The Bunch Of Keys reel

Also known as A Bunch Of Keys, Cairngorm Brooch, Carigoim, Carigoim Broach, Carigon Broach, Carigorm Broach, The Flowers Of Limerick, Miss Betty Ann Gordon, Miss Wellington’s, The Old, Paddy On The Turnpike, The Yellow Heifer.

There are 55 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

The Bunch Of Keys appears in 4 other tune collections.

The Bunch Of Keys has been added to 47 tune sets.

The Bunch Of Keys has been added to 344 tunebooks.

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Eleven settings

1
X: 1
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gdor
|:DGGF G2 Ac|BG (3GGG dGBG|DFFE EF2 B|A~F3 DFAF|
DGGF G2 Ac|BGGA Bcde|~f3 d cAFA|1 ABAF DGGF:|2 BGAF DGGA||
|:dgg^f fgdg|(3ggg dg agfd|cffe efcf|(3fff ag fAcf|
dgg^f fgdg|(3ggg dg agfd|c~f3 cAFA|1 BGAF DGGA:|2 BGAF DGGF||
Added .
2
X: 2
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gdor
DGGF ~G2 Ac|BG (3GGG dGBG|DFFE EF2 B|A~F3 dFcF|
DGGF ~G2 Ac|BGGA Bcde|(3fga fe fdec|(3Bcd cA BGG2:|
dgg^f ~g3 a|bg~g2 ag^fe|d^cde fefg|af~f2 gfeg|
dgg^f ~g3 a|bg~g2 ag^fg|(3fga fe fdec|(3Bcd cA BGG2:|
BG(3GGG BGdG|BG(3GGG Bdgd|AF(3FFF AFcF|AF(3FFF ABcA|
DGGF ~G2 Ac|BGGA Bcde|(3fga fe fdec|(3Bcd cA BGG2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmix
DGG^F G2Ac|BG~G2 eGdG|DFFE ~F3_B|AFcF dFcF|
DGG^F G2Ac|BGGA Bcde|fage fdcA|1 BdA^F DGGC:|2 BdA^F DGGc||
|:dgg^f ~g3a|bg~g2 bgaf|~d3e fefg|af~f2 gfdc|
dgg^f ~g3a|bg~g2 gfde|fage fdcA|1 BdA^F DGGc:|2 BdA^F DGGA||
|:BG~G2 BGdG|BG~G2 (3Bcd gd|AF~F2 AFcF|AF~F2 ABcA|
BG~G2 BGdG|BGGA Bcde|fage fdcA|1 BdA^F DGGA:|2 BdA^F DGGC||
4
X: 4
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:GF|DGGF G3A|BGdG eGdG|DFFE F3G|AFcF dFcF|
DGGF G2 GA|BAGA Bcde|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G2:|
|:Bc|dggf g3a|bg g2 bgaf|dcde f3g|af f2 afbf|
dggf g3a|bgag fdde|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G2:|
|:BG G2 BGdG|BG G2 (3Bcd gd|AF F2 AFcF|AF F2 ABcA|
BG G2 BGdG|BGGA Bcde|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:EAAG A2 Bd|cA (3AAA eAcA|EGGF FG2 c|BG3 EGBG|
EAAG A2 Bd|cAAB cdef|g3 e dBGB|1 BcBG EAAG:|2 cABG EAAB||
|:eaa^g gaea|(3aaa ea bage|dggf fgdg|(3ggg ba gBdg|
eaa^g gaea|(3aaa ea bage|dg3 dBGB|1 cABG EAAB:|2 cABG EAAG||
6
X: 6
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:GF|DGGF G3A|BGdG eGdG|DFFE F3G|AF F2 dFAF|
DGGF G3A|BDGA BA (2Bcd|f3d cAFA|1 (3Bcd cA G3F:|2 (3Bcd cA G2 Bc||
|:dggf g3a|bg g2 bgaf|dffe f3g|af f2 afbf|
