Rolling In The Ryegrass reel

This is a nifty little reel, in much the same vein as "The wind that shakes the barley".

Play around with the phrasing of the first bit (each part is nice and short).

I play the first part with a heavy accent on the 3rd measure of each bar.

A variant I know goes as follows:

A2AF DFAF|G2BG DGBG|A3F DFAF|GBAF E2D2:|
:ABde f3d|g3e fedB|ABde fefg|afdf e2d2:||

-m

I recently found a link to some great MP3s of Mick Coyne’s brilliant playing & one of them was him playing the living *&$% out of this reel - what a great interpretation with every trick in the book!

Actually, this is the tune that I’ve always known as "The Wind That Shakes the Barley", and not the other one listed on the site (though they do sound rather alike).

- or ‘fling’ or ‘highland’, and played with that classic ‘skip’ associated with hornpipes and other tune forms, 16 bars as here given. It lies nicely both ways…

Yes, you can tell it’s been a fling. I think I like it better played like that.

Yeah, it’s a kick played as a fling.

Here’s my interpretation of the tune:

K: Dmaj
A2AF DFAF|G2BG DGBG|~A3F DFAF|GBAF EFDE|
F2AF DFAF|G2BG DGBG|~A3F DFAF|GBAF EFD2||
ABde f2df|g2eg fedB|ABde f2df|1 afdf e2dB:|2 afdf efdB||

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland fling
K: Dmaj
|: A2 A>F D>FA>F | G2 B>G d>GB>G | A2 A>F D>F (3AGF | G>BA>F E>FD>F |
(3AAA A>F D>FA>F | (3GAG B>G d>G (3Bcd | A2 A>F D>FA>F | G>BA>F (3EEE D>F ||
|: A>Bd>e f2 (3def | g2 e>g f>ed>B | A>Bd>e f2 d>f | a>fd>f (3efe d>B :|
A>Bd>e f>d (3Bcd | g>ag>e f>d (3Bcd | A2 (3Bcd f2 (3def | a>Af>A e>Ad>B ||

That last bar’s nice.

Just a note of correction… That repeat sign shouldn’t have been left in the second part of the Fling version above when I cut and pasted it. It is just 16 bars in total.

caoimhin o’raghallaigh does insane things with this tune. it’s so remarkably easy and flexible that you can bend it up, down and sideways and still call it RitR. i’m fond of playing a variation on the end of the A part, A.-A F#-E-D D-E-F# B-A F#-E D-D.

[horribly annotated, i know!]

—DtM

Hi,
just transcribed Paul McGrattan’s playing (first AABB):

~A3 F DFAF|G2BG DGBG|ABAF DFAF|GBAF EGD2|
ABAF DFAF|G2BG DGBG|FAAF DFAF|GBAF EGD2|:
ABde ~f3a|~g3e fedB|ABde f2df|afdf efd2
ABde ~f3a|g2 ge fedB|ABde f2df|afdf efd2:||

I particularly like the high a transition between the two rolls in the B-part. Enjoy it!

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland fling
K: Dmaj
|: A2 A>F D>FA>F | G2 B>G d>GB>G | A2 A>F D>F (3AGF | G>BA>F E>FD>F |
(3AAA A>F D>FA>F | (3GAG B>G d>G (3Bcd | A2 A>F D>FA>F | G>BA>F (3EEE D>F ||
A>Bd>e f2 (3def | g2 e>g f>ed>B | A>Bd>e f2 d>f | a>fd>f (3efe d>B |
A>Bd>e f>d (3Bcd | g>ag>e f>d (3Bcd | A2 (3Bcd f2 (3def | a>Af>A e>Ad>B ||

K: Dmaj & while I’m at it, here it is without the ‘>’ ~ for ‘Button’
|: A2 AF DFAF | G2 BG dGBG | A2 AF DF (3AGF | GBAF EFDF |
(3AAA AF DFAF | (3GAG BG dG (3Bcd | A2 AF DFAF | GBAF (3EEE DF ||
ABde f2 (3def | g2 eg fedB | ABde f2 df | afdf (3efe dB |
ABde fd (3Bcd | gage fd (3Bcd | A2 (3Bcd f2 (3def | aAfA eAdB ||

