The Bag Of Potatoes reel

This version has nothing to do with a reel with the same name which can be found in Breanacht’s Ceol Rince na hEireann #1, which is actually the version played by Kevin Crawford in the recording In Good Company.

Source: “The Moneymusk” by Hammy Hamilton
Transcription: g.m.p.

Some weirdness in second bar of part B.

Here is the ABC notation of The Bag of Potatoes heard on The Chieftains 2 (track 9), showing a few differences in the 2nd part:

X:1
T:The Bag of Potatoes
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:Reel
K:G
Bd d2 Beed|BddB ~A2 GA|Bd d2 Beed|gabg ~a2 g2:|
|:gabg eaab|gabg e2d2|gabg eaab|gedB ~A2G2:|

Turophile’s version is the one that I’ve heard in sessions. This is similar to “Anything For John Joe?” https://thesession.org/tunes/3237

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on January 22nd 2004 by gian marco.
https://thesession.org/tunes/2425

K: G Major
|: BddB ce e2 | BddB A2 GA | Bd d2 ceef | gabg a2 g2 :|
|: gabg eaab | gabg e2 d2 | gabg ea^ga | gedB A2 G2 :|

K: D Major
|: A |
FA ~A GB ~B | FAAF (3EFE DE | FA (3AAA GB (3ABc | defd (3efe d :|
|: A |
defd Be ~e | d2 (3fed B2 (3ABc | df ~f2 ce ~e | dBAF (3EFE D :|

This is what Bobby Gardiner calls it on his album “The Clare Shout”.

|:Bdd2 =ceed | BddB ABGA | Bdd2 =ceed | gabg abag:|
|:gabg eaaf | gbag efede | gbag eaaf | gedb abag:|

in the 2nd measure of the B parts there seems to be one note to many. Any ideas?

I suspect that was what was intended, and it works nicely…

A nice little tune, described as ‘angry’ by one player in our session. Any thoughts on tunes that it goes well with?

Does any one know where i can get the A B C to the tune bag o spuds .I want the gerry oconner one from his cd (No Place Like Home). I know there are loads on the session tunes but which one is the gerry oconner one or are they all the same and gerry has added ornamentation .Also Is there a machine on the web that you can down load to slow down fast tunes so i can learn them Des

yes right here on the session g major just look up tunes its the second one down on the list

You can slow down recordings on Windows Media Player (on the version I have anyway). Go to View > Enhancements > Play Speed Settings. If it is not there then you need to download a newer version. Of course, this is assuming your computer is a Windows and not a Mac.

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/ndx/BA.html
For a selection scroll down ~ 😀

ROFL, ceolachan….

Now then, is it just me, or is he typing like William Shatner speaks? The truth about Star Trek is revealed!

I wish they’d get the damned transporter fixed, I’m still waiting to be beamed out of here… Soon hopefully, before I start braiding my ear hair…

Really good slowing down software is The Amazing Slowdowner. From www.ronimusic.com/

It plays wav, mp3 and other file types. Easy to use.

Can any one tell me where i can get an A B C of Gerry OConnors bag of spuds off his C D - No place like home .I see there are version,s on the session (tunes )but which one is it .As there is a version on his music book called( 50 solos for irish tenor banjo) with david mcnevin called the bag of spuds Des

his version is poo.

Go listen to Seamus Ennis play it. Transcriptions of it are available in Pat Micthell’s book, released thru npu.

O’Connor plays copperplate with it. again, poo. check out Tansey’s version of it. Video of it is on the come west along the road video (not the dvds).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTo5Ae7Vz3c

play video

Only joking, gerry o’connor is awesome.

The one listed on Edel Fox & Ronan o’Flaherty is here:
https://thesession.org/tunes/579

I keep forgetting to mention ~ it’s also a great highland fling… 😎

X: 5
T: What The Devils Ails You?
T: Bag Of Spuds, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland fling
K: DMaj
|: E/ |\
F>A A2 G>BB>G | F>AA>F (3EFE D>E |
F>A (3AAA G>B (3BBB | d>e (3fed (3efe d3/ :|
|: A/ |\
d>ef>d B>ee>c | d2 (3fed B2 (3ABc |
[1 d>f (3fff c>e (3eee | d>BA<F E2 D3/ :|
[2 d>fA>f c>eA>e | (3dcB A<F D2- D3/ |]

& my previoius submissions completed and corrected ~

X: 3
T: What The Devils Ails You?
T: Bag Of Spuds, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: GMaj
|: BddB ce e2 | BddB A2 GA |\
Bd d2 ceef | gabg a2 g2 :|
|: gabg eaab | gabg e2 d2 |\
gabg ea^ga | gedB A2 G2 :|

X: 4
T: What The Devils Ails You?
T: Bag Of Spuds, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: DMaj
|: A |\
FA ~A2 GB ~B2 | FAAF (3EFE DE |\
FA (3AAA GB (3ABc | defd (3efe d :|
|: A |\
defd Be ~e2 | d2 (3fed B2 (3ABc |\
df ~f2 ce ~e2 | dBAF (3EFE D :|

X:6 is as played by Patsy here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roFxoK0Vbqs

play video

after “The Boy On The Hilltop”
https://thesession.org/tunes/1939#setting20737

The transcription is only once through the reel.
(There’s still enough variations shown…)
I added some obvious notes were he takes breath.

I think this is the Patsy Hanley link you mean: http://youtu.be/BjLcfnY8-gY

play video

But your link is fine, leave it - someone might fall in love with Jim O’Connor’s or Tony Linnane’s playing as a result!

David

Thanks David! That happens when you copy/paste all the time and eventually don’t know what’s actually in your clipboard… so yeah, that’s the clip I meant of course.

(And for sure they will!)

There are 2 reels with the name “The Bag Of Spuds”. None of the above “Youtube” videos show anyone playing the tune posted initially by Josh Kane. They would be of more use linked to the other reel, which appears to be better known.

Yes, my mistake. Maybe Jeremy can do this.

correct name for this tune is the little bag of spuds or little bag of pratties. The bag of spuds is completely different tune.

Pratties?

“Correct ?”

At The Gathering 2015 in Killarney, the Sliabh Luachra folks there played “The Little Bag Of Spuds” followed by “Anything For John Joe?”. Folks I talked to said these two tunes were always played together.

Sounds like a local version of “always”. I think there are lots of local traditions of tunes that are always played together that are unknown an hour or less away. Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford and Jackie Daly & Matt Cranitch always play Johnny When You Die with Anything for John Joe. I’ll bet Jackie would tell you that they are always played together.

X 6 here is THE BAG OF SPUDS . The others are The Liuttle bag of spuds/praties which ever you prefer. X 6 is also close to the Gerry O Connor version .

As played by Gerry O’Connor from his album Time To Time. I transcribed from the album.