milne is an Angus Fitchett tune. Perhaps that's why it stood out from the others.

[Dagger Gordon]

Re Caddam Woods.

Back in 1989 I was involved in a cultural exchange to Poland. The Poles seemed to recognise Caddam Woods, and in fact it was a tune we would all try to play together.

Incidentally, I've always known it as Caddam Wood (singular). Don't know if that's right or not.

[Fretless]

Hi Fretless,
You probably already know of Nigel gatherers wesite where he has loads of Scottish tunes... if not you can fin it at http://www.nigelgatherer.com/tunes/tab/tab1.html

I wish the weather here in Scotland was as nice as the music! its been raining for 4 days solid. By the way do you know the story behind "Calums Road" ?
Best wishes
Ian

Hi Ian! I agree that Nigel Gatherer's site is a handy source; I don't read tab so I appreciate that he also includes standard notation. Best of all are the ABC files, which makes it easy to tweak tunes or compile sets to share with friends without having to transcribe 'em from scratch.

My teacher told me about Calum's Road - on lesson days we have lunch together and I get to hear about tunes, players and life in Scotland, kind of like a mini enrichment class Calum MacLeod's story is fascinating, yet sad on many levels.

And about those strings of rainy days - the climate here on the Olympic Peninsula is similar to Western Scotland's (albeit a tad warmer and drier) and pretty windy also. Nothing finer than hunkering down by the fire on a gray, rainy day and playing some sweet Scottish tunes

Another source of good Scottish tunes is the series of books published by Taigh Na Teud such as the 4 set series "Ceol na Fidhle" and the "Ceilidh Collection" series. Standard notation of the tunes with guitar chords suggested. I find the books a great source of material.

Thank you for the info on the Taigh Na Teud books! And, to stay on topic, while I was looking at the tune list of Ceol na Fidhle vol. 5/6 I spotted another fun tune; Chuir i Glùin air a' Bhodach. I learned it from Diedre Morrison as She Put the Knee in the Old Man - which is good since I can pronounce it without spitting on anyone. She taught it as a strathspey and a reel, played as a set, so it's a twofer.

Where the heck do these names come from anyway, and why are so many of them R-Rated?

Fretless

[Bren]

The Poles seemed to recognise Caddam Woods

Maybe it's that polka feel.
Right enough, Caddam Wood near Kirriemuir is listed as Wood singular.

[Jock]

I think anyone wanting to get into scottish tunes could do well by listening to the pipes and pipe tunes played on other instruments, the pipes are at the heart of it.

Another vote for "Troy's Wedding", and while we're on the jigs: "Price of the Pig" "Jig Runrig" for an introduction to jigs in a scots style, and then perhaps tunes like the "Snuff Wife" and "Braes of Melinish" to go in a set with Troy's............ "Chloe's Passion" is a great 9/8 jig that sits really well on the mandolin.

[Brian Sharpe]

Go to Nigel Gatherer's great site, The Gathering: www.nigelgatherer.com and you will find lots of good popular Scottish tunes ready for your enjoyment. Also have a look at www.thesession.org for abc and standard notation tunes, or look for the very many Scottish fiddle music sites. You are really spoiled for choice when you decide to play Scottish music! The Song-A-Week group on this site has lots of Scottish stuff too and you can watch the videos of many of us playing the tunes there.
Good luck with your search.

Thanks for the great link!

[Greg Stec]

Found a digital copy of The Ancient Melodies of Scotland on google books.
http://books.google.com/books?id=2qU...page&q&f=false
Music starts on page 217.

Enjoy

[Mandolin Mick]

Ronny,

Thanx for the bagpipe tunes! I love to play this type of thing, and usually play them in D or A. I play with open A & E strings to give that droning bagpipe effect.

[catmandu2]

I love drones--play some of these tunes on hammered dulcimer which produces great resonance I employ in lieu of "drones," and recently got a hurdy gurdy which I use for the tunes

[bmac]

Yeah, but can those guys play Meloncholly Baby????

[ollaimh]

as a direct escendant of the last gaelic law laird of glencoe--the scottish one, i love scottish tunes. i'm from guysborough county nova scotia where the laird's youngest son settled while on the lam. back then the redcoats were pretty thin on the ground. the laird's family are actuLLY MACIAINS. we are an illegitimate line from iain og macdonald , the first lairds of glencoe. he was the illegitimate son of the macdonald laird of the isles, so he called hinself son of himself==MACIAIN. we were bastards way back!

the oldest son of the laird hid in scotland under an assumed name while the name was outlawed. maciains were the closest clan of the norhern war hawks. they were the smallest as well. hence the reason the english and ntheir traitorous minions wanted them destroyed. the masacre was rather inept, killing only 38 people directly but more died from exposure while fleeing over the mountains from the troops.

however as to tunes. i have travelled most of my adult life so i tend to play irish tunes as i meet a lot more irish players on the road. however i did start on fiddle as a kid and have learned those tunes on mandolin. i love the air farewell to whiskey--although its nicer opn harp. the jig wind from ben whyvess also called highlanders is a favourite as well.and the highland mrs macleod's reel(rasaay). i like go to the devil and shake yourself here on tabs and ingonish as well. high road to linton is nice.

[Jock]

as a direct escendant of the last gaelic law laird of glencoe--the scottish one, i love scottish tunes. i'm from guysborough county nova scotia where the laird's youngest son settled while on the lam. back then the redcoats were pretty thin on the ground. the laird's family are actuLLY MACIAINS. we are an illegitimate line from iain og macdonald , the first lairds of glencoe. he was the illegitimate son of the macdonald laird of the isles, so he called hinself son of himself==MACIAIN. we were bastards way back!

the oldest son of the laird hid in scotland under an assumed name while the name was outlawed. maciains were the closest clan of the norhern war hawks. they were the smallest as well. hence the reason the english and ntheir traitorous minions wanted them destroyed. the masacre was rather inept, killing only 38 people directly but more died from exposure while fleeing over the mountains from the troops.

however as to tunes. i have travelled most of my adult life so i tend to play irish tunes as i meet a lot more irish players on the road. however i did start on fiddle as a kid and have learned those tunes on mandolin. i love the air farewell to whiskey--although its nicer opn harp. the jig wind from ben whyvess also called highlanders is a favourite as well.and the highland mrs macleod's reel(rasaay). i like go to the devil and shake yourself here on tabs and ingonish as well. high road to linton is nice.

The majority of MacIain's land was on the Ardnamurichan peninsula, a very difficult place to get to in those days, still is by modern standards. MacIain's kin were shifted off after the Glencoe business as all MacIain's land was now forfeit to the state and the new owner (who had a hand in the massacre ) wanted the people off, it took a fair bit of time to serve the writ and by this time there were more that a few protestations regarding the Crown's handling of MacIain.

Many were taken in by MacDonell of Glen Garry, better known simply as "Glen Garry" and their descendants can still be found throughout the Great Glen area of Scotland today. Very few would use the name MacIain or MacEion these days, it's usually translated in English-Scots as "Johnstone" and indeed the Great Glen Johnstones are noted as a sept of the MacDonals rather than a sept of the other Johnstone families/clans found in Scotland.

Also of interest, a few parish registrars show an up surge in people named both Donaldson & Johnston(e with or without) shortly after Glencoe and the Ardnamurichan clearance. Notably, in and around East Lothian.

[Caleb]

I really like Allan Alexander's "Airs of the Scottish Renaissance" book.
http://www.guitarandlute.com/ancient_scottish.html
Some very beautiful and haunting melodies. "Kilt Thy Coat Maggie" is worth the purchase price alone.