The Wizard’s Walk reel

By Jay Ungar

Also known as The Druncan, Wizard’s Waulk, The Wizarding Walk, Wizards Walk, The Wizards Walk.

There are 14 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

The Wizard’s Walk has been added to 18 tune sets.

The Wizard’s Walk has been added to 429 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Two settings

1
X: 1
T: The Wizard's Walk
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
e2 dc BAGF|GAFG E2 B2|e2 ef gfef|gafg e4|
a2 gf edcB|cdBc A2E2|A2 AB cBAB|cdBc A4||
BB[Bf]B B[Bf]BB|[cg]cc[cg] cc[cg]c|BB[Bf]B B[Bf]BB|[cg]cc[cg] cc[cg]c|
[Bf]BBB [cg]ccc|[Bf]BBB [cg]ccc|[Bf]B^cc ^ddee|ffgg aabb|
|:egbe bgeg|^dfbf bfdf|=dfab afdB|^ceae aecA|
=cege cege|Bege Bege|_Bege Bege|=Bege fe^de:|
|:"Coda"e2 dc BAGF G2 e2 F2 ^d2|e4 B2 G2|E4 e2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Wizard's Walk
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
e2 dc BAGF|GAFG E2 B2|e2 ef gfef|gafg e4|
a2 gf edcB|cdBc A2E2|A2 AB cBAB|cdBc A4:|
BBfB BfBB|gccg ccg"o"c|BBfB BfBB|gccg ccgc|
fBBB gcc"o"c|fBBB gccc|fB^cc ^dde"o"e|ffgg aab"o"b|
egbe bgeg|^dfbf bfdf|=dfab afdB|^ceae aec"o"A|
=cege cege|Bege Beg"o"e|_Bege Bege|=Bege fe^de|
BBfB BfBB|gccg ccg"o"c|BBfB BfBB|gccg ccgc|
fBBB gcc"o"c|fBBB gcc"o"c|fB^cc ^dd ez|ff gz az bz|
egbe bgeg|^dfbf bfdf|=dfab afdB|^ceae aec"o"A|
=cege cege|Bege Beg"o"e|_Bege Bege|=Bege fe^de|
egbe bgeg|^dfbf bfdf|=dfab afdB|^ceae aec"o"A|
=cege cege|Bege Beg"o"e|_Bege Bege|=Bege fe^d2-|d1d/e5E/||

Thirty-five comments

Wizard’s Walk

Here you go, Alastair.
This is out of the “Portland Book”, a collection put together by some Stumptown contra folk. Hope I got it all in there right, it’s a tricky one.
As someone said, it’s by Jay Ungar.

Composer credit

There’s a “C” field in ABC where you can put the composer. It’s too good a tune to let it’s creator lose credit for it.

Composer Credit

What’s far more personal than any field in the ABC notation, is to give the credit here in the comments section.

That’s what Jon has done. The creator has in no way “lost credit for it”.

Composer

I have made a similar suggestion before about the composer and I respect Jeremy’s right to not include this field in the abc of the tune. But please make sure you (everyone) tries hard to include this in the comments so that credit may be given where due. I would be interested to know if anyone knows any other tunes by Jay Ungar - apart from Ashokan’s Farewell.
Cheers
Donough

Jay Ungar

Among other things, Jay Ungar has The Wizard’s Walk under copyright protection, and so you shouldn’t record it without negotiating royalties with him. So keeping his name connected with the tune is a good idea. (Mechanical licenses are at http://www.jayandmolly.com/mechlicreq.shtml)

Jay Ungar is a prolific writer and recording artist -- he started writing his own tunes around age ten or so. You can find his sheet music and recordings at http://www.jayandmolly.com. Besides Far Away and Ashokan Farewell (Ashokan is the name of the place where Jay and Molly hold their music camp), I don’t believe that I play any of his other tunes personally (Ungar is an old-time fiddler, mainly), but it’s hard to tell as he’s written so many tunes, I’m sure credit’s been lost on some of them.

Zina

More Jay Ungar tunes

We played a few Ungar tunes in the Portland mandolin orchestra. If I remember right, he had one called the Lovers’ Waltz that was pretty nice. I’ll try to dig it up.

Yep, its a reel. Its most fun played at a lighting fast speed…Until your brain fries.

Corrections on composers of tunes mentioned here in comments

The waltz, “Far Away”, was written by Peter Jung (a member of Jay Ungar’s Fiddle Fever group in the ’80’s). I believe “The Lover’s Waltz” was written by Jay’s partner, Molly Mason.

