The Fiddler’s
Companion
© 1996-2008 Andrew Kuntz
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Notation
Note: The tunes below are recorded in what
is called “abc notation.” They
can easily be converted to standard musical notation via highlighting with
your cursor starting at “X:1” through to the end of the abc’s, then
“cutting-and-pasting” the highlighted notation into one of the many abc
conversion programs available, or at concertina.net’s incredibly handy “ABC
Convert-A-Matic” at http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html **Please note that the abc’s in the Fiddler’s
Companion work fine in most abc conversion programs. For example, I use
abc2win and abcNavigator 2 with no problems whatsoever with direct
cut-and-pasting. However, due to an anomaly of the html, pasting the abc’s
into the concertina.net converter results in double-spacing. For
concertina.net’s conversion program to work you must remove the spaces
between all the lines of abc notation, so that they are single-spaced, with
no intervening blank lines. This being done, the F/C abc’s will convert to
standard notation nicely. Or, get a copy of abcNavigator 2 – its well worth
it. [AK] |
STRAC AN CADAS. AKA and se "Tear the Calico
[1]."
STRAC AN MHUC AN LEINE. AKA and see "The Telegraph,"
"Rolling on the Ryegrass,"
"The Ladies Tight Dress,"
"The Listowel Lasses,"
"Boil the Kettle Early,"
"Kitty
got a clinking (coming from the races) [1]," "Punch for the Ladies [2],"
"The Brown Red Girl," "Love among the Roses," "The Kilfinane Reel," "The Lady on the Railroad,"
"What the Devil Ails You
[2]" "Roll her on the
Banks," "The Railway Station," "The Connachtman's Rambles,"
"McCaffrey's Reel," "The Rathkeale Hunt," "The Shannon Breeze [1]," "The Piper's Lass," "Old Molly Ahern," "Maureen Playboy."
STRACHEN’S. Scottish, Strathspey. Dedicated to Strachen’s Music Shop,
STRACHUR. Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard. AA'BB'. Composed by Carl Volti. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 3; No. 48, pg. 8.
X:1
T:Strachur
M:C
L:1/8
R:Reel
S:Kerr – Merry Melodies, vol. 3, No. 48
(c. 1880’s)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
(Bc)|dgeg dBGB|dgeg d2 (Bc)|dgeg
dBGB|1 AFDF A2:|2 AFDF Aedc||
|:(BG)GG (DG)GG|BGGB dedc|1 (BG)GG
(DG)GG|FGAB cedc:|2 Bdgf edcB|AGFE D2||
STRADDY, THE. Irish, Air (6/8 time, "with
spirit"). F Major. Standard. AB. "'Straddy', an idle careless
fellow" (Joyce). Joyce (Old Irish
Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 599, pgs. 310‑311.
STRAGLASS HOUSE--A
STRATHSPEY. Scottish, Strathspey. D Major.
Standard. AABB. The tune appears first in print in Robert Bremner's 2nd Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances,
c. 1760. It is one of the earliest mentions of the term 'strathspey' in print
(along with Neil Stewart's 1761 printing of "A Strathspey Reel,"
although the very earliest was Walsh's 1743‑44 collection). McGlashan (Collection of Strathspey Reels), c.
1780/81; pg. 8.
X:1
T:Straglass House
M:C
L:1/8
R:Strathspey
S: McGlashan – Strathspey Reels (c.
1780-81)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
A|D/D/D D>E F>AAB|A<F d>F E3 F|D/D/D D>E F>AAB|A<F d>F A3:|
|:B|A/A/A d>A B>Ad>F|E/E/E F>D E3F|A/A/A d>A B>Ad>F|
A/A/A dF A3B|A<F d>A B>Ad>F|E/E/E F>D E>FG>B|A>F G>E F>AAB|
A<F
d>F A3:|
STRAIGHT FOURS. American, Reel.
STRAIGHT
TIP CLOG. American, Clog. B Flat Major.
Standard. AABB. White’s Unique Collection,
1896; No. 154, pg. 28.
X:1
T:Old Timer
Clog
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Clog
S:White’s Unique Collection (1896), No.
