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The Auld Pipe reel

Also known as Donald MacLeod, Donald MacLeod’s, Donald McLeod, Donald McLeod’s, Traditional, The Traditional.

There are 35 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with MacKinnon’s Rant (a few times), Miss Sarah Drummond Of Perth (a few times), The Shetland Fiddler (a few times), The Bobers Of Brechin (a few times) and Fiddler’s Joy (a few times).

The Auld Pipe has been added to 6 tune sets.

The Auld Pipe has been added to 103 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: The Auld Pipe
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:A2A2 GAAB|e2 de aede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
ABAG A2 AB|e2 de gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB:|
|:a2 ea gede|a2 ea gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
ABAG A2 AB|e2 de gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB:|
|:A2A2 GAAB|e2 de gedB|A2A2 GAeg|e2 dA BGGB|
ABAG A2 AB|e2 de gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB:|
|:a2a2 gede|a2a2 gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
ABAG A2 AB|e2 de gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB:|
2
X: 2
T: The Auld Pipe
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:e|A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:|
|:e|a2ea gede|a2ea geef|g2e<a e>dB<e|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:|
3
X: 3
T: The Auld Pipe
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: Bd | e2A2 GAAB | BABd e2Bd | e2ef edBd | e2A2 A2Bd |
e2A2 GAAB | BABd e2Bd | eaag ed B<e | A3A/A/ A2 :|
|: Bd | e2a2 aged | eaag e2Bd | e2ef edBd | e2A2 A2Bd |
e2a2 aged | eaag e2Bd | eaag ed B<e | A3A/A/ A2 :|
|: Bd | e2e2 edBe | eddB d2Bd | e2ef edBd | e2A2 A2Bd |
e2e2 edBe | eddB d2Bd | eaag ed B<e | A3A/A/ A2 :|
|: Bd | e2ae gedB | eaae g2Bd | e2ef edBd | e2A2 A2Bd |
e2ae gedB | eaae g2Bd | eaag ed B<e | A3A/A/ A2 :|
4
X: 4
T: The Auld Pipe
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:A2A2 GAAB|e2 de aede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
ABAG A2 AB|e2 de gede|a2 ea gedB|A2BG A2Ae:|
|:a2 ea gede|a2 ea gede|a2 ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
ABAG A2 AB|e2 de gede|a2 ea gedB|A2BG A2Ae:|

Seventeen comments

The Auld Pipe Reel

Another request.

I think I requested this one, cheers!! Where did this version come from, didn’t silly wizard do a version. I’m sure Kenny could say….

Posted by .

oops its already there in the recordings!

Posted by .

The Auld Pipe Reel

It was a long time ago,but I think that I transcribed it from Silly Wizard’s album.

The following 2-part setting appears in Ceol na Fidhle Vol. IV (Taigh na Teud, Skye), under the name of Traditional Reel (also known as "Donald Macleod’s Reel"):

L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Ador

e|A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:|:
e|a2ea gede|a2ea geef|g2edB

Sorry - don’t know what happened there. Half the B-part got left out. Here it is again, in full:

L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Ador

e|A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:|:
e|a2ea gede|a2ea geef|g2eed

Well, jigger me if it didn’t just happen again!

I’ll give it another try:

L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Ador

e|A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:|:
e|a2ea gede|a2ea geef|g2eed

David, if you’re trying to use the left facing arrow sign, it won’t let you.

Thanks Dow, I’ve just had correspondence from Jeremy about that, so I’ll type it in sans snaps Ecossaises:

e|A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:|:
e|a2ea gede|a2ea geef|g2ea edBe|A2A2 BGGB|
A2A2 GAAB|e2de gede|a2ea gedB|A2A2 GAA:||

Voila!

As it appears in the book, in bar 3 of th B-part, the ‘ea’ and ‘Be’ are Scotch snaps (1/16 + dotted 1/8), whilst the ‘ed’ is a dotted 1/8 + 1/16. For those unfamiliar with extra-Hibernian ways of playing reels, the dotted notes could potentially be left out without doing too much damage to the tune.

This tune can be found…….

Pipe Major Donald MacLeod’s Collection of Music for the Highland Bagpipe, Book 3. It is listed as a traditional reel, the 1st and 2nd parts being trad, the 3rd and 4th parts being composed by Donald MacLeod. It is written entirely round, however, reels such as this played in a pipe competition are played dotted and cut with, effectively, no hint of ‘roundness’.

Why is this in Amix as opposed to A dorian or A aeolian? It doesn’t have any Fs or Cs to be sharpened.

The Auld Pipe Reel

It’s probably been listed as Amix because it’s a highland bagpipe tune. This tune is plain A minor, pipe tunes just avoid the c# for Ador, c# and f# for Amin or g# for A maj tunes.

Tannahill Weavers setting

Here’s my transcription of the Tannahill Weavers setting, from Leaving St. Kilda.

There’s a 2 part version of something very similar, known in this case as "Willie Cameron", that can be heard around 3min 15secs into this cracking set of smallpipe tunes by some of the usual suspects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcgBFrqqq5c

Possibly in the Gunn collection if memory serves.

Not Gunn it’s one of the Ross books

Re: The Auld Pipe

It’s now being used as the fiddle backdrop to a Johnny Walker ad now airing in Canada, maybe elsewhere. The one with Kate Bracken. After Drummond Castle. Michael Muir and Darragh Quinn recorded a live video (they play the version in the ad). Nice job it is, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uJPo8ocONc


This is the Walker ad. There are more than a few fans of the dark haired lass dancing at the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=GOJIugjeTNc&feature=emb_title