The Morning Dew reel

This is one of those rocking E minor reels that sounds its best when played fairly fast.

This is actually a three part tune. The last two parts I’ve shown here are basically variations of each other.

I really like that long E note at the start of the tune. The note has an unusual length which then gives the whole bar a syncopated rhythm.

That long E note sounds really neat if you slide up to it from the D below. It gives the tune a sort of haunting begining to it, which sounds really neat.

-Max

this one works well with drowsy maggie, in the E dorian

If you omit the last staff as shown here (the “variation”) you have the tune as I understood it to be commonly played. This would be the 3-part ABC order.

On “An Historic Recording Of Irish Traditional Music” Paddy Canny and co. play it in CAB order.

Does anyone have the tablature of this reel. I’m playing a Sol/Do accordeon and really enjoy Tony MacMahon’s version !!
Thanks in regard

I heard that Tony MacMahon plays Joe Cooley’s version of the Morning Dew on his solo album from the 80’s. The transcription on this website is nothing like that. It might be helpful to cite the source of a particular setting of a tune.

I’ve just found this tune probably derives from Sleepy Maggie (https://thesession.org/tunes/787), and therefore closely related to Jenny’s Chickens (https://thesession.org/tunes/756). Maybe I’m not the first one to notice the connection among these common tunes.

a nice variation I’ve heard on the 3rd and 4th measures is
G3d2BAG | FAdc dAFD

Was this tune composed by Paddy Moloney?

No

On HIstoric Recording of Traditional Irish Music from… with Paddy Canny et al, there is a combination of the order. First comes the second two lines( in the sheet music) of Part B, then Part A, then the whole of Part B, then Part A, then the first two lines of Part B, then Part C, then Part A and the first two lines of Part B, then Part C, then the first two lines of Part B. It seems very different order, but very nice to play.

I love this tune after My Love is in America

Anyone else only play an 8 bar 2nd part?

Thought I’d add this version off “Evening Comes Early” by John Doyle. Played through 2(2AB) with some variations the second time through before changing to the “The Morning Star”.

X:1
T:Morning Dew
C:Trad. arr. John Doyle
L:1/8
Q:1/4=150
M:4/4
K:Dm
|:D3A zG FE | DE FA GE FC | D3A zG FG | AB cA GE FC :|
G_A dc eg dc/_e/ | _zd zc AG FG | Ac df de e2 | c3A GE FG |
G_A dc eg dc/_e/ | _zd dc zG FG | G/8A/1c df e3d | z3A GE FG |
G/4G3/4F GF DE FG | A2 FA GA =B/4A3/4F |GF GF DE FG | AF cA [G2G2] FG |
G/4G3/4F GF DE FG/B/ | z2 FA GA A/4G3/4F | G/8G/1F GF DE FG/B/ |zF cA [G2G2] FG |]

Cheers

I’ve got a few ideas for backing for Morning Dew.
I’m wondering who has recorded it before, so that I can see if my ideas are original or not!
Thanks

https://thesession.org/tunes/69

So…just about everyone.

Wow!
That is a lot of artists…
I better get listening to them to check if I’ll be stepping on anyones toes.
The backing will contain a loose-skinned djembe, two tight skinned bonjos, fretless bass and a reggae style on the guitar.
The melody will be played on a Low G concert flute! and a regular wooden flute.
- hopefully it goes well 🙂

They started it with a tune called Coconut Dog.
Here’s a video. And yes, it ROCKS! lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD_3CnaeCoM

play video

This tune goes really well after the Cup of Tea….. for some reason that tune gives it such a brilliant build up!

hello every one ! do you know where can i find the score of the chieftains version in The Very Best of ?
it’s for me the best version of Morning Dew !!

thank you !

I LOVE this reel! thanks for posting it 🙂

Played by Martin Hayes - the 3rd tune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96bKIE37gwQ&feature=related

play video

And by Matt Malloy and John Carty…….starts about 2.15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwsWTllBSvA&feature=related

play video

X: 1
T: Morning Dew, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB BAFD | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
|: B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | B2eB fBeB |[1 BcdB AFDF :|[2 Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD ||
|: B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB AFDF |[1 B2 EB GBEB | BcdB AFDF :|[2 Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD ||
|: BAGF EFGA | B2 GB A2 GA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB AFDF :|

Before adding the next ~

“Music from Ireland, Volume One”, 1974
Dave Bulmer & Neil Sharpley, page 8, tune #21
ISBN: 0-9503784-02

