The Blacksmith’s reel

A simple reel, which I first heard played by the Cork trio “Na Fili” on John Peel’s late night programme sometime in the early 70s.
[ I haven’t listened to him in years, but at that time he was having people such as “Na Fili”, the “Chieftains”, “Planxty”, “Boys Of The Lough” , the JSD Band , the Fureys , and even John Doonan as guests on his programme – on Radio 1, albeit ,in a late night spot. A few years ago, he gave over half of his programme to a live set from Sharon Shannon. Peel’s one of the good guys. ]
“The Blacksmith’s” I would say was made popular in Scotland at that time by Tony Cuffe, who recorded it solo, and also with the group “Alba”.

I like this tune and I don’t know why. I love the way it doesn’t go anywhere. It just keeps going cyclically back into itself. It’d make a good middle tune in a set of 3, maybe with 2 tunes that use a wider pitch range.

This feature’s on an album from the Temple House Céilí Band: Music for Sets Vol. 1. They call it Matt Cranitch’s.

I’ve been enjoying listening to Micho Russell’s “Traditional Irish Music From County Clare”. One tune which has taken my fancy is “London Bridge”:

X:1
T:London Bridge
S:Micho Russell
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
G2 GG DGBG | G2 Bd cAFA | G2 GG DGBG | AFDF ABcA |
Gz G2 DGBG | G2 Bd cAFA | d2 cA BGAF | DEED Acdc :|
d2 B2 dBGB | dB B2 deed | dB B2 dBGB | AFDF ABcA |
d2 B2 dBGB | dB B2 deed | d2 cA BGAF | DEED ABcA :|

Having studied the tunes in the database, this would appear to be related to “The Blacksmith’s Reel” although there are significant differences. I’m not sure whether to keep this tune here with its alternative title, or whether it should be entered as a tune on its own. Any opinions?

FIDDLE4
https://thesession.org/members/7300

U-Tube ~ fiddle4u / Jim McAuley
http://uk.youtube.com/fiddle4u
“The Blacksmith’s Reel” ~ C Major
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w1OMjttWgfQ

play video

X: 3
T: The Blacksmith
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: C Major
GE E/E/E GEcE | GEEG DEFA | GE E2 GECE | F2 EF DE F/G/A |
GE E2 GEcE | E2 GE DEFD | GE E2 GECE | F/F/F EF DFED ||
C2 EC G,CEC | C/C/C EC B,CDB, | CDEC G,CEC | F/F/F EF DFED |
C2 EC G,CEC | C/C/C EC B,CDB, | C2 EC G,CEC | F2 EF DE F/E/D |]

GE E/E/E GEcE | GEEE DEFD | GE E/E/E GECE | F2 EF DEFD |
GE E2 GEcE | GEEG DEFD | G3 ^F GECE | F/F/F EF DFED ||
C2 EC G,CEC | C/C/C EC B,CDB, | CDEC G,CEC | F/F/F EF DFED |
C2 EC G,CEC | C/C/C EC B,CDB, | C2 CC CEEE | F/F/F EF DEFD |]

GE E2 GEcE | GEEc DEFD | G3 ^F GECE | F2 EF DEFD |
GE E/E/E GEcE | dEcE BEAE | GE E/E/E GECE | F/F/F EF DFED ||
C3 E G,C C/C/C | C/C/C EC B,CDB, | C2 CE G,CCC | F/F/F EF DFED |
C3 C G,C C/C/C | C2 CC B,3 D | C2 CC G,CCC | F/F/F EF DEFD || G8 |]

I got this reel off a young Shane McAleer, fiddler, and his brother, County Tyrone, at a Ballycastle fleadh, County Antrim, many years ago. Yes, it was played down in C Major at the time… Jim

No, I know, it’s not perfect, but it is an attempt to get an approximate representation from the U-Tube podcast. Here is a straight transposition of the above for comparison with the usual, the key of G…

