The Burnt Leg reel

This version of the reel is as taught in Colm O’Rua’s Mandolin/Banjo course at Sabhal Mor Ostaig in July 2003.

The tune is included by Macdonald in the Skye Collection 1887 (no 141, p.41). However, Cranford finds the tune printed in earlier collections under different titles: in Aird’s 1st (1782) as “Sweet Mally” and in Bremner’s 1757 collection as “The Bonnet Makers of Dundee.” Cranford also mentions that the tune is popular among Cape Breton fiddlers. It was in the repertoire of Bill Lamey (who played it as a strathspey) and was recorded by Joe MacLean (as a reel). Background from the Fiddler’s Companion: http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc

When playing, watch out for the triplet at the beginning of the second part. Otherwise an excellent reel. Short, so play twice as many times. Slainte

Something like:
|: Em / / / | D / / / | Em / / / | D / Em / :|
|: Em / D / | Em / D / | Em / D / | Em D Em / :|

I’m not sure how you make this out to be in Edor. There is no C in the tune - hexatonic. E natural minor might be better as an abc key setting. Here’s how it appears in Airds:

X:1
T:Sweet Mally
M:2/4
L:1/8
R:Reel
S:Aird’s First No 125
K:Emin
Eeef|e2 dB|defd|eBdA|Beef|e2 dB|ABdF|E/E/E E2:|
|:F/F/F F>E|DEFA|B/B/B B>A|Bdef|dBAF|D>EFA|\
BdAF|E/E/E E2:|

The setting in Oswald’s Pocket Companion is like a strathspey for much of its six parts. The Corbey (corbie) and the Pyett (“corbie” can be any crow within the genus “corvus” - “pyett” is another member of the crow family; the magpie):

X:1
T:The Corbey and the Pyett
M:C
L:1/8
S:Caledonian Pocket Companion Vol. 7 p.5
K:Emin
Beef “tr”e2 d<B|defd eBAd|Beef “tr”e2 d<B|dBAF E/E/E E2:|
|:F2 “tr”F>E DEFA|B/B/B “tr”B>A Bdef|dBAF DEFA|BdAF E/E/E E2:|
B<e e2 “tr”e>dBe|d<fB<d DEFD|E<e “tr”e<d B<e“tr”e<d|“tr”B>AdF E/E/E E2:|
|:B<d “tr”F<E D<d “tr”F>A|B2 (3)dBA Ba “tr”f>e|d>fe>d “tr”B>AF<d|\
D>d A>F “tr”E/E/E E2:|
|:B>e“tr”e>d “tr”e>dB>e|d>e (3)fed A>FD>F|E>e “tr”e>d b>a“tr”f>e|\
“tr”d>B “tr”A>F E/E/E E2:|
|:F>d D>d F>d D>d|B/B/B “tr”B>A b>a“tr”f>e|d>f“tr”e>d B>d (3)AFD|\
E>F d>F E/E/E E2:|

You can decide whether it’s a reel or a strathspey.
The Bremner setting (“The Bonnet Makers of Dundee.” ) has identical notes to Aird’s, but is in common time, so you’ll have to remove every other bar.

Drat! Missed out a repeat sign:

X:1
T:The Corbey and the Pyett
M:C
L:1/8
S:Caledonian Pocket Companion Vol. 7 p.5
K:Emin
Beef “tr”e2 d<B|defd eBAd|Beef “tr”e2 d<B|dBAF E/E/E E2:|
|:F2 “tr”F>E DEFA|B/B/B “tr”B>A Bdef|dBAF DEFA|BdAF E/E/E E2:|
|:B<e e2 “tr”e>dBe|d<fB<d DEFD|E<e “tr”e<d B<e“tr”e<d|“tr”B>AdF E/E/E E2:|
|:B<d “tr”F<E D<d “tr”F>A|B2 (3)dBA Ba “tr”f>e|d>fe>d “tr”B>AF<d|\
D>d A>F “tr”E/E/E E2:|
|:B>e“tr”e>d “tr”e>dB>e|d>e (3)fed A>FD>F|E>e “tr”e>d b>a“tr”f>e|\
“tr”d>B “tr”A>F E/E/E E2:|
|:F>d D>d F>d D>d|B/B/B “tr”B>A b>a“tr”f>e|d>f“tr”e>d B>d (3)AFD|\
E>F d>F E/E/E E2:|

I put the trills in as written, but I don’t think I’d play them.

Macdonald 1887 version