X: 3
T: Morning Dew
B: “Music from Ireland, Volume One”, Bulmer & Sharpley, page 8, tune #21
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|: ~E3 B BAFA | EDEB ADFA | ~E3 B BAFA | BcdB ADFA :|
|: ~B2 eB fBeB | ~B2 dB AFDA |[1 ~B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA :|[2 Bdef gfge | dcdB ADFA ||
~B2 GB FBEB | ~E2 EB AFDA | ~B2 GB FBEB | dcdB ADFA |
~B2 GB FBEB | EDEB AFDA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB ADFA |]

I’ve changed the second part to 1st & 2nd endings, as bars 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 are identical. Something similar could also be done with the 3rd part, if reducing the 2nd and 6th bars to being equivalent, which they basically are ~

|: ~B2 GB FBEB | ~E2 EB AFDA |[1 ~B2 GB FBEB | dcdB ADFA :|[2 BAGF EFGA | BcdB ADFA |]

This transcription did not have the 4th part which begins ~ |: BAGF EFGA | ~

X: 4
T: Morning Dew, The
L: 1/8
M: 4/4
K: EDor
~E3 B BAFA | EBEB AGFG | ~E3 B BAFA |[1 BddB AGFD :|[2 BddB AGFA ||
B2 eB fBeB | ~B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA |
B2 eB fBeB | FBBG ADFA | B/c/d eg fAec | dcdB ADFA ||
BEGF EFGA | BEGB ADFA | BEGF EFGA | BddB ADFA |
BEGF EFGA | BEGB ADFA | ~B2 GB EBGB | BAdB AGFD |]

I’ve seen this single reel given the AABBCC, the AABBCD, and the AABBCCDD. When and where did that 4th bit creep into the tune? I think I first learned it as AABBCC. Was it some insane arranger of butchery by the likes of The Chieftains or Steeleye Span that decided it needed a 4th part? Michael Coleman and Tommy Peoples only play three parts…

Yes I know, the esoteric, but sometimes the madness in me grabs hold and tries to shake an answer out of me, and at the moment isn’t being satisfied but still craves an answer. Rather than do this on my lonesome, searching for a possible answer to another late night niggling question, I thought ~ why not involve other mad folk in the mayhem? 😛

If you’ve no answer then off topic inuendos or slagging will do as sideline entertainment, but I don’t have to tell you that do I…

How do you take this one? ~ 3 tablets or four? What’s the norm around your neck of the woods?

what fourth part?

Does the 4th part go ’diddly um da dum da dum da diddly um de dee …“?

Never heard a fourth part to it, but then, I’ve never actually heard that tune in a session. It’s one of those lovely classics that just got retired for being TOO GOOD.

I’ve never heard a 4th part either, and this is one of my favorite tunes. There are two different ways to play the C part.

One C popularized by the Chieftains goes |B2 EB GBEA|BAGB ADFA| and the C as widely played (and on Martin Hayes’ Lonesome Touch cd) goes |BAGF EFGA|BAGB ADFA|. But these are both “C” parts.

I suspect that is what Jeremy meant to offer in his transcription, the two ways with the C-part ~

“The Morning Dew”
https://thesession.org/tunes/69/comments

X: 1
T: Morning Dew, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB BAFD | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
|: B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | B2eB fBeB |[1 BcdB AFDF :|[2 Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD ||
|: B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB AFDF |[1 B2 EB GBEB | BcdB AFDF :|[2 Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD ||
|: BAGF EFGA | B2 GB A2 GA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB AFDF :|

I also think that in one situation where I’d heard it given a 4-part treatment was to fit the usual 32 bars required by many dances, which can easily be filled by 16-part single reels, or the rare 4-part single reel, and in this one instance a 3-part being fiddled to fit. But I’ve also heard it similar to the way that Jeremy’s transcription goes, dipping high on the B-part, low on the C-part, and then the scale treatment of the variant C-part, something similar to that illustrated above.

Or was it Jeremy’s intent to offer 4-parts? ~ Musn’t assume anything…

Ceol,

I’ve never heard of it being four parts but like Miss L, I have heard two alternative versions of the C part.

I did, before asking this here, dig up a ton of listens and transcriptions, ABCs & dots, and ALL were just 3-parts, except one very weird one from an unidentified source, but it sounds pretty rough, like a session recording in a tightly packed and noisy pub…

~ or a dance…

The way I learned this tune back in the 70’s was different from both the Chieftans version and the way people play it in sessions now.

It started on the high part, what’s usually the B part.

The other thing, the way I learned the C part was a “rocking” part

B2EB GBEB | B2EB AFDF etc.

The “run” was only at the very end, the way so many polkas etc have a “run” at the end

BAGF EFGA etc.

