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The Wily Old Bachelor hornpipe

Also known as The Bachelor, The Bashful Bachelor, The Not So Bashful Bachelor, The Old Bachelor Willy, The Wily Old Man.

There are 25 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Wily Old Bachelor appears in 5 other tune collections.

The Wily Old Bachelor has been added to 4 tune sets.

The Wily Old Bachelor has been added to 44 tunebooks.

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Five settings

1
X: 1
T: The Wily Old Bachelor
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
(DC)|B,DGA BGDB,|CEAB cAFD|B,DGA BGc3/2B/|(3ABG (3FGE (3DEC (3B,CA,|
B,DGA BGDB,|CEAB cAFD|B,DGB ADEF|G2B2G2:|
|:(ga)|bgeg dgBg|dgBg dgBg|bgeg dgBg|fgab a2(ga)|
bgeg dgBg|cBAB cdef|gdBG EcAF|G2B2G2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Wily Old Bachelor
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
DC|B,DGA BGDB,|CEAB cAFD|B,DGA BdcB|(3ABA (3GFE (3DED (3CB,A,|
B,DGA BGDB,|CEAB cAFD|B,DGB ADFA|(3GAG FA G2:|
|:ga|bgeg dB (3BBB|dgeg dB (3BBB|bgeg dgbg|a2 a^g a2 =ga|
bgeg dB (3BBB|c2 cB cdef|gdBG FAcA|(3GAG FA G2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Wily Old Bachelor
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
AG|FAde fdAF|~e3 f gecA|(3.F.G.A df ecAc|edcB A2 GE|
FAde fdAF|~e3 f gecA|(3.F.G.A dA Bgec|d2 dc d2:|
(3.e.f.g|afdA (3.F.G.A df|gecA EAce|afdA (3.F.G.A df|edcB A2 fg|
afdA (3.F.G.A df|gecA EAce|~f2 df e2 ce|d2 dc d2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Wily Old Bachelor
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:D>C|B,>DG>A B>GD>B,|C>EA>B c>AF>D|B,>DG>A B>Gc>B|(3ABA (3GFE (3DED (3CB,A,|
B,>DG>A B>GD>B,|C>EA>B c>AF>D|B,>DG>B A>DE>F|G2 B2 G2:|
|:g>a|b>ge>g d>gB>g|d>gB>g d>gB>g|b>g (3efg d>gB>g|e>a{b/}a>g a2 g>a|
b>ge>g d>gB>d|c>BA>B c>de>g|g>dB>G E>cA>F|G2 B2 G2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Wily Old Bachelor
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A>G|F>Ad>e f>dA>F|G>Be>f g>ec>A|F>Ad>e f>dg>f|(3efe (3dcB (3ABA (3GFE|
F>Ad>e f>dA>F|G>Be>f g>ec>A|F>Ad>f e>AB>c|d2 f2 d2:|
|:d>e|f>dB>d A>dF>A|A>dF>A A>dF>A|f>d (3Bcd A>dF>d|B>e{f/}e>d e2 d>e|
f>dB>d A>dF>A|G>FE>F G>AB>d|d>af>d B>ge>c|d2 f2 d2:|

Eight comments

Reminds me of ….

This nice - reminds me of the reel Roly Poly.
Lots of arpeggios - makes it very easy to learn.

Paddy Cronin does a wonderful version of this tune on his recording “Kerry’s Own”.

Caitlin Nic Gabhann setting

This is how I learned it from her self titled album. I think it’s easier to play than the other version, but I’ve listened to it a thousand times and never heard it otherwise.

X:5

ceolachan, did you mean B instead of b in bar 14?

Heads up appreciated Harold - down an octave to B was the intention, now adjusted with thanks to you… I have been working on another possible transcription addition here, old recordings of this on winds…