The Earl’s Chair reel

The story I heard about this one was that there is a great big chair-shaped rock somewhere in Ireland known as the "Earl’s Chair".

This tune is a very common session tune, which allows for a lot of variation. This setting is basic with only the trebles notated to keep the rhythm going. I like to play double stops on the first B (On Fiddle), first I drone the open D with the B, then on the second time around I play the lower G with the B. Try rolls, trebles, cuts those long notes are crying out for an ornament.

A guitarist would do well starting with the "G" then moving to the "Em". in the first bars.

Nice chords Brad - they’ve sparked an interesting debate on the thread about Lydian, Phrygian and Locrian modes Nov 2002.

This is a favourite version of mine.

K: Dmaj
B2 dB BAFA|B2 dB BAFB|AF (3FFF DF (3FFF|AFdB ADFA|
B2 dB BAFA|B2 dB BAFB|A3 B defd|1 edef d3 A:|2 edef d3 f||
e2 ef d2 df|edef dB A2|e2 ef dcde|fedB ADFA|
e2 ef dB (3BBB|gB (3BBB defg|afbf afeg|fedB ADFA:|

I believe this is the neatest one on the whistle or flute.

This is the basic setting as played by Jack Coen, and can be found on the album he made with his son Jimmy, "Traditional Irish Music on Flute and Guitar"

X: 1
T: The Earl’s Chair
S: Jack Coen
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: Reel
K: Dmaj
B3 B BAFA|B2 dB BAFB|A2 FA DAFA|A2dB ADFA|
B3 B BAFA|B2 dB BAFB|AFAB defd|1 edef d2FA:|2 edef dABd:|
e3 f d2Bd|edef dB Ad|e3 f d2de|fedB ADFA|
e3 e e2ed|e2ef defg|a2bf afeg|fedB ADFA:|

According to Jack, this is the original version of the tune, and that it was composed by Pato (Packie) Maloney of Woodford, Co Galway , an uncle of Mike Rafferty.

It’s the elongated ‘e’ near the end of the second part that I like the best.

Tim

This was the original title that Patto Moloney called the tune but replaced it with a more manageable title.

The Earl’s Chair (throne shaped rock) can be found in Derrycrag Wood.

Sounds modal to me… not like Dmaj.

This setting is B minor

Ahh…….. Em…….starting on the 5th

I’d say it’s in Dmaj. It’s just unusual in that if you were backing it, you wouldn’t start on a chord of D. Same thing as with the Providence reel. Several different possibilities are possible for the 1st chord. What’s important in this tune is where the melody resolves to. The way to tell is to look at the end of the parts. At the end of the A-part it resolves onto D - hence Dmaj is a good choice of key sig.

Nice recording on The Humours of Tulla 2 CD set. By Mikey O’Donoghue ( Anglo concertina) in The Blacksticks Bar , Siverstone , Tulla, in the 60s

What is your favorite tune to play along with Earl’s Chair?

https://thesession.org/recordings/1268

…as luck would have it, that particular link is wrong. Mick Moloney used to play this before "The Earl’s Chair"

https://thesession.org/tunes/404

https://thesession.org/recordings/217

X:4 from the flute playing of Gabe O’Sullivan: http://sounds.bl.uk/World-and-traditional-music/Terry-Yarnell-Collection/025M-C1005X0006XX-1000V0 If Jack Coen’s was the original version what is this? It’s quite distinct from the norm - and Jack’s version hardly differs from the Chair as it’s commonly played, either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igPh2KI9I0I

play video

Here’s a blast of The Earl’s Chair on mandolin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MZ5mh-PwP0

play video

Setting in D Major with chords and rolls as ornametation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHQ96KAimw0

play video

Thank you, frkrygow, for the lovely video "viral session" of Earl’s Chair. It recalled many sessions and so many beautiful friends over the years sharing this and many other tunes. I hope we get to share them again face to face sometime soon. My main bases are east of Cleveland and Lee County, Florida, so if you ever get up near the Lake, please send me a note and perhaps we can get together. dmcg.fort.myers@gmail. com