1

A tunebook for HISS

version 1.1

An unofficial fringe contribution

These are tunes to play in the bar in the evenings, or sat on the grass after lunch, or whever the fancy strikes. Some people

will already know tunes that others can join in with. Other people might like some dots to play from, which is not quite as

good but much better than sitting out.

The first tunes are mostly traditional dance tunes and airs, commonly played in pub sessions and dances in north east England.

It’s just a fragment of a very large pool; many experienced trad musicians have a stock of several hundred tunes in their

heads. Players new to traditional music should remember that you don’t have to play exactly what the dots say. Play a version

that fits your instrument and your skills: simplify if needs be; add ornaments where you think it appropriate; change the tune

slightly as you go through repetitions. If you can remember the tune it usually sounds more convincing than if you’re reading

the music. Dance tunes are often played in sets of two or three at a time, each tune several times through, but when people are

trying to learn the tune it can be repeated many times until most people have got the hang of it.

Most of this is dance music, so always keep the rhythm well marked. Trad players usually tap their foot pretty firmly. Fiddlers

usually bow everything as a default, and use slurs as an effect, often slurring across the beat to give lift on the weak beat.

Whistles and flutes often slur a lot and use cuts and tonguing as ornaments.

Chord names are to help rhythm/continuo players. Nothing sacred about them, use the ones you like.

I should add that this is entirely unofficial and nothing to do with any of the tutors. I just did it in the hope that other people

might enjoy informal musicking, as I do.

Mistakes, comments, suggestions? stuff@greenery.me.uk

Thomas Green, 2013

2

Session tunes

When played for dancing rants and hornpipes go steadily in a swung (dotted) rhythm; reels go faster, played straight or

slightly swung. Jigs are sharply dotted in the north-east, less so farther south in my experience. Waltzes moderato. Slow airs

are definitely slow, maybe in free time.

--------- Hornpipes and rants -------

1. Roxburgh Castle

G C G C G Am D7

44

G C G C D7 G

G C G Am D7

G C G C D7 G

hornpipe

2. Harvest Home

D D A Em A7

44

D D A7 D

3 3 3 3

33

33

A D A D A Em A7

D D A7 D

hornpipe

3

3. Proudlock’s Hornpipe

3

3G D7 G C G D7 G D7

44

3

3G D7 G C G D7 G

3G Em Am D7 G Em A7 D7

3

3G D7 G C G D7 G

hornpipe

4. Miss Thompson’sErrington Thompson

3

D A D G D G

44

D A D A7 D

A D G D E7 A

G D A7 D

hornpipe

4

5. Morpeth Rant

D G A D G A

44

D G A D A D

D G Em A D A

D G Em A D

rant/reel

------- Reels -------

6. The Hesleyside Reel

G C G Am D

44

G C G D G

C G C G D

G C G D G

reel

5

7. Jamie Allen

G Em Am D7

44

G G D7 G

G Em Am D

G G D7 G

reel

8. Salmon Tails

G G D C D

44

G G D7 G

G C G D C D

G C G D7 G

G C G D C D

G G D7 G

march/reel/polka

6

9. Nancy

3

3D D D A7

44

D D G A7 D

D G A7 D G E7 A7

D D G A7 D

reel

10. Rochdale Coconut DanceTrad. Morris Dance

Em Em Am G D Em

44

G D G D G

G D G Am G

Reel

7

11. My Love is But a Lassie O

D D D A7

44

D G A7 D

D D D Em

D D A D D

reel

12. St Anne’s Reel

D G D G D

44

D G D G A7 D

D Em A7 D A

DBm Em A7 D

8

------- Contra dance tunes -------

Contra dance is a living dance tradition. Besides the traditional repertoire, some striking new tunes have been composed. Not

widely known as session tunes in England but cracking tunes.

13. Bonaparte Crossing the Rhinetrad

D A D D G D E7 A7

44

D A D D G A D D

D A G D G D E7 A7

D A G D G A D D

reel

14. The Boy’s Lament for his Dragon72nd’s Farewell to Aberdeen

William MacKay?

D A D Em A

44

D A D Em A D

D C G D D Em A

D C G D D A D

reel

History: According to the Fiddler’s Companion site, ’dragon’ is thought to mean a kite (German ’drachen’ means both

the flying toy and the fiery beast). Possibly first in print as "The 72nd’s Farewel to Aberdeen" in Pipe Major

William Ross’s 1885 collection

9

15. Scollay’s Reeltrad

Em Em Em D

44

Em Em Em Em

Em Em Am Em D

Em G C Em Em

reel

Said to be a Shetland version of the (slow) air "King of the Fairies" but makes a great reel. (Apparently the

Shetland name Scollay is unrelated to the Irish name Scully.)

16. Eli Greene’s CakewalkSadie Koninsky

Em Em Em Em Am Em

44

Am Em B7 Em B7 Em D G1 2

D Em G D A7

D7 D7 G G B71 2

reel

10

17. Prince Imperial GalopAnon

C C C F G F Dm F G7

44

C C C F Dm C G7 C

D7 G G G Em G C D Am D D7

G G G Em G D Am D7 G G7

march (played at reel speed for contra)

18. March of St TimothyJudi Morningstar

G D7 Em Bm C

44

G Am D7 Am D7 G1 2

D7 G D7

G -- -- D7 G

C C dim G Am D7 G D7

march (played at reel speed for contra)