But the way I hear it in sessions nowadays they play that ending run over and over again, so that the C part is nothing but runs up and down the scale.

most people I know play the C part as a run, but I much prefer it “rocking”.

if i’m playing it on my own at home I sometimes play the running C part as an introduction, then play AABBCC using the rocking C. Long time ago I would finish it again on a running C last time through after the ( for me normal) rocking C. Haven’t done that in a long time though and never played it like that outside of playing on home on me own.

I think it is a tune that does lend itself to being started on a part other than A if it will follow bettre in a set. But i’d have thought the running C a bettre candidate for this than the B

- chris

Didn’t it come from Coleman, as a variation he played in the third part the second time around?

I just play both c parts interchangably at any point in the part each variation also having it’s own versions and variations. I consider them to be the same and they sound good together (being in unison on most of the beats) as long as the rhythm doesn’t get hairy.

so first time through I might play

B2 EB GBEB | B2 GB ADFA | B2 GB FBEB | BcdB ADFA |
BAGF EFGA | B2 GB ADFA |B2 EB GBEB | dcdB ADFA|

and then vary the second time through that part but the second time through the tune maybe I’ll play just the upward and downward scales. I always just decide based on who’s playing what version among the other players, and which players I am trying to mesh with at any moment in time

Bail ó Dhia oraibh! Greetings to one and all!

I’ve read this post with great interest as The Morning Dew is one of my favourite tunes.

In the time I’ve been playing I have always known it to be a three part tune, most renditions being in a simple A B C form.

However, in these thirty odd years or so of playing, I must say that I have heard so many different interpretations of the C part that I have developed a version which I use for gigs [as opposed to sessions] which adds a part each time, saving the “bolder” versions till last, eg

A B Ci

A B Ci Cii

A B Ci Cii Cii etc

If it’s going okay, and I’m in the zone so to speak, I might recall five or more variations. I must say that I ALWAYS acknowledge that these are interpretations gained from playing with other musicians.

All the best

Brian xx

Come on Brian, don’t leave us guessing… 😉 Let’s see at least some of those variations.

Glad to see this moved to where it belongs, expecting that would happen as the normal course of discussions on a given tune. Thanks to Jeremy for the move, and for letting it go a spell in discussions before that.

Richard’s comment strikes a bell with me, not unlike most highland flings and other single reels, where there’s a second ending in the final part, in this case the C-part, and in a sense, as previously mentioned ~ AABBCD. Here’s a couple of takes going that way, and hoping to lure out more from the likes of Brian ~

X: 5
T: Morning Dew, The
L: 1/8
M: 4/4
K: EDor
~E3 B BAFA | EBEB AGFG | E^DEB BAFA | BddB AGFD |
E3 B BAFA | EBGB AGFG | ~E3 B BAFA | BcdB AGFA ||
~B2 eB fBeB | ~B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA |
BEeB fBeB | EBBG ADFA | B/c/d eg fAec | d2 dB ADFA ||
B2 GB FBEB | BEGB ADFA | BEGF EFGA | BddB ADFA |
BAGF EFGA | B/c/B GB AD F/G/A | ~B2 GB EBGB | BGdB AGFD |]

X: 6
T: Morning Dew, The
L: 1/8
M: 4/4
K: EDor
E^DEB BAFD | EGBE ADFA | E^DEB BAFA | BddB AGFD |
E3 B BA F/G/A | EBGB AGFD | E/E/E EB BAFA | BcdB AGFA ||
B2 eB fBeB | ~B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBec | dB B/c/d ADFA |
B/c/B eB fB e2 | EB-BG ADFA | B/c/d eg fAec | d/f/e dB ADFD ||
BEGF E/E/E GA | BEGB ADFA | BEGF EFGA | Bd-dB ADFA |
BEGF EFGA | BEGB ADFA | ~B2 GB FBEB | BGdB ADFD |]

X: 6
E^DEB BAF=D | EGBE ~ though it is fun to carry the sharpened D there too, an into the following E…

This is the version I got from Paddy Canny on Historic Recording of East Clare…..my best idea. This is my favourite version, however, it starts on the 3rd part, whether by design or not, I don’t know. This is how they play it, I think 4 times through. I really wonder it’s just 2 variations of part C. No one I’ve heard plays it like this though.

X: 1
T: Morning Dew, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB ADFA |
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB AFED ||
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB AFDF | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | Bdeg fdec | dcdB ADFA ||
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB ADFA |
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB AFED ||
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB AFDF | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | Bdeg fdec | dcdB ADFA ||
|: BAGF EFGA | B2 GB ADFA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB ADFA :|
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB BAFD | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | B2 eB fBeB | BcdB AFDF |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD ||
|: BAGF EFGA | B2 GB ADFA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB ADFA :|
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB BAFD | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | B2 eB fBeB | BcdB AFDF |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD |]

Sorry, missing bar at the beginning.