Damn, that repeat sign |: at the beginning was supposed to have been deleted. The above highland fling setting is the standard 16 bars only, no repeats… 😏

X: 1
T: Rolling In The Ryegrass
C: as played by Paul McGrattan on Music at Matt Molloy’s (track 5/1)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
~A3"1st rnd" F dFAF|.G2BG dGBG|FAAF dFAF|GBAF EF.D2|
ABAF DFAF|.G2BG DGBG|FAAF .D2AF|GBAF EF.D2|
ABde ~f3a|~g3e {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf efd2|
ABde ~f3a|.g2 ge {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf efd2|
~A3"2nd round" F DFAF|.G2BG DGBG|FAAF .D2AF|GBAF EF.D2|
FAAF DFAF|GAAG D2BG|FAAF .D2AF|GBAF EFD2|
ABde ~f3a|~g3e {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf ef.d2|
ABde ~f3d|.g2 ge fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf ef.d2|
"3rd round" ABAF DFAF|GABG DGBG|FAAF DFAF|GBAF EF.D2|
~A3 F DFAF|.G ~b3 .a2 zG|FAAF DFAF|GBAF EFD2|
ABde .f2fa|~g3e {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf efd2|
ABde ~f3d|.g2 ge {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf efd2|
~A3"4th round" F DFAF|.G2BG DGBG|FAAF DFAF|GBAF EF.D2|
ABAF DFAF|G ~B3 .B2 BG|DFAF DFAF|GBAF EF.D2|
ABde ~f3a|~g3e {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf ef.d2|
ABde .f2fa|~g3 e {g}fedB|ABde .f2df|afdf efd2||

X: 1
T: Rolling In The Ryegrass
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|ABAF DEFA|GABG dGBG|ABAF DEFA|BAAF EDEF|
|ABAF DEFD|(3GGGBG DGBG|ABAF DEFG|BGAG FDDF|
|A3A DEFG|G2BG dGBG|A3F F3A|BFAF EFD2|
|ABAF DE(3FED|GABG dBAG|ABAF EDdc|BAAF EDdB|
|[A4D4] ffef|fg2e fedB|(3ABcde f3a|afdf eddB|
|ABde f3e|(3gggfd edBd|ABde [d3f3]a|afdf edBd|
|ABde fd(3ddd|gdfd ed(3ddd|ABde fd(3ddd|afed ed(3Bcd|
|ABde fefa|g2fg ed(3BBB|ABde fefb|afdf (3efe[d4D4]|

A more fiddle/pipes approach to the tune, with lots of happy triplet moments and some delicious crossbowing bits. It’s such a lovely simply tune and off it goes with variation and hoorayness! : )

—DtM

http://www.rogermillington.com/
http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/rollingmicho.html

"The Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music, Volume III", 1927

Reels ~ pages 54 - 75

The following was, as with some reels in the Roche collection, notated in 2/4, the following is the same transcription but as 4/4 to better aid comparison with other takes on this melody ~

X: 150
T: Rolling On the Ryegrass
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: DMaj
|: A2 FD DFAF | G2 Bc dBAF |\
A2 FD DFAF | GBAF E2 D2 :|
|: ABde f2 df | e2 de fedB |\
[1 ABde f2 ef | afdf e2 d2 :|
[2 ABde faab | afdf efdB |]

Correction to the above mis-cut-n-paste… 😏

What a great little reel!

Does anyone know a good tune (or 2) that go go with Rolling in the ryegrass in a set?

We use Concertina Reel into Rolling n the Rye Grass fwiw

Follow it with Green Gates. They go well together.

I once made up a great set that was Bells of Tipperary/Cup of Tea/Rolling in the Ryegrass.

I also quite like Mick O’Brien and Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh’s Woman of the House/Rolling in the Ryegrass set.

