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The Sally Gardens reel

Also known as Na Gairdíní Saileacha, Ná Garranta Sailí, The Salley Gardens, The Sally Garden, Sally Garden’s, Sally Gardner’s.

There are 181 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

The Sally Gardens appears in 5 other tune collections.

The Sally Gardens has been added to 438 tune sets.

The Sally Gardens has been added to 2,427 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G2GA BAGB|dBeB dBAB|d2Bd efge|dBAB GEDE|
GFGA BAGB|d2eB dBAB|d2Bd efge|dBAB G4:|
|:dggf g2de|g2bg ageg|eaag a2eg|a2bg ageg|
dggf g2de|g2bg ageg|d2Bd efge|dBAB G4:|
2
X: 2
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BA|G2DG BAGB|dBeB dBAB|d2Bd efge|dBAB GEDE|
G2DG BAGB|dBeB dBAB|d2Bd efge|1 dBAB G2:|2 dBAB G4||
dggf g2dg|gabg agfg|eaag a2ea|agbg ageg|
dggf g2dg|gabg ageg|d2Bd efge|1 dBAB G4:|2 dBAB G2||
3
X: 3
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BA|:G2 DG BAGB|de ~e2 dBAB|d2 B/c/d edge|dBAB GEDE|
~G3 A BAGB|dBeB dBAB|dG B/c/d edge|1 dBAB G3 F:|2 dBAB g3||
|:e|dggf g2 dg|g2 bg aged|eaag ageg|a2 bg ageg|
dggf g2 bg|~g2 bg abge|d2 B/c/d edge|1 dBAB g3:|2 dBAB G2||
4
X: 4
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:[A,A][B,B]|D2 [A,A]D F2 DF|AFBF AFEF|A/B/A FA BddB|AFEF D[B,B][A,A][B,FB]|
D2 A,D BD D/E/F|AFBF AF E2|A2 FA B/c/d dB|AFED D2:|
|:E/F/G|Addc d/e/d AB|d/e/d fd edcd|Bee^d e2 Bd|edfd edBG|
Addc d2 Ad|d2 fd edBG|A2 F/G/A BddB|AFEF D2:|
5
X: 5
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G2 DG B2 GB|dBeB dBAB|d2 (3Bcd efge|dBAB GEDE|
G2 DG B2 GB|dBeB dBAB|d2 (3Bcd efge|dBAB G4:|
|:dggf g2dg|g2 bg ageg|eaag a2ea|a2 bg ageg|
dggf g2dg|g2 bg ageg|d2 (3Bcd efge|dBAB G2:|
6
X: 6
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:DE|"G" G2 DG BDGB|dBeB dBAB|"G" (3ddd Bd eg{/a}ge|"D" dBAB GEDE|
"G" G2 DG BDGB|dBeB dBAB|"G" (3ddd Bd eg{/a}ge|"D" dBAB"G" G2:|
|:Bc|"G" dggf g2 dg|(3ggg bg ageg|"Am" eaag a2 eg|agbg ageg|
"G" dggf g2 dg|(3ggg bg ageg|"G" (3ddd Bd eg{/a}ge|"D" dBAB"G" G2||
7
X: 7
T: The Sally Gardens
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:D3F AFDF|AFBF AFEF|A2 (3FGA BcdB|AFEF DBAB|
D3F AFDF|AFBF AFEF|A2 (3FGA BcdB|AFEF D4:|
|:Addc d2 (3ABc|d2 fd edBd|Beed e2Bd|e2 fd ed (3Bcd|
Addc d2 (3ABc|d2 fd edBd|A2 (3FGA BcdB|AFEF D2:|

Nineteen comments

No relation to the William Butler Yeats poem and song “Down by the Sally Gardens”, this is a lively reel just made for playing at sessions.

The second part has a great “ascending” feel to it which can be emphasised with the right accompaniment. A chord sequence rising in whole tones works well: G Am Bm finishing with a C, a D and back to G.

The Salley Garden’s

Here is a slightly different setting I learned in a workshop in Sligo last summer and have been playing since:

BA|G2DG BAGB|dBeB dBAB|d2Bd efge|dBAB GEDE|
G2DG BAGB|dBeB dBAB|d2Bd efge|1 dBAB G2:|2 dBAB G4||
dggf g2dg|gabg agfg|eaag a2ea|agbg ageg|
dggf g2dg|gabg ageg|d2Bd efge|1 dBAB G4:|2 dBAB G2||

My dad likes this tune.

Is it just me, or is the end of the third bar in the B part dying to be made into a triplet?

No, it’s definitely gagging to be a triplet. I’ve just played the last two notes in the 1st, 3rd and 5th bars as triplets and it makes them into a cute fluid “chirrup” that playing the notes cleanly just doesn’t.

Variations

Can someone post EVERY bit of ornamentation that comes to their head with this tune. When ever I play it at sessions, the way I play it never sounds right. It varies from county to county I think!!!

Thanks

Variation

Variation I mean!!!#

I play it like this

DE|G2DG BAGB|dBeB dBAB|d2Bd efge|dBAB ABAG|
EDG2 DGBA……

First tune I learned all the way through!

This was probably one of the first Irish tunes I learned.
I learned it on tinwhistle and play it a similar way on the mandolin.
I don’t know, but this tune and the poem “It was down by the Sally Gardens where my love and I did meet---” are linked in my mind, both because how I played the tune slowly and how sad it sounds. When I speed it up, it turns a sad tune into a somewhat lively and happy one, almost seeming to say: “Hey, bad days happen, but there’s another side to every story.”
I love this tune, both because it’s opened up a couple doors for me and I’ve learned alot trying to play it.

Whenever I hear it, the first part starts:

G2DG BdGB | dBeB dBAB

Sally Gardens

The whistle version on the video is excellent.

It’s identical to the first version I heard played by an English folk musician on a Shand Morino accordion in London in the 1960’s, so it has a certain vintage.

I’m now playing it again on the piano-accordein myself, which is more legato than staccato but the sound of the whistle is much better, it’s “sharper” and immediate - rather like a button-key box, which is more staccato than legato

James D

So who changed the title of this to “Cronin’s”, and why ?

Re: The Sally Gardens

Many song/tune titles can be quite mysterious - even impenetrable sometimes - but a sally garden is a willow plantation (genus Salix). Bit of educated slang.

Re: The Sally Gardens

A truly lovely tune - and song with words by W B Yeats (maybe adapted from trad?

Re: The Sally Gardens

Hello! Im wokring on a big project with recording all tunes I know in slow tempo togehter with som tools and flute exercises for anyone to use and learn and practice along with. Hope you find it to good use!

TUNE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MGH5fr_v4M


BODHRÁN METRONOME PLAYLIST:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBSuVJgG93QKA8HBk0mJVjAmi50G52T7

DRONES PLAYLIST:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBSuVJgG93QgET4g19H-QkC49uOA77wv

Irish Flute Course | 10 Essential Exercises:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOyp6L0urhw


Website:
https://jonantonsson.wixsite.com/tunes

Re: The Sally Gardens

Does anyone want another verse to Sally Gardens?

Down by the Sally Gardens many years ago it seems
We met in the Sally Gardens as we do meet in dreams
She bid me take my life and loves with all the joy that I could glean
For the grass in the Sally Gardens is always evergreen

NB the phrase ‘with all the’ requires a triplet of eighths.

Brian (from South Africa)