154
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:B_
(3de=e |
g>fd>B F>DB,>D | C>EG>c e>gf>=e | g>f_e>c
A>FG>A |
(3BAB (3cBc
(3dcd (3ede | g>fd>B F>DB,>D | C>EG>c e>gf>=e |
g>f_e>c
A>FG>A | B2 [F2d2][D2B2] :: c2 | (c>A) (3cfg a>fa>f |
(d>B)
(3dga b>gb>g | =e>d’c’>b a>bd>e | (3f=ef (3gfg a>fc>A |
(c>A) (3cfg a>fa>f |
(d>B) (3dga b>gb>g | =e>d’c’>b a>bd>e | f2 [c2a2][A2f2] :|
X:1
T:
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Hornpipe
B:Kerr – Merry Melodies, vol.
4, No. 298 (c. 1880’s)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
g>a|b>gd>B G>Bd>g|f>ec>A E2_E2|D>dc>A
F>DE>F|G>AB>c d2 g>a|
b>gd>B G>Bd>g|f>ec>A E2_EE2|D>dc>A
F>DE>F|G2B2G2:|
|:A>G|F>GA>B c>DE>F|G>AB>c d2 A>G|F>GA>B
c>DE>F|G>AB>c d2 g>a|
b>gd>B G>Bd>g|f>ec>A E2_E2|D>dc>A
F>DE>F|G2B2G2:|
STRANGER [1], THE. AKA and see “Boys of Ballysimon,” “Poll Ha'penny [2].” Irish, Reel or
Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning. ABC. McNulty (Dance Music of
X:1
T:Stranger, The [1]
M:C
L:1/8
R:Reel
S:O’Neill – O’Neill’s Irish Music (1915)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
dc | B2 BG A2 (3ABc | dcAF G2 FG | AFDE
FAGE | DEFG A2 dc | B2 BG A2 (3ABc |
dcAF G2 FG | AFDE FAGE | D2 (3DDD D2
|| FG | Adde f2 ef | dcAG A2 FG | Adde f2 ed |
cdec d2 FG | Adde f2 ef | dcAF G2 FG
| AFDE FAGE | D2 (3DDD D2 || FG | Adde f2 ef |
dcAG A2 FG | Adde f2 ef | gfef defg
| afge dfec | dcAF G2 FG | AFDE FAGE | D2 (3DDD D2 ||
STRANGER [2], THE. American, Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning.
AABB. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c.
1867; pg. 59.
X:1
T:Stranger
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:Hornpipe
S:Howe – 1000 Jigs and Reels (c. 1867)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
DE | F3A GFED | F2A2A3d | BcdB BAGF
| G2E2E2 DE | F3A GFED |
F2A2A3d | BcdB Aceg | faec d2 :: ef
| gfed f2a2 | gfed dcBA |
gfed fafa | g2e2 e2 ef | gfed f2a2 |
gfed dcBA | BcdB Aceg | faec d2 :|
STRANGER AT THE GATE. Irish. A famous recording of the tune was made unaccompanied by the
renowned button accordion player Paddy O'Brien (1922-1991) in 1954.
STRANGER FROM
STRANGER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AKA and see “Jingle at the Window.”
STRANGER ON A MULE. Old-Time, Breakdown. G Major.
Standard tuning. AB. Source for notated version: Denny Reid [Silberberg].
Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; pg. 151.
STRAP BUCKNER'S FANCY. Old‑Time. The title appears in a list of traditional
STRAP THE RAZOR. AKA and see "Strop the Razor."
STRATH SPRAY'S RANT. AKA and see "Sir Alex
MacDonald's Reel." Scottish, Rant or Reel. D Major. Standard tuning.
AABB. This is the earliest possible reference to the Scottish tune form
"strathspey," and is from John Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances Book II, 1743‑4. Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music),
1983; Ex. 24, pg. 46.
STRATHBOGIE
EDITOR, THE.
Scottish, Reel. A Major. Standard tuning. AA’B. Composed by the great
Scots fiddler-composer J. Scott Skinner
(1843-1927), in honor of Mr. Joseph Dunbar, Huntly. A penned note on Skinner’s
original manuscript
reads: “In imitation of Nathaniel Gow’s ‘Fairy Dance’ in which the Writer’s
friends think he has succeeded.” Skinner (Harp
and Claymore), 1904; pg. 100.
