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The Battering Ram jig

Also known as An Reithe Toghla.

There are 97 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Battering Ram appears in 4 other tune collections.

The Battering Ram has been added to 89 tune sets.

The Battering Ram has been added to 816 tunebooks.

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Six settings

1
X: 1
T: The Battering Ram
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: dBG BAG | dBG G2B | dBG AGE | GFD D2B |
dBG BAG | BdB BAG | AGA BAB | GED D2B :|
|: deg aga | bge edB | deg aga | bge ega |
bag age | ged ege | dAG AGE | GED D2B :|
|: B2G A2G | BGE DdC | BAG AGE | GED DdC |
B2G A2G | BdB BAG | AGA BAB | GED D3 :|
2
X: 2
T: The Battering Ram
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d|:B2G A2G|B2D D2d|BAG AGE|GDD D2d|
B2G A2G|BdB BAG|ABA BAB|1 GDD D2d:|2 GDD D2B||
|:dBG A2B|dBG G2B|dBG AGE|GDD D2B|
BdB BAG|BdB AGE|B2G AGE|GDD D2B:|
|:deg aga|bag age|deg aga|bag e2g|
bag age|ged edB|dBG AGE|GDD D2B:||
3
X: 3
T: The Battering Ram
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B | dBG BAG | dBA G2 B | dBG AGE | GED D2 B |
dBG BAG | BdB BAG | ~A3 BAB | GED D2:|
B | deg aga | bge edB | deg aga | bge e2 a |
bag age | ~g3 ege | dBG AGE | GED D2:|
A | B2 G AGA | BGE DGA | BAG AGE | GED D2 A |
B2 G AGA | BdB BAG | ~A3 BAB | GED D2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Battering Ram
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B|dBA BdA|~G3 G2B|dBA BdA|~G3 efg|
dBA ABA|GED ~G3|AGE A2B|GED D2B|
dBA BdA|~G3 G2B|dBA BdA|GB/c/d efg|
dBA ABA|GED ~G3|AGE A2B|GED D3|
deg a2b|ged edB|deg a2b|gag g2e|
deg a2b|ged edB|dBG A2B|GED D3|
deg a2b|ged edB|deg a2b|gag g2e|
deg a2b|ged edB|dBG A2B|GED D2||
5
X: 5
T: The Battering Ram
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: dBG BAG | dBG G2g | dBG AGE | GED D2B |
dBG BAG | B/c/dB BAG | A3 BAB |1 GED D2B :|2GED D2d||
|: deg aga | bge edB | deg a3 | bge ega |
bag age | ged e/f/ge | dBG AGE | GED D2d :|
|: B2G A2G | B2D D3 | BAG AGE | GED Ddc |
B2G A2G | B/c/dB BAG | AGA BAB | GED D2d :|
# Added by JACKB .
6
X: 6
T: The Battering Ram
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B| dBG A2G | dBG G2B | dBG AGE | GED D2B |
ded BAG | ded BAG | AGA BAB | GED D2:|
|:d | deg aga | bge edB | deg aga | bge ega |
b2 g age | ged ege | dBG ABA | GED D2:|
|:d| B2G A2G | B2D D2B | BAG AGE | GED D2d |
B2GA2G | B2G BdB | AGA BAB | GED D2:|

Twenty-seven comments

The Battering Ram

hey, what can I really say about it? Have fun!

The Battering Ram

The tune title refers to a device used by the English in Ireland
to knock down the walls of a cottage from which the inhabitants
have been evicted.

Posted by .

As opposed to the Buttery Rum, a salve applied by those same inhabitants.

Posted .

Here is a variant on the tune. The key I suggest is more properly D mixolydian (1 #):

d|:B2G A2G|B2D D2d|BAG AGE|GDD D2d|
B2G A2G|BdB BAG|ABA BAB|1 GDD D2d:|2 GDD D2B|
|:dBG A2B|dBG G2B|dBG AGE|GDD D2B|
BdB BAG|BdB AGE|B2G AGE|GDD D2B:|
|:deg aga|bag age|deg aga|bag e2g|
bag age|ged edB|dBG AGE|GDD D2B:||

-m

It’s in G.

If you want to follow this with something, it sounds good to lift into Ador and play something like "Rakes Of Kildare" or even better Sean Ryan’s "Nightingale".

The Battering Ram

I looked at many versions of the tune, but they all have some awkward phrases for flute. Here’s what I play:

X: 1
T: Battering Ram, The
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B | dBG BAG | dBA G2 B | dBG AGE | GED D2 B |
dBG BAG | BdB BAG | ~A3 BAB | GED D2:|
B | deg aga | bge edB | deg aga | bge e2 a |
bag age | ~g3 ege | dBG AGE | GED D2:|
A | B2 G AGA | BGE DGA | BAG AGE | GED D2 A |
B2 G AGA | BdB BAG | ~A3 BAB | GED D2:|

I actually learned the basis of the version from my whistle tutor in England. You could add more ornamentation, but I personally prefer keeping the tune simple with emphasis on the beats.

2 Part Version

On "Land’s End" June and Michael play a 2 part setting of this tune that they attribute to a Danu recording ("All Things Considered"). It’s basically the first two parts of the tune as it is posted here, but with a few differences. Definitely has a different feel. If I feel ambitious I’ll post the setting in the comments section here.

2 Part Version

Here’s my transcription of the two-part version on Draíocht’s "Land’s End".

X: 1
T: Battering Ram, The
S: Land’s End - Michael Rooney and June McCormack
Z:kjay
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
B|dBA BdA|~G3 G2B|dBA BdA|~G3 efg|dBA ABA|GED ~G3|AGE A2B|GED D2B|
dBA BdA|~G3 G2B|dBA BdA|GB/2c/2d efg|dBA ABA|GED ~G3|AGE A2B|GED D3|
deg a2b|ged edB|deg a2b|gag g2e|deg a2b|ged edB|dBG A2B|GED D3|
deg a2b|ged edB|deg a2b|gag g2e|deg a2b|ged edB|dBG A2B|GED D2|

I’ve always liked the Battering Ram, but since I learned this setting, I don’t like the more common setting nearly as much. I sometimes accidentally go into the third part from the normal setting when playing the two part setting, so watch out.

This might go nicely in a set with Larry The Beer Drinker as the rhythm and phrasing are quite similar.

Battering Ram

played a lot in sessions at Whitby (N.E. England) Folk Week August 2008
Mike

Set

Tune Flows well into the jig, Geese in the Bog.

B2G AGA | Bdd BAG | AGA BAB | GED GAB….

I’d always assumed the name alluded comically to a ‘battering’ (step dancing) ram

Fun concertina tune!

The Battering Ram, X:6

Piping version

Posted by .

The Battering Ram, X:7

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. This is only a little different from the other versions here.