The Old Copperplate reel

Also known as The Copper Plate, The Copperplates, Leitrim, The Old Copper Plate, The Pewter Teapot.

There are 80 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

The Old Copperplate appears in 3 other tune collections.

The Old Copperplate has been added to 193 tune sets.

The Old Copperplate has been added to 979 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Eight settings

1
X: 1
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
A2 EA cAAe|aged cAFA|G2 DG BGBd|gedc BAGB|
A2 EA cAAe|aged cAGB|ABcd efge|aged cA A2:|
ageg a2 eg|aged cA A2|gfef g2 ef|gfge dBGB|
ageg a2 eg|aged cAGB|ABcd efge|aged cA A2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
A2 EA cA A2|aged cA A2|G2 DG BG G2|gedc BG G2|
A2 EA cA A2|aged cA A2|ABcd ef (3gfe|aged cA A2:|
ageg a3b|aged cA A2|gfef g3a|gedc BG G2|
ageg a2 eg|aged cA A2|ABcd ef (3gfe|aged cA A2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:A2eA cAeA|aged cAFA|G2dG BGdG|gedc BAGB|
A2eA cAeA|aged cAGB|ABcd edeg|aged cAA2:|
|:ageg a2eg|aged cAAe|gfef g2ef|gfaf gedg|
ageg a2eg|aged cAG2|ABcd edeg|aged cAA2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:E2 BE GE E2|edBA GE E2|D2 AD FD D2|dBAG FD D2|
E2 BE GE E2|edBA GE E2|EFGA BA (3Bcd|edBA GE E2:|
|:edBd e3f|edBA GE E2|dcBc d3e|dBAG FD D2|
edBd e2 Bd|edBA GE E2|EFGA BA (3Bcd|edBA GE E2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
A2 EA cAAe|aged cAFA|G2 DG BGBd|gedc BAGB|
A2 EA cAAe|aged cAGB|ABcd efge|aged cA A2:|
ageg a2 eg|aged cA A2|gfef g2 ef|gfge dBGB|
ageg a2 eg|aged cAGB|ABcd efge|aged cA A2:|
6
X: 6
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:"Am" A2 EA cA (3AAA|"Am" aged cA (3AAA|"G" G2 DG BGBd|"G" gedc BAGB|
"Am" A2 EA cA (3AAA|"Am" aged cA"G"GB|"Am" ABcd ef"G"ge|"Am" aged cA (3AAA:|
|:"Am" ageg a2 eg|aged cA (3AAA|"G" gfef g2 ef|gedc BG (3GGG|
"Am" ageg a2 eg|"Am" aged cA"G"GB|"Am" ABcd ef"G"ge|"Am" aged cA (3AAA:|
7
X: 7
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:A2EA cAEA|aged cAFA|G2DG BGBd|gedc BAGB|
A2EA cAA2|aged cAGB|ABcd efge|aged cAA2:|
|:ageg a3b|aged cAA2|gfef g3a|gedc BGG2|
ageg a3b|aged cAGB|ABcd efge|aged cAA2:|
8
X: 8
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
K: Ador
|:(3AAA EA cAEA|aged cA (3AAA|G2DG BGBd|gedc BGGB|
(3AAA EA cAA2|aged c (3AAA|ABcd ef (3gfe|aged cAA2:|
|:ageg (3aaa ab|aged cAA2|gfef (3ggg ga|gedc BGGB|
ageg (3aaa ab|aged cA (3AAA|ABcd ef (3gfe|(3age ed cAA2:|

Twelve comments

We were taught this in a Hibernian Centre workshop the other day, usefully so, because I know the tune only from sessions. The version posted by Brad is virtually identical to that which we were taught.

I forgot to add that we followed this tune on from “Jenny’s Wedding”.

Truth Revealed

I’d like to cancel my previous post.
I was missleaded by the titles of the tunes New/Old Copperplate, and now i know that the tune posted here is The New Copperplate, and I was searching for “The Old..” which is called “The New C..” at thesession.org 🙂

From the playing of John Whelan on ‘Celtic Roots’-

X: 1
T: The Old Copperplate
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:A2eA cAeA|aged cAFA|G2dG BGdG|gedc BAGB|
A2eA cAeA|aged cAGB|ABcd edeg|aged cAA2:|
|:ageg a2eg|aged cAAe|gfef g2ef|gfaf gedg|
ageg a2eg|aged cAGB|ABcd edeg|aged cAA2:|

Different metal, different vessel, same tune?

I’ve always know this as ‘The Pewter Teapot’ and find it runs nicely into ‘The Salamanca reel’ .

Re: The Old Copperplate

I realize I may be exposing my ignorance, but here goes. In the second measure of X:1 (aged cAFA), there is an F# which jangles in my ear. It seems to be crying out for an E instead. Yet it is the same in the first three versions of this tune (X:4 cleverly finesses the issue). Is this a feature of the Dorian mode that I need to train my ear to accept? Is the E just wrong?

A Mixolydian variant

In a 1990 TV performance Catherine McEvoy plays both the Old and the New as a set, and she plays mostly C#, not C natural, in both tunes. Thus, more Mixolydian than Dorian.
And it doesn’t clash on the ear. Sounds like it fits.
A course, that was a solo rendition. Wouldn’t work in a session