This tune is minging.

This tune, Dow, is ROCKing!

The Wizard’s Walk

Sounds more like some kind of classical piece or foreign tune than an Irish reel. Would be interesting to see the response should I start it in a session…but I’m not going to be the one to find that out.

Have to agree with Dow, definitely minging…….Sounds like Vivaldi with a hangover.

The nature of the beast? ( ‘contra dancing’ ~ etc… )

It’s in no way minging if you’re enthusiastic about it and play like you mean it - although a bit of classical training certainly helps you with the tricky final section. Irish trad it ain’t, but that shouldn’t rule it out…right?

Well, to be honest, I think it is minging too! I would have to hear it played properly - the midi file does not count - but I am not going to rush out to do this because I feel it will just confirm my opinion of its undoubted mingingness.

BTW I hate Ashokan Farewell too!

You’re all just bitter cos you can’t play it

It’s easy enough. Like arpeggio practice. But why would you bother?

The composer of this tune is innocent. But any ignorant participant in sessions who tries to play this tune should be persecuted.

’Tis a great tune- it’s those who dis it who should be persecuted! :-p

Terrible reel, if that’s what it’s meant to be.

Sounds like an Yngwie Malmsteen frivolity

Wiz’s Walk

Closest thing to classical I’ve ever played . . . hehe
Great but strange tune. Crowds LOVE it; it’s pretty impressive when you play it well (and fast.)

=D

i LOVE this tune!!! it may not sound irish (isit irish?!?) but it still ROCKS!!! go WIZARDS WALK!!!

A Present For Dow

X: 1
T: The Wizard’s Hop?
M: 3/2
L: 1/8
R: three-two
K: Emin
e2 dc dcBA BAGF | G2 A2 F2 G2 E2 B2 | e3 f gfaf gfef | g2 a2 f2 g2 e4 | a2 gf edcB cBAB | c2 d2 B2 c2 A2 E2 | A3 B cBdB cBAB | c2 d2 B2 c2 A4 | BBfB BfBB fBBf | gccg ccgc acgc | BBfB BfBB fBBf | gccg ccgc acgc | f2 BB B2 f2 g2 e2 | f2 BB B2 f2 g2 e2 | [fB]B^cc ^ddee ffgg | aaff ggaa b4 ||: eg b2 bgeg b2 ge | ^df b2 bfdf b2 f2 | df a2 afdf a2 fd | ^ce a2 aece aecA | ce g2 geaf gece | Be g2 geaf geBe | _Be g2 geaf geBe | B2 e2 g2 e2 fe ^d2 :||

Happy birthday Dow!! (I’ve got a 1/365 chance of being right, you never know…)
I thought you might enjoy it.
I wonder how it would sound in 9/4?? But I think that’s for you to try. I look forward to hearing it!

Joe

Coda

wat does dat coda ting mean at the end??!

Hardly Irish Traditional

I can’t belive that the die-hard traditionalists didn’t fry you for putting up this tune. It’s a great tune, but a very var leap from traditional.

I love this piece! Does anyone know any good pieces to go in a set with it?

“I love this piece! Does anyone know any good pieces to go in a set with it?”

How about Tamlin, Music for a Found Harmonium, and Farewell to Cherynobl?

(Sorry, couldn’t resist)

Eeeeeurgh!

Funny, that last quip from fiddlercjp!
I’ve just been introduced to this piece, unfortunately. 🙁 I watched/listened to several YT renditions. My immediate thoughts were, “Oh gawd, it’s the same sort of thing as Tam Lin - an awfully obvious chord progression unsuccesfully in search of a tune.” I can quite see that certain types of fiddler would enjoy the technicalities and that, as with Tam Lin, certain types of audience could go wild for it, well presented. The bariolage is impressive. Yes, I know there are many very simple tunes based on boring chord progressions, a lot of which really well work as *tunes*, but this ain’t one of ’em. Regardless of genre or tradition, as a “tune” this is a total bypass.

Re: The Wizard’s Walk

Police here! This tune is WAY too cool to be on the session. Put your hands up while we take it down!
Just kidding! It was a pleasant suprise to find this awesome tune while browsing the session.

Re: The Wizard’s Walk

just updated my setting with “o”s for spots to breath on a whistle

Re: The Wizard’s Walk

Discovered this tune by chance yesterday and am addicted to it. A wonderful change from my “norm”.

Re: The Wizard’s Walk

This isn’t really a reel. It’s what’s referred to as a contradance in new england.