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The Arkansas Traveler reel

Also known as Arkansas Traveller, I’m Bringing Home A Baby Bumblebee.

There are 20 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Arkansas Traveler has been added to 15 tune sets.

The Arkansas Traveler has been added to 186 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The Arkansas Traveler
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B,C |: DFED B,2B,2 | A,2A,2 D4 | E2E2 F2F2 | DFED B,2A,2 |
DFED B,2B,2 | A,2A,2 D4 | dcdA BdAG |[1 FDEC D2B,C :|[2 FDEC D2fg ||
|: agfa gfeg | fedf edce | dcdf edeg |fedf e2fg |
agfa gfeg | fedf edce | dcdA BdAG |[1 FDEC D2fg :|[2 FDEC D2 |
2
X: 2
T: The Arkansas Traveler
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Fmaj
B,2FA GFD2 |D2C2 C2F2 |FFG2 G2A2 |AAGA GFD2 |
C2FA GFD2 |D2C2 C2F2 |CFfe fcdc |ABAF G2F2 |
C2FA GFD2 |D2C2 C2F2 |FFG2 G2A2 |AAGA GFD2 |
C2FA GFD2 |D2C2 C2F2 |CFfe fcdc |ABAF G2F2 |
|:ABcB AcBA |GBAG FAGF |DCFE FAGF |ABAG FAG2 |
ABcB AcBA |GBAG FAGF |DCFE FCDC |A,B,A,F, G,2F,2 :|
3
X: 3
T: The Arkansas Traveler
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:dfed B2B2|A2A2 d4| e2e2 f2f2|efed B2A2|
dfed B2B2|A2A2 d4|(3ABc dd BA A2|F2 E2 D4:|
|: afaa gega | fdfa e2A2 | d2d2 e2e2 |f2d2 e2fg |
afaa gega | fdfa e2A2 |(3ABc dd BA A2|F2 E2 D4:|

Seven comments

I used to play in a ceili band in Reading and shorltly after I joined I started playing this tune when warming up until I was politely asked not to. When I asked why I was told that the band had had two audience deaths during their time and both had occurred whilst this tune was being played.

Coincidence?

I THINK NOT!

🙂

Isn’t the first part of this tune used in a children’s song?

Yes. Something about a baby bumblebee.

Its a fun song, and The Chieftain’s version on Further Down the Old Plank Road is quite a good one. I have been trying to play it with their ornamentation for a while now.

Ah, that’s right…

Man, I hate when people use tunes for stuff like that, because I have a hard time appreciating them then…

Re: The Arkansas Traveler

I play my acoustic string bass with a local old folk music group and this is one of our favorites. I have played it hundreds of times but no one has ever died (neither musicians or audience members) while we were playing it.

Laurence