The Green Gates reel

I can’t believe this isn’t here already. Perhaps it is and everyone else knows it by a different name. I’ve resisted the temptation to post my setting. The session-friendly session I’ve transcribed here is pretty much bog-standard, and close to the O’Neill’s version, but I find it dead boring, to be honest. A flute player in Melbourne did some interesting things with it though - see below:

|:GBdg (3efe dB|~g3d eged|eA~A2 EA~A2|(3Bcd ed gedB|
gBfB (3efe dB|~g3d eged|cded egdc|(3Bcd AF G4:|
|:dg~g2 bg~g2|dg~g2 (3efg dB|eA~A2 EA~A2|(3Bcd ed gedB|
dg~g2 bg~g2|dg~g2 bged|cded egdc|(3Bcd AF G4:|

Session-friendly *setting*, as opposed to session-friendly session. Can you have a “session-unfriendly session”? One where the players have a problem of collective self-hatred and an identity complex? Maybe that deserves a discussion thread. Silly me…

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on April 16th 2009 by Reelyconkored.
~ /tunes/9534

Starting with the original ‘old school’ inspired transcription, then through changes ~ Reelyconkored’s notation reset ~ old & new:

X: 1
T: Green Gates, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
||GBD’G’ E’G’D’B | GBD’B E’G’D’G’|
|E’ACA E’ACA | BD’E’F’ G’E’D’B|
|GBD’G’ E’G’D’B | GBD’B E’G’D’G’|
| CD’E’F’ G’E’DC | BCAF G_ _ _||

BC||D’_G’G’ B’_G’G’| D’G’B’G’ E’G’D’G’|
|E’ACA E’ACA | BD’E’F’ G’E’D’B|
|D’_G’G’ B’_G’G’| D’G’B’G’ E’G’D’G’|
|CD’E’F’ G’E’DC | BCAF G_ _ _||

K: Gmaj
GBD’G’ E’G’D’B | GBD’B E’G’D’G’ | E’ACA E’ACA | BD’E’F’ G’E’D’B |
|GBD’G’ E’G’D’B | GBD’B E’G’D’G’ | CD’E’F’ G’E’DC | BCAF G_ _BC ||
D’_G’G’ B’_G’G’ | D’G’B’G’ E’G’D’G’ | E’ACA E’ACA | BD’E’F’ G’E’D’B |
D’_G’G’ B’_G’G’ | D’G’B’G’ E’G’D’G’ | CD’E’F’ G’E’DC | BCAF G_ _ _ ||

K: Gmaj
|: GBdg egdB | GBdB egdg |[1 eAcA eAcA | Bdef gedB :|[2 cdef gedc | BcAF G2 Bc ||
|: d2 gg B2 gg | dgbg egdg |[1 eAcA eAcA | Bdef gedB |[2 cedf gedc | BcAF G4 |]

Old:
D ~ E ~ F ~ G ~ A ~ B ~ C ~ D’ ~ E’ ~ F’ ~ G’ ~ A’ ~ B’
New, ascii code:
D ~ E ~ F ~ G ~ A ~ B ~ c ~ d ~ e ~ f ~ g ~ a ~ b

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
Old & new ~ With old school ABCs you’d underline a note to lengthen, G4 would have three lines under it instead of the 4 following it, given above as G _ _ _, and G3 would have two lines under it instead of the 3 following it, or, by the example given above, G _ _, and G2 would be one line under the G, G _… That’s pre-computer ABCs, alias ‘beer coaster notation’…

In other words ~

G_ = G2, G_ _ = G3, G_ _ _ = G4…

But in the old system you actually put the lines under the letter of the note being modified for increased time…

Check here for further on the current state of ABC notation:

Steve Mansfield’s introduction first, Steve hails from the Manchester area ~
http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm

Chris Walshaw’s next, the person who moved ABCs to worldwide use on computers, a major shorthand used to share tunes amongst our kin ~
http://abcnotation.org.uk/

& Wikipedia ~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_(musical_notation)

I learnt this tune off Chris Droney,a concertina player from Clare. It was my first proper concertina reel and i really enjoy playing it. It takes a while to master the GBD’G’ E’G’D’B parts of the tune.
I’ve only ever heard Chris himself play it well!!! ~ Reelyconkored

Thanks Ceolachan

As I play it after learning it from the Battlefield band after hours track… (Just the basic version, not all the variations that they include on the repeats)

T:Green Gates, The
M:4/4
L:1/8
S:Transcribed From Battlefield Band
R:reel
K:GMaj
(3GAB dg (3efe d2|GBd2 (3efe d2|eA~A2 eA~A2|Bdef (3gfe dB|
(3GAB dg (3efe d2|(3GAB dg (3efe d2|cBcd edge|dBAB G4:|!
|:dg~g2 bg~g2|dg~g2 edBd|eA~A2 eAfA|Bdef gedB|
dg~g2 bg~g2|d2gd edBd|cBcd edge|dBAB G4:|!

I’ve learned this tune with named “Willie Reynold’s” in Jimmy Crowley & Stocker Lodge LP “Camp House”, Mulligan 1979 (side 2, track 2, 2nd tune of the set), leaded by the young (at that time) piper Eoin O’Riabhaigh (who can also be heard in the “Piper’s Rock” LP, collection of young pipers of the 70’s).

Learned this from my teacher, but I’m not sure where it originated. It’s pretty similar to the other settings here, except the ending phrase of the A and B part. This setting uses A and G rolls quite a bit.

Here’s a fun video I found of the tune. Trams and Irish music? Sounds like a good combination to me.

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

play video

Liz Carrol’s rendition from 1986

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up9kKmov6Z8

play video