The Maple Leaf (reel) on The Session

Nine settings

X: 1
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

X: 2
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

X: 3
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

X: 4
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

X: 5
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
D|:E2 EF GE E2|B2 AB AGED|E2 EF GFGA|BddB AGED|
E/F/G FA GE E2|B2 AB AGED|Beed BAGB|1 c2 Bc AGED:|2 c2 Bc AGE2||
|:Beed efg2|Beef edBA|Beed ef g2|a2 ge fdBA|
Beed efg2|Beef ed B2|a2 ge fd B2|1 c2 Bc AGE2:|2 c2 Bc AGED||

X: 6
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
D|:E2 EF GE E2|B2 AB AGED|E2 EF GFGA|BddB AGED|
E/F/G FA GE E2|B2 AB AGED|Beed BAGB|1 c2 Bc AGED:|2 c2 Bc AGE2||
|:d2gf efg2|d2 gf ed c2|d2gf efg2|a2 ge fdec|
d2gf efg2|d2 gf ed B2|a2 ge fd B2|1 c2 Bc AGE2:|2 c2 Bc AGED||

X: 7
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
E2 EF GE (3EEE|BGAB AGED|EDEF GFGA|BedB cBAG|
EGFA GE (3EEE|BGAB AGE2|Be (3eee BedA|BdBG AGED||
Beed efge|Beed edBA|Beed efge|aefa gfed|
Be ~e2 efge|Beed efga|~b2 gb aged|eaed cBAG:|

X: 8
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

X: 9
T: The Maple Leaf
R: reel

Seventeen comments

You can add a real swing to this tune.

Maple Leaf

Composed by Dublin whistle player Darach de Brun.
Quite often paired with "The Man Of Aran" - another of his compositions. The two tunes were recorded by the late (and much missed) Donncha O’Brien.

"The Man of Aran" - Darach de Brun

https://thesession.org/tunes/973

‘Let grief, be a fallen leaf’

Rest In Peace Darach de Brún http://irishtunecomposers.weebly.com/darach-de-brun.html

These were truly inspired tunes you wrote, we’ll pass them on.

"The Maple Leaf was composed in 1976 for my own wedding. I had my reception in the Maples Hotel, Dublin, hence the name."
- Darach de Brun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ski4OPUITmk

play video

The Maple Leaf

These tunes have been written with the wrong key signature! It should be E minor, ie with one sharp. Two sharps would be B minor.
The second version has the C# marked with a natural sign which of course wouldn’t be required with the correct key signature, and the third version I’m sure isn’t played with C#s, eg bars 4 and 8.

You’re absolutely right fiddler71. I did miss the key signature. Thanks it’s corrected now.

The Maple Leaf, X:4

Just another version

The Maple Leaf, X:5

Combination of previous versions, with a few of differences.

The Maple Leaf, X:6

Bit of a different take on the B Part - shouldn’t clash with the previous settings.

Re: The Maple Leaf

A filthy, mucky version of The Maple Leaf … probably the closest I’ve ever come to playing Rock & Roll. 😀

I met Darach in Miltown Malbay in 1977 & he taught me a couple of his own tunes that week, including this one.
When I went into my garden this morning, my garden gate was ‘singing’ in the wind & the tone immediately reminded me of this Reel, so of course I just had to record it … as you do. 😉

I’m playing it here on Tenor Banjo, Tenor Guitar, Fiddle, Hammered Dulcimer & English Concertina.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVoY6E3CNs

play video

Cheers,
Dick

The Maple Leaf, X:7

I’ve been playing this reel for years, mostly playing along with Paddy O’Brien’s tune collection tapes.
I was surprised to see that none of the settings here so far are much like Paddy’s.
I wrote this setting from the way I play it, but then checked that it is very similar to what Paddy
plays in this video (where you can pick up a few more variations).
Paddy’s versions always keep the tunes "rolling along" — so there are "extra notes" rather than "long notes".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npm1ED7c_js