X:1
T:Strathbogie
Editor, The
M:2/4
L:1/8
R:Reel
C:J. Scott
Skinner (1843-1927)
S:Skinner –
Harp and Claymore (1904)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:A
e/ |:
({g}a)a/A/ aa/g/ | f/e/d/c/ B/e/f/g/ | ({g}a/)A/c/e/ a/g/a/f/ |1 e/d/c/B/
A/e/f/g/ :|2 e/d/c/B/ A/B/c/d/ ||
ea/g/ fB/c/
| dg/f/ eA/B/ | c/A/c/e/ a/e/f/d/ | c/A/B/G/ A/B/c/d/ | e/A/a/g/ f/A/B/c/ |
d/G/g/f/ e/E/A/B/ |
c/A/c/e/
a/e/f/d/ | c/A/B/G/ A A/ ||
STRATHBOGIE TOAST, THE. AKA and see “The Bobbers of Brechin.” Scottish,
Reel. G Minor. Standard tuning. AB. Composed by William
Marshall (1748-1833). Strath‑ means 'valley,' or, in this case 'the
valley of the
X:1
T:Strathbogie Toast, The
T:Bobers of Brechin, The
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
B:Stewart-Robertson – The Athole Collection (1884)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G Minor
g|dgg^f g2d=f|cdfg dfcf|dgg^f g2dg|fdcA G2 GA|Ggg^f g2 d=f|
cdfg afcf|d^fga bag=f|dfcA G2G||
d|BGdG BGd=e|fdcf AFcA|BGdG BGdg|fdcA G2 Gd|
BGdG
BGd=e|fdcf AFcA|GABc d=efg|fdcA G2G||
STRATHDOWN. Scottish, Strathspey. D Major. Standard. AABB'. Composed by William Marshall (1748-1833), and first printed in his
1781 collection (pg. 10). Strath‑ means 'valley', in this case 'valley of
the
X:1
T:Strathdown
L:1/8
M:C
S:
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
F|D/E/F/G/ AF D/D/D B2|A<d A>F G>E E<F|D/E/F/G/ AF D/D/D B2|
A<d A>G FDD:|
|:g|f>e d<e d/d/d f2|d>ef>e e>E E<g|1 f>e d<e d/d/d f2|B<d A>G FDD:|2
f>be>f
d>ec>d|B>dA>G FDD||
STRATHEARN STRATHSPEY. AKA and see "Among
the Houghs of Cromdale." Scottish, Strathspey. A Minor (Cole): G Minor
(Athole, Gow). Standard tuning. AB (Cole): AAB (Athole, Gow). Composed by Niel
Gow, and considered to be in pipe style, though it has a range of ten notes
(rather than the usual nine for pipe style proper). 'Strath' means 'valley,' in
this case the valley of the Earn river in Perthshire, Gow's home county.
Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their
Music), 1983; Ex. 71, pg. 109. Carlin (The
Gow Collection), 1986; No. 220. Cole (1000
Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 124. Jones [ed]. (Complete Tutor Violin), c. 1815; pg. 2. Stewart-Robertson
(The Athole Collection), 1884; pg.
194. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883;
pg. 162.
X:1
T:Strathearn
L:1/8
M:C
R:Strathspey
B:Stewart-Robertson – The Athole Collection (1884)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G Minor
g|G<G d>c d<f ~g2|f>c d<f c>B A<F|G<G d>c A>cd>g|f>g a>A G2G:|
A|G<g g>f g<a ~a2|f>ga>g f>d f<c|d<g ~g>f d>fg>a|f>ga>A G2 G>A|
G<g g>f g<a ~g2|f>ga>g f>d f<c|d<cd<f ~g>f g<a|f>ga>A G2G||
X:2
T:Strathearns Strathspey.
M:C
L:1/8
B:Complete Tutor Violin (c. 1815)
Z:Dr. Evan Jones [Ed.]
K:Bb
U:T=!trill!