dggf g3a|bgag fdde|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G3A:|
|:BG G2 BGdG|BG G2 (3Bcd gd|AF F2 AFcF|AF F2 ABcA|
BG G2 BDGA|BGGA BA (3Bcd|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G3A|
|:BD D2 BDdD|BDGA (3Bcd gd|AD D2 ADBD|AD D2 ABcA|
BDGB DGBD|BDGA BA (3Bcd|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G2||
7
X: 7
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GF|:DGFA ~G2 GB|dG ~G2 e/f/g dB|DFFE ~F2 FG|AF ~F2 cAFA|
DGGA ~G2 GB|dGGF Gg ~g2|~f2 fd cAFG|1 AGGF ~G2 GF:|2 AGGF ~G2 Bc||
|:dggf ~g2 de|~g2 bg agfg|dffe fgfe|df ~f2 af ~f2|
dggf ~g2 de|~g2 bg ag ~g2|~f2 fd cAFG|1 AGGF ~G2 Bc:|2 AGGF G2||
8
X: 8
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
DG{A}GF ~G3 A|BGdG eGdG|D=F{G}FE ~F2 EF|D/E/=F CF A,FCF|
DGGF ~G2 DG|BAGA Bcde|~=f3d ceAc|BGAF DG~G2|
DGGF ~G3 A|BGG/G/G eGdG|D=F{G}FE ~F3G|AcBc d/c/B cB|
AG{A}GF ~G2 DG|BAGA Bcde|~=f3d ceAc|BGAF DG~G2||
dg{a}gf ~g3 a|bg~g2 bga=f|d=f{g}fe ~f3g|a=f~f2 afgf|
dg{a}gf ~g3a|bgag fdde|=fa g/f/e fdcA|GBAF DG~G2|
dg{a}gf ~g3 a|bg~g2 bga=f|d=f{g}fe ~f2ef|d=f~f2 dfcf|
dg~g2 dg ~g2|dgbg fdde|=fa g/f/e fdcA|GBAF DG~G2||
BG~G2 DGB,G|BG~G2 BdcB|A=F~F2 CFA,F|A=F~F2 dFcA|
BG~G2 DGB,G|G,G~G2 Bcde|~=f3d ceAc|BGAF DG~G2|
BG~G2 DGB,G|BG~G2 BdcB|A=F~F2 CF~F2|A,=F~F2 ABcd|
BG~G2 DG~G2|B,G~G2 Bcde|~=f3d ceAc|BGAF DG~G2||
9
X: 9
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GF|:DGGF G2GA|BGdG eGdG|D=FFE F2FG|A=FcF dFcF|
DGGF G2GA|BAGA Bcde|=fgfd cBAc|1 BGAF DGGE:|2 BGAF GABc||
|:dggf gfga|bgag bgaf|d^cde fefg|afgf afge|
dgfa gfga|bgag fdde|=fgfd cBAc|BGAF G3A:|
|:BGG2 BGdG|BGG2 Bdgd|A=FF2 AFcF|A=FF2 ABcA|
BGG2 BGdG|BGGA Bcde|(3fga ge fdcA|GBAF DGG:|
10
X: 10
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmix
DEFD G4|(3GGG dG eGdG|DEFE {G}FEFG|AF-~F2 DFCF|
DG{A}GF G3A|Bz GA Bcde|fage fdcA|GBA^F DGG=F|
DEFD G4|dGdG eGdG|DE{G}FE {G}FEFG|AGFE DCB,A,|
G,A,B,G, G3A-|ABGA Bcde|fage fdcA|GBA^F DGG2||
|:(3ggg ^fa g4|_bg-~g2 _bg-~g2|d3(e- ef^fg)|(3aag ^fg afgf|
dg-~g2 agbg|ag^fa gfde|fage fdcA|GBA^F DGG2:|
BG (3GGG BGdG|BG (3GGG Bdgd|AF (3FFF AFdF|AF (3FFF ABcA|
BG (3GGG DG (3GGG|BGdG Bcde|fage fdcA|GBA^F DGGA|
BG (3GGG FDCD|BG (3GGG BGdG|AF (3FFF AFdF|AF (3FFF ABcA|
BG (3GGG DG (3GGG|ABGA Bcde|fage fdcA|GBA^F DGz2|G4||
11
X: 11
T: The Bunch Of Keys
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GF|:DGGF G2 GA|BGdG eGdG|D2 D>E FEFG|AFcF dFcF|
DGGF GFGA|BAGA Bcde|=fage ^fdcA|BGAF G2 G2:|
|:dggf g2 ga|bgag bgaf|dcde fefg|ag fg/a/ gfdc|
dggf gfga|ba/g/ ag/f/ gfde|fa af/e/ fd cB/A/|BGAF G2 G2:|

