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The Dancing Bear reel

By Bob McQuillen

There are 13 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Dancing Bear has been added to 16 tune sets.

The Dancing Bear has been added to 146 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2BA BcBA|GFE2 E3z:|
|:e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|
e2 ef gfef|gf e2 dcB2|B2BA BcBA|GFE2 E3z:|
2
X: 2
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2BA BcBA|GFE2 E3z:|
|:e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|d2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|
c#2 ef gfe2|c2 ef gfe2|B2Bc BAGF|G2E2 E3z:|
3
X: 3
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 F2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 F2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2 Bc BAGF|G2 E2 E2 D2:|
|:e2 ef gfef|g2 e2 e4|d2 ef gfef|g2 e2 e4|
^c2 ef gf e2|c2 ef gf e2|B2 B2 Bc BA|GF G2 E2 E2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2Bc BAGF|G2E2 E3z:|
|:e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|
e2 ef gfef|gf e2 dcB2|B2Bc BAGF|G2E2 E3z:|
5
X: 5
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2Bc BAGA|G2E2 E4:|
|:e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e4|e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e4|
e2 ef gfef|gf e2 d2 dc|B2Bc BAGA|G2E2 E4:|
6
X: 6
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 F2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2 Bc BAGF|G2 E2 E4:|
|:e2 ef gfef|g2 e2 e4|d2 ef gfef|g2 e2 e4|
e2ef gf e2|^c2 ef gf e2|B2Bc BAGF|G2 E2 E4:|
7
X: 7
T: The Dancing Bear
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:"Em"EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 F2|"Am"EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
"Em"EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|"Bm"B2 Bc BAGF|"Em"G2 E2 E4:|
"Em"e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e4|"Am"e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e4|
"C"e2 ef gfef|gf e2 d2 dc|"Bm"B2Bc BAGF|"Em"G2 E2 E4|
"Em"e2 ef gfef|g2 e2 e4|"Am"d2 ef gfef|g2 e2 e4|
"C"e2ef gf e2|"A"^c2 ef gf e2|"Bm"B2Bc BAGF|"Em"G2 E2 E4||

Thirteen comments

Chords

The tune is pretty basic. I can’t remember Apart chords, but the B harmonies are Em|Em|A|A|C|C|B7|Em:||

Dancing Bear

Rodney Miller has a pretty cool version of this tune on his Airplang album.

writtenby Bob McQuillen
Chords on the 1st part are identical to the 2nd part or sometimes played:
Em|Em|A|A|Em|Em|B7|Em

Tune/Chord Variation

I played it this way with my band.. I find it much more interesting.

X: 1
T: Dancing Bear, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
|:EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|EFGF EFGF|EFGA G2 E2|
EFGF EFGF|EFGA B2 e2|B2BA BcBA|GFE2 E3z:|
|:e2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|d2 ef gfef|gf e2 e3z|
c#2 ef gfe2|c2 ef gfe2|B2Bc BAGF|G2E2 E3z:|

Then.. the b part chords..
Em|Em|D|D|A/C#(C# in bass.. or not)|C|B|Em

Fun fun fun..

A fun, kind of midless tune that sometimes just kind of plays itself. Often played for dances.
Makes me want to sing that song “wa wa wa wa wa- waltzing with bears”

Dancing Bear slightly modified

I first heard this tune from a guy named Jeff Katz. His arrangement was so dynamic it completely changed the tune from a rather standard dance tune to a performance piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76QRtYHwSPE

The boy is Jeff’s son, the girl his neice.

The Dancing Bear, X:8

Some variations on Erin Hennessy’s version from Atlanta. The C# in the B Part pops well when it’s shifted over to that C natural in the 6th bar. The two high b’s in the 4th bar of the B Part could be two high f’s instead.

Re: The Dancing Bear

Quarky notes, B Part, 4th bar:
| g2 b2 b4 |
| g2 B2 B4 |
| g2 f2 f4 |

Re: The Dancing Bear

This tune might have been the inspiration for “Catharsis”, or perhaps the other way around, but there is a strong resemblance.

https://thesession.org/tunes/703