g | G<G d>c (d<f) g2 | f>cd<f c<BA<F | G<G d>c Acdg | f>g aA G2 G :|| A | Ggg>f (g<a) g2 | f>gag fdfc |
dg-g>f dfga | Tf>g aA G2 (G>A) | Gg-g>f (g>a) g2 | Tf>gag fefc | (dcd)<f (gfg)<a | Tf>g aA G2 G |]
STRATH ERRICK/ERRIKH (Strath-Fharagaic). Scottish, Strathspey. B Flat Major. Standard
tuning. AAB. "This air relates to, and bears the name of, the editor's
native district, at present, he regrets to say, divested by absence, death, and
other casualties, of every friend, but those who have forfeited all title to
the appelation, and of every circumstance that could tend to render his
residence agreeable or comfortable, though once the scene of his highest
enjoyments, and still of his dearest local attachments" (Fraser). Fraser (The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the
X:1
T:Stratherick
M:C
L:1/8
R:Strathspey
B:Stewart-Robertson – The Athole Collection
(1884)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:B_
B|F<B,
F>D D>CC>D|F<B, F>D F<dc<d|B<G F>D D>CC>D|
F<B,
F>
f|d>Bf>B
d>c c<f|d>Bf>B g>Bf>B|d<bf<g d<fc<d|B<G F>E
D2 D>B|
d>Bf>B
d>c c<f|d>Bf>B g>Bf>B|d<bf<g d<fc<d|G<BF<B
D2D||
STRATHGLASS HOUSE. Scottish, Slow Strathspey. D Major. Standard tuning. AAB. It is perhaps
"Straglass House" in Bremner.
Gow accompanies the tune with the note: “This Tune is not to be Danced, as it
ought to have been amongst the Slow Tunes at the beginning of the Book, but was
omited.” Gow (Complete Repository),
Part 1, 1799; pg. 34. MacDonald (The Skye
Collection), 1887; pg. 158.
X:1
T:Strathglass House
M:C
L:1/8
R:Slow Strathspey
S:MacDonald – Skye Collection (1887)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
B|D/D/D D>
B|A/A/A d>A B>A d<F|E/E/E
F>D [A,3E3] F|A/A/A d>A B>Ad>F|A/A/A dF A3B|
A/A/A d>A B>Ad<F|E/E/E
F>D E>FGB|A>FGE F>DD<B|AF d>F A2||
STRATHLORNE LODGE. Canadian, Jig.
STRATHMASHY. Scottish, Strathspey. C Minor. Standard tuning. AB. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 208.
X:1
T:Strathmashy
M:C
L:1/8
R:Strathspey
B:The Athole Collection
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:C Minor
e|B>G G>F E>CC>E|B,<G,E<G, B,3e|B>GG>F E<C C<E|B,<G, G>=B, C2 C<e|
B<G G>F E<C C>E|B,<G, E>G, B,3e|B<G G>F E>C D<G|B,<G, G>=B, C2C||
G|c/d/e/^f/ g>GG>=A|B<eG>_A B2 Be/d/|c>de>^f g<G G>c|G<c d>B c2 c>d|
e>fg>e
f<d b>d|B<G e>G B2 B>a|g>fe>d c>de>g|G<c d>B
c2c||
STRATHMORE Scottish, Air. Originally published in Angus
Fraser’s A Collection of the Vocal
Airs of the Highlands of Scotland (ca. 1874). Maggie’s Music MM220, Hesperus – “Celtic
Roots.”
STRATHMORE MEETING, THE (Coinneamh an t-Strath mhor). Scottish, Slow Air (6/8 time). A
Dorian. Standard. AABB. Martin (Ceol na
Fidhle), vol. 2, 1988; pg. 42.
STRATHMORE'S REEL. Scottish, Reel. The melody appears in the Drummond Castle Manuscript (in the possession of the Earl of
Ancaster at Drummond Castle), 1734, inscribed "A Collection of the best
Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant."
STRATHNAIRN POLKA. AKA and see “Steve Cooney’s.”
Irish, Polka. B Minor. Standard. AB. A modern composition by West Kerry based
musician and composer Steve Cooney. Mac Amhlaoibh & Durham (An Pota Stóir: Ceol Seite Corca Duibne/The
Set Dance Music of West Kerry), pg. 8.
STRATHSPEY... A Scottish form of dance tune commonly
involving dotted rhythms briskly emphasized in the bowing. They are notated in
common, or 4/4 time. The form seems to have derived in the area of the valley
(strath) of the river Spey, in the Scottish Highlands, though no one knows
exactly by whom. Among the first composers of the form were a family known as
the Browns, from Kincardineshire, and they are generally credited with founding
the form. The Cummings of Freuchie were also famous early exponents of the
style (the last of the line, John Roy Cumming, died around the middle of the
18th century). Daniel Dow’s (1732-1787) publication Thirty-seven new reells and strathspeys (c. 1775) appears to be the
first published collection with the name strathspey in its title, though as the
name of a tune or dance it appears in Menzies
Manuscript of 1749 in the titles “The Montgomerie's Rant, a Strathspey
Reele” and “Couteraller's Rant, a Strathspey Reel.” However, the earliest
reference to a strathspey, according to John Purser (1992), was in 1653 -
"To please the King the Morris dance I will; Stravetspy, and after, last
of all, The Drunken Dance I'll Dance within that hall".