Thirty comments

The Bunch of Keys

Such a somber, souful tune for a bunch of keys. Perhaps they unlock something secret, or someone’s heart. Or perhaps this is just an anti-paean to the bunch of keys that each of us loses over a lifetime….

I picked this version off of Kevin Burke’s early Sweeney’s Dream recording (I think now being re-issued by the Smithsonian Institute). Burke gives it extra swing and lift with a very effective trademark of his--slurring onto a note by first repeating the note before it as a slow grace note. It can sound like a slide, but it’s usually just the slow lowering of the next finger from the one below it, for example moving from E to F by repeating the E just before the F quarter note in measure 3 of Part A: |DFFE EF2 B| On fiddle, you’d swing this by bowing it: down D, up F, down F, up E, down EF2, up B.

You’ll find the slur throughout the tune as written here, and as Burke says, it really helps the dancers “lean into” the steps.

This is a great reel to learn if you’re just braving the more adventurous keys/modes beyond G, D, Em, and A. It goes well at a slow pace, yet livens up nicely at session speed, and the fingering is not as tricky as it might first appear.

Posted .

This reminds me a bit of “Paddy on the Turnpike”, although this one’s a bit more complex. It’s almost like a variation…

I play this one with B naturals (In the Key of C) With some deviations from Will’s setting. I also play a Third Part on this tune. Anywho this is how I do this one.

DGGF ~G2 Ac|BG (3GGG dGBG|DFFE EF2 B|A~F3 dFcF|
DGGF ~G2 Ac|BGGA Bcde| (3fga fe fdec | (3Bcd cA BGG2 :||
dgg^f ~g3 a | bg~g2 ag^fe|d^cde fefg|af~f2 gfeg|
dgg^f ~g3 a | bg~g2 ag^fg|(3fga fe fdec | (3Bcd cA BGG2 :||
BG(3GGG BGdG | BG(3GGG Bdgd | AF(3FFF AFcF | AF(3FFF ABcA |
DGGF ~G2 Ac|BGGA Bcde| (3fga fe fdec | (3Bcd cA BGG2 :||

Wow!

Thanks for making it playable on the flute! 🙂
I actually like it a lot better with the B naturals. How weird that this would work, but i like it a lot.

Slow version

As Will points out, this one goes well at a slow pace; avery good recording in this respect is on the album ‘Give it Shtick’ by Matt Cranitch.

A Bunch of Keys

There seems to be two famous verisons of this tune{ i personally
like them both!!! The Paddy On the Turnpike, and the
Shaskeen verison? }

Paddy Keenan, Jerry O’Sullivan play the Britches~~~~ of the
Shaskeen sounding verison, Opps left out the most famous
rendition----the famous, Johnny Doran verison, He really cooks!

Bernard

The Bunch Of Keys

Here’s my setting:

X: 1
T: Bunch Of Keys, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmix
DGG^F G2Ac|BG~G2 eGdG|DFFE ~F3_B|AFcF dFcF|
DGG^F G2Ac|BGGA Bcde|fage fdcA|1 BdA^F DGGC:|2 BdA^F DGGc||
|:dgg^f ~g3a|bg~g2 bgaf|~d3e fefg|af~f2 gfdc|
dgg^f ~g3a|bg~g2 gfde|fage fdcA|1 BdA^F DGGc:|2 BdA^F DGGA||
|:BG~G2 BGdG|BG~G2 (3Bcd gd|AF~F2 AFcF|AF~F2 ABcA |
BG~G2 BGdG|BGGA Bcde|fage fdcA|1 BdA^F DGGA:|2 BdA^F DGGC||

Oo I’ve just discovered a really delicious variation:

DGG^F GDAd|BG~G2 eGdG|DFFE FCGc|AFcF dFcF|…

This also goes by the name of Paddy On The Turnpike which was posted here: https://thesession.org/tunes/338. I’ve read that this Gdor 2-part setting is older than the Gmix 3-part. I like playing both.