In Clare, particularly around Kilmaley, they always play the Boyne Hunt before this tune which is also called Shannon Breeze. The Red Haired Lass in "G" goes nicely on the end as a third reel.

I think alot, of reels in G major go well after this tune -
jim,,,

It’s pretty open, depends where you want to go with it.
To follow it, Ships are Sailing works nicely, or you can get a nice effect with Patsy Tuohey’s or Drunken Landlady if you have something to come after them. If you have something to come before it, you can follow it with Longford Tinker, that should make a nice set. I’m not sure if it would work, but I’d try Miss McLeod’s, because it might work, and it just about makes an acceptable off-color sentence.
(Yes, I do think about these things when putting together a set, but no, it’s not the only consideration!)

A great, simple little tune.
I have heard it leading into Fermoy Lasses.
Just don’t try to put it in a set with Wind that Shakes the Barley. The tunes are enough alike that it is almost impossible to get through them together without getting pieces and parts mixed up.

Ha. That’s funny. We play it with The Wind that Shakes the Barley. I like it.

One of my favourite reel sets ~ " Tom Billy’s/ Rolling in the Ryegrass/ Fred Finn’s "

https://thesession.org/tunes/901
August 18th 2002 by gian marco

https://thesession.org/tunes/87
May 25th 2001 by Jeremy

https://thesession.org/tunes/452
December 21st 2001 by Josh Kane

"Last Night’s Fun - Rolling In The Ryegrass - ( with ) - The Sligo Maid"
I wish 🙂.

https://thesession.org/tunes/11

follow with Shannon Breeze (also called Heather Breeze) and then Green Fields of America is a not-uncommon set.

I like Kenny’s idea the best!

You could play it with the tune about the man in the house making up spliffs… Ryan in there Rolling Grass

- Chris, looking for his coat

This tune is in the Gunn Book (Fermanagh 1865) as ‘The Lady’s Top Dress

An old recording I’ve heard pairs it up with "The Abbey Reel"
https://thesession.org/tunes/477

X: 91
T: Reel (The Telegraph)
S: Tunes of the Munster Pipers
M: C|
L: 1/8
R: reel or fling
K: Dmix
|: (A>BAF) (DF)(AF) | G2 BG dBAF | (A>BAF) (DF)(AF) | PG2 PF2 PE2 PD2 :|
| (Ad)(de) f2 .d.d | g2 .e.e f2 .d.d | (Ad)(de) f2 df | g2 fg e2 d2 |
| Adde f2 .d.d | g2 .e.e f2 .d.d | (Ad)(de) f2 a2 | agfg e2 d z!D.C.! ||

Noe that the staccato mark in the above ABCs is actually a " ’ " mark above the notes in the book. I couldn’t find this symbol in ABCs, but it isn’t quite the same as the "."

Does anyone know which of the above transcripts is closest to the Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh / Mick O’Brien version on "Kitty Lie Over?"

They play a curious version, something like this:

|:A3F DEFA|G2AG DGBG|F3F DEFA|BAAF EDD2:|
|:A3d f2ef|g2fd BddB|ABde f3a|afdf eddB:|

—Danjo

The first part of this tune is very similar to the 4th part of The Braes of Mar (Some Say The Devil’s Dead, Jenny Will You Marry Me?) https://thesession.org/tunes/1990 as played by Alasdair Fraser on The Driven Bow https://thesession.org/recordings/3373 . I’ll add the setting when I get round to it.

In the keys of G and A - basically the same as Jeremy’s version, but with a little variance, tie in’s and the turn up from the bottom. The variation in A can be the last time through A before returning to close in Dmaj, basically breaking things up a little.

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

play video

If such tunes are only 16 bars, why are they not written in 2/4 to match other 32 bar reels for ceilidh dancing?

How it’s played at my local sesh.

This version, often heard here in the Twin Cities, is very close to some of the settings already listed here, with just a few distinguishing notes, or rather lengths of notes.