X: 1
T: Morning Dew, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
|| B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB ADFA |
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB AFED ||
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB AFDF | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | Bdeg fdec | dcdB ADFA ||
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB ADFA |
B2 EB GBEB | B2 EB ADFA | B2 EB GBEB | BAdB AFED ||
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB AFDF | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | B2 eB fBeB | dcdB ADFA |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 dB ADFA | Bdeg fdec | dcdB ADFA ||
|: BAGF EFGA | B2 GB ADFA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB ADFA :|
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB BAFD | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | B2 eB fBeB | BcdB AFDF |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD ||
|: BAGF EFGA | B2 GB ADFA | BAGF EFGA | BcdB ADFA :|
|: E3 B- BAFD | EDEB BAFD | E3 B- BAFA | BcdB AFDF :|
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | B2 eB fBeB | BcdB AFDF |
B2 eB fBeB | B2 eB AFDF | Bdeg fdec | d2 dA BAFD |]

Has anyone made sense of the rhythm of the Solas set coconut dog and morning dew? It’s 3-3-2 for quite a lot of the time but the links between the main phrases cut across this. Any ideas?

I heard a recording of Mikey O’Donoghue’s playing it on Anglo concertina it was in Dmin which was an old style approach to the middle row of the concertina, the C row which is easier than playing Eminor on the C/G( the commonest and cheapest box in the old days) he was about 80 in the 1970s and was from round Tulla in East Clare which may tie it in with Paddy Canny, PJ Hayes et al. Mary MacNamara plays some Emin tues in Dmin too for that nice old style feel.

I picked this tune up in a slightly different form from Fiddle On Magazine a couple of months ago then I found this version on here and thought it would be fun to play the two versions together. The fourth section of your tune works well as a link between the two so you get to lead in and Fiddle On follows.
I agree with comments about the long first notes, that is what attracted me to the tune in the first place, I play these as a roll when doing the fiddle on version.
I don’t normally work in ABC so don’t have a version I can post yet, but if I sort it out I hope to post the other version.

searched the bible for this tune .
it wasnt there …did the cheif not like it ?

Love the 2 part setting as posted by heptachord though I play it slightly differently. Learned from the playing of Caitlin Nic Gabhann. I will post one of these days once I get it down solid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5IfkPblTek&list=PLSzxYoevawcFzp9h07eSlPaZg004xkBoi&index=2

play video

The 2 part setting heptachord contributed is the Joe Cooley version Tony MacMahon recorded, which someone alluded to here way back when.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFTlQ9ypqH0

play video

Version 15 is missing an open repeat sign at the beginning of the third line.

DADGAD fingerstyle version :
https://youtu.be/qHGGPHJ94HU

play video

I wish it weren’t so hard to find this on Spotify… mostly only returns a song by some band that is Grateful to be Dead.

Is this also called ‘The Hunt for the Hare’ as in https://youtu.be/3J8TNoXELnw?t=403

play video

Cathal McConnell’s variations : Aberdeen Folk Club 1983 -
https://youtu.be/zTtYDom2sW8

play video

I would like to share with you the cute version of Shannon & Matt Heaton :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CeC_ZfY68E

play video

I love the way she plays.

The full video on her youtube channel :
youtube.com/channel/UC2jJahEPFofYItznRtMNCaQ

This transcription was pulled from a YouTube video published in 2015 titled “Dolan’s pub (Limerick, Ireland) - Irish Traditional Music Session.” The squeezebox part is supposedly an attempt at “The Morning Dew” by Tony MacMahon. I enjoyed this live version better, so I transcribed the first verse. I am not sure what are “mistakes” or not, however, taken note for note it’s a gem. The album version is quite different, but similar tonality. Link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9a8pVGa1Mo

play video

B2 EB GBEB | BEGB ADFA | B2 EB GBEg- | ge (3dcB ADFA |
B2 EB GBEB | BEGB ADFA | B2 EB GBEg | gecB ADFA |
B2 eg fded | B2 eg fdda | B2 eg fded | (3B^cd AG FDDA |
B2 eg fded | B2 eg fdd^c | dfaf gfed | (3B^cB AF BEEB ||

Based on the playing of Kevin Burke and Micheál O’Domhnaill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVqHhC_Ie9U

play video

The transcription is based on the first time through. Kevin plays a lot of variations.

(The tune starts c:a 3 minutes into the clip.)

Just another setting.