The Rainy Day?

This tune sounds like a variation of “The Rainy Day” to me (or vice versa)

The Bunch of Keys

Peter Horan and Gerry Harrington recorded a 3-part version of the tune in G major. The notes of their recording “Fortune Favours the Merry” informs it’s a variant of the tune called “The Flowers of Limerick.” I posted a 2-part version of it: https://thesession.org/tunes/5779

Oops! ~ duplication ~ 😉

thats exsactly what i need on the flute for this tune!

My Version

X: 1
T: Bunch Of Keys, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:GF|DGGF G3A|BGdG eGdG|DFFE F3G|AFcF dFcF|
DGGF G2 GA|BAGA Bcde|f3d cAFA| (3Bcd cA G2:||
|:Bc|dggf g3a|bg g2 bgaf|dcde f3g|af f2 afbf|
dggf g3a|bgag fdde|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G2:||
|:BG G2 BGdG|BG G2 (3Bcd gd|AF F2 AFcF|AF F2 ABcA |
BG G2 BGdG|BGGA Bcde|f3d cAFA|(3Bcd cA G2:||

This tune is in the Gunn Book (Fermanagh 1865) as Miss Wellington’s Reel

A Bunch of keys…

It’s a whole bunch of wretched keys if you play it on the piano accordion…

Bunch of Key: in a tinwhistle friendly key

It’s in the A mixolydian mode

X: 1
T: Bunch Of Keys, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
|:EAAG A2 Bd|cA (3AAA eAcA|EGGF FG2 c|BG3 EGBG|
|EAAG A2 Bd|cAAB cdef|g3 e dBGB|1 BcBG EAAG:|2 cABG EAAB|
|:eaa^g gaea|(3aaa ea bage|dggf fgdg|(3ggg ba gBdg|
|eaa^g gaea|(3aaa ea bage|dg3 dBGB|1 cABG EAAB:|2 cABG EAAG||

That video of Troy and Andrea took place in my house!

Any crack in the floor?

Re: The Bunch Of Keys

La Bottine Souriante play a version after Brandy Payette on the album ‘Jusqu’aux p‘tites heures’ - brilliant!

The Bunch Of Keys, X:10

This is a transcription of how Paddy Canny plays this on ‘Ceol Agus Foinn: Music And Songs From The Willie Clancy Summer School’ (https://thesession.org/recordings/2911). I’m currently a bit obsessed with the track, which combines a sort of brutish vigour with the most wonderful and refined musicality.

I’ve conflated the two times Canny plays it through so as to give the variations and touches an airing, though in the process of transcribing it I was amazed at just how much subtlety there is, especially when slowing down the track; there are some triplets combined with string crossings that felt like they’d be overkill to include in the transcription, and even at slow speed it can be hard to quite make out what he’s going for. I already knew that Canny has a wonderfully subtle and dynamic style, but doing this has further increased my appreciation for his playing.

As ever, and perhaps particularly with his style, there were things that are difficult to capture visually. His thirds and sevenths (Bs and Fs) easily bend between sounding more major or minor, often seeming to go from one to the other within the space of a note. I put those high Bs in the middle part as flat because they seemed the only ones that were truly so. In the third bar of that section he also does a fantastic long slide through the first few notes of the E string, and I’ve tried to show this as best I can. Get listening - it’s a mighty track.

The Bunch Of Keys, X:11

This 2 part version of the tune is notated in the Power manuscript from Kilmore in County Wexford. This is from the later part of the manuscript (c. 1920) where it is titled as ‘The Green groves of Erin’. The manner of notation of triplets in the second part is particularly unusual and interesting.

Re: The Bunch Of Keys

The Pinch ofSnuff should be called the Bunch of Keys!