X: 4
T: The Blacksmith’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: G Major
dB B/B/B dBGB | dBBd ABce | dB B2 dBGB | c2 Bc AB c/B/A |
dB B2 dBGB | B2 dB ABcA | dB B2 dBGB | c/c/c Bc AcBA ||
G2 BG DGBG | G/G/G BG FGAF | GABG DGBG | c/c/c Bc AcBA |
G2 BG DGBG | G/G/G BG FGAF | G2 BG DGBG | c2 Bc AB c/B/A |]

dB B/B/B dBGB | dBBB ABcA | dB B/B/B dBGB | c2 Bc ABcA |
dB B2 dBGB | dBBd ABcA | d3 ^c dBGB | c/c/c Bc AcBA ||
G2 BG DGBG | G/G/G BG FGAF | GABG DGBG | c/c/c Bc AcBA |
G2 BG DGBG | G/G/G BG FGAF | G2 GG GBBB | c/c/c Bc ABcA |]

dB B2 dBgB | dBBg ABcA | d3 ^c dBGB | c2 Bc ABcA |
dB B/B/B dBgB | aBgB fBeB | dB B/B/B dBGB | c/c/c Bc AcBA ||
G3 B DG G/G/G | G/G/G BG FGAF | G2 GB DGGG | c/c/c Bc AcBA |
G3 G DG G/G/G | G2 GG F3 A | G2 GG DGGG | c/c/c Bc ABcA | d8 |]

& here it is in D too ~

X: 5
T: The Blacksmith
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: D Major
AF F/F/F AFdF | AFFA EFGB | AF F2 AFDF | G2 FG EF G/F/E |
AF F2 AFdF | F2 AF EFGE | AF F2 AFDF | G/G/G FG EGFE ||
D2 FD A,DFD | D/D/D FD CDEC | DEFD A,DFD | G/G/G FG EGFE |
D2 FD A,DFD | D/D/D FD CDEC | D2 FD A,DFD | G2 FG EF G/F/E |]

AF F/F/F AFdF | AFFF EFGE | AF F/F/F AFDF | G2 FG EFGE |
AF F2 AFdF | AFFA EFGE | A3 ^G AFDF | G/G/G FG EGFE ||
D2 FD A,DFD | D/D/D FD CDEC | DEFD A,DFD | G/G/G FG EGFE |
D2 FD A,DFD | D/D/D FD CDEC | D2 DD DFFF | G/G/G FG EFGE |]

AF F2 AFdF | AFFd EFGE | A3 ^G AFDF | G2 FG EFGE |
AF F/F/F AFdF | eFdF cFBF | AF F/F/F AFDF | G/G/G FG EGFE ||
D3 F A,D D/D/D | D/D/D FD CDEC | D2 DF A,DDD | G/G/G FG EGFE |
D3 D A,D D/D/D | D2 DD C3 E | D2 DD A,DDD | G/G/G FG EFGE | A8 |]

Also recorded as “The Blacksmith” on NicGaviskey’s “Home Away From Home”

Go here for a similar tune in D https://thesession.org/tunes/3458

I’ve submitted a setting by fiddler Aidan O’Rourke from Tabache’s album ‘Waves of Rush’ (1999) because it appears so different from the other settings; so much so in fact that I’m not 100% sure it’s the same tune. However, the feel of it matches the others, and there are lots of similarities so it does seem a variant at least.

That’s not a “setting”, Nigel, it’s a totally different tune, and should be removed from here. I just had a listen to the tune you’ve posted on “iTunes”, and it sounds to me as if it’s a version of another tune which I think I posted here a while ago. Watch this space.

https://thesession.org/tunes/4028

See comments, especially the last…………………………….. 🙂

Cor blimey!!!!!!! (I’ve even contributed to the comments for this tune above and didn’t notice it! I think I’m losing my memory if not my mind…)

Thanks, Kenny.

(Although I didn’t post any YouTube videos, Kenny.)

Key progression.