***
The tempo of the strathspey has
apparently slowed down in modern times from the tempos played two hundred years
ago Hugh Thurston, in Scotland's Dances, quotes Major Edward
Topham, in 1775, writing as follows:
***
Another of the national dances is a kind of quick minuet, or what the
Scotch call a 'Straspae.' We in
gallopping a minuet. Nothing of the minuet is preserved except the
figure;
the step and time most resemble an hornpipe--and I leave you to dwell upon
the picture of a gentleman full-dressed and a lady in a hoop dancing an
hornpipe before a large assembly."
***
Some strathspeys are now performed
at the 116-138 bpm range, with 116 being the favoured tempo for Scottish
Country Dancing. A few
STRATHSPEY
(THE NATIVE COUNTRY OF THE SPRIGHTLY DANCE). AKA ‑ "Strath‑Spe." Scottish, Slow Strathspey. E
Minor. Standard. AAB. "In passing through the district of Strathspey, the
traveller may be apt to forget, that among the long ranges of firwood and heath
on each side, originated that sprightly style of performing and dancing the
music which bears its name, now in universal request from the Spey to the
Ganges. If the poets now take up the subject of some of the airs produced on
its banks, it may become as renowned as a classic stream, as it is famous for
giving birth to so much of our national and captivating amusement" (Fraser).
Fraser (The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to
the
X:1
T:Stathspey (The Native Country of the Sprightly Dance)
T:Srath-Spè
M:C
L:1/8
R:Slow Strathspey
S:Fraser Collection (1874)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
B,|EE E>F E>D B,2|G,<G, B,>C D2 D>F/G/|EE E>F E>F B, z/d/|
B<GA<F [G,2E2] E)F|EE E>F E>D B,2|G,G, B,>C D2 D>F/G/|
EE E>F (G/A/)B^c d>=c|B<GA>F [G2E2] E||
B|e>B e<f e>^d e<f|d<A f>e d2 d>f|e>^de>f (g/a/)b/^c’/ d’>c’|
b/^c’/d a>f e2 eg/a/|[gb][gb] [bg](a/g/) [fa][fa] [fa](f/e/)|
[df][df] (g/f/a/f/) d2 d(e/f/)|(g/e/f/d/ e/^c/d/)F/ (G/A/)B/^c/ d>=c|
B<G
A>G [G,2E2][G,E]||
STRATHSPEY, THE. Scottish, Strathspey. B Flat Major. Standard.
AAB. Composed by Robert “Red Rob”
MacIntosh. Gow (Complete Repository),
Part 2, 1802; pg. 31.
X:1
T:Strathspey, The
M:C
L:1/8
R:Strathspey
S:Gow – 2nd Repository
(1802)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:B_
F/E/|D(FF)B E(GG)c/B/|Acfe
dbBf|D(FF)B E(GG)c/B/|(A/B/c) Fe dBB:|
a|b>BA>a g>GF>f|ec
(e/d/)c/B/ Acca|b>Ba>B g>Bf>B|(A/B/c) (Fe) dBBa|
b>BA>a g>GF>f|ec
(e/d/)c/B/ A(cc)B/A/|GBFB EBDF|(E/F/G) F>E DB,B,||
STRATHSPEY FOREVER. Scottish, Strathspey. D Major. Standard tuning. AB. Composed by
Shetland fiddler Arthur S. Robertson. Neil (The
Scots Fiddle), 1991; No. 64, pg. 88.
STRATHSPEY
IN MEMORY OF ANGUS ALLAN GILLIS. See "Fight About the Fireside."
Gillis was a
STRATHSPEY QUADRILLE. Scottish, Dance Tune (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning. AA. An
oddity by one F.W. Grant that hardly resembles a strathspey. Emmerson (Rantin’ Pipe and Tremblin’ String),
1971; No. 68, pg. 154.
STRATHSPEY REEL, A. Scottish, Strathspey. A generically entitled tune found by John Glen
(1891) to be earliest printed in Neil
Stewart's 1761 collection (pg. 50).