11

19. Juliann Johnson

D D D A

44

D D D G A

G G G D

G G D G A

reel

20. Reel Eugene

Bm Em F 7 Bm

44

Bm Em F 7 Bm Bm A71 2

D D Em A7 A7 D

D D Em A7 D D1 2

reel

12

21. Tune for KarenCammy Kaynor

A7 Dm Gm A7 Dm A7

44

Dm Gm A7 Dm

F C7 F C7 F C7

F G7 C G7 C

reel

22. Saturday Night

C C G D

C C G7 C

C C G D G

C C G7 C

reel

13

23. Fair JennyTony Barnes

D A7 G A7 G A7

86

D A7 G A7 A7 D

G D

G A D

jig

24. KorolenkoJean-Paul Loyer

G G G C

86

C D D G D G

G C C D D G

C C G D G

C C G D G

jig

14

------- Jigs -------

25. The Seven Stars

D G D G A

86

D G D G A D

A A D A D E A

G D G D G A D

jig

26. Hexham Races

G D7 G Am D7

86

G D C G/d D7 G

G D7 G Am D7

G D C G/d D7 G

jig

15

27. The One-Horned Sheep

G C G G Am D

86

G C G C D G

G G G D

G G C D D1 2

jig

28. Oyster Girl

G D7 G Am D7

86

G C G D7 G

G C D7 G

G C G D7 G

jig

16

29. New Rigged Ship

D D A A

86

D D A G A7 D

D Bm Em A7

D Bm D A7 D

jig

30. The Connaughtman’s Rambles

D G D Bm

86

D G D Em Bm

D D Bm D A

D D Em Bm

jig

17

31. Tripping Upstairs

D G D A7 D G

86

D G D A7 D

Bm Bm A

Bm Bm A7 D

jig

32. Bundle and Go, or I Lost My Love

Am C G C

86

C G C G Am

Am Em Am Em

C G C G Am

jig

18

33. The Blackthorn Stick

G C G C G D7 G D7

86

G C G C G D7 G

G G G C Am D7

G C G C G D7 G

jig

34. The Snowy PathMark Kelly

D G D A A1 2

89

F m G D D1

D A2

slip jig

35. The Butterfly

Em D Em D Em D Bm D

89

C D C D

Em D Em D Em D

slip jig

19

36. Foxhunter’s Jig

D G D A D G D A

89

Bm Em D A

D G D A D G D A Em D

Em D A

slip jig

------- 3/2 Hornpipes -------

37. Go to Berwick JohnnieTrad

G A G G A D A

23

G G G A

G G G A

triple hornpipe. Berwick was the nearest place where an errant Scotsman would be shielded by English law.

20

38. Rusty Gulleyaka Punchanello’s Hornpipe / Three Rusty Swords

G D G G G

23

Em Bm C D C G D Em D

triple hornpipe. A gulley is a large knife.

Bars 2 and 4 of each part can be played as 6/4, i.e. two dotted minims per bar instead of 3 minims - nice effect

21

------- Waltzes -------

39. Elsey’s Waltz

D D G A D Bm E7 A

43

D D G A D A G D

D Bm G D F m Bm E7 A

F m Bm G A D A G D

waltz

40. Midnight on the WaterLuke Thomasson

D D D A D G

43

3D A D

G G G D Em

Em Bm D G G D

D D G D A D

22

41. Waltz for PolleWim Poesen

G G G G C C G D

43

G G G D C D7 G G1

G C C D D G G Em Em2

C C D D C D7 G G G G1 2

Waltz

Source: Matthiesen’s Waltz Book III

42. Ice on the WaterGeorge Reynolds

G F Am G G

43

F Am D G F

Am G F F D G

G D F C

G D F D

G D F Am

E Maj7 E Maj7 D G

waltz

23

43. Valse des JouetsWaltz of the Toys

Michel Faubert

D G D

43

G Em A G

D A7 D G D

Bm Em A G A7 D

D G A D

Bm Em A7 D

Bm G A F

G D A7 D

waltz

24

44. Michael Turner’s Waltz

G G C G

43

G D G D G D7 G

D7 Am G C G

C G G D7 G

Waltz

History: Derived from the trio to number 2 of Mozart’s set of German dances KV 536 via the MS tunebook of Michael

Turner of Warnham (1796-1885), pub. as ’A Sussex Tune Book’ ed. Loughran and Gammon, 1982

More here: http://www.petecooper.com/eftnotes.htm#19

45. Mozart’s second violin part to the above

43

25

------- Slow airs -------

46. Sweet HesleysideAnon. Chording: S. Hardy

G Am/C Am D D7 G

86

G G+ Am/C Am D D7 G

C G D G A A7 D D7 G G+ Am/C Am

D D7 G G G Am/C Am D D7 G

slow air for Northumbrian smallpipes, probably from 1920s/30s

47. Sir John Fenwick’s the Flower amang them All

G G G G Am

43

Am Am D G G

G G Am G G

D G G G G

Am Am Am D G G G

G Am G Am D

slow air. A Jacobite tune (two pipers are said to have been hanged for playing it). Oldest known version 1695

26

48. Bewick’s RestDerek Hobbs

D Em/d D C/D D Em/D C/D

44

D Em/D D C/D D C/D D

D C/D D G/D D C/D D

D C/D D G/D D C/D D

slow air

Source: Bewick’s Footsteps, published by Rossleigh Music

49. Roslyn Castle

Em C B Em B Em

44

C Em B Em Em

Em Em B Em Em B

C B Em B Em Em

27

50. Da Slockit LightTom Anderson

D A7 D G D G A7

44

D A7 D G A7 D

D A D D E7 A

D A D G A7 D

D A Bm G D G A7

D F Bm G A7 D

slow air

51. Da Slockit Light 2nd PartEllen Thomas

44

28

Broadsheet ballad tunes

These tunes appear frequently in 17th century broadsheets, and many were used as the basis of variation sets.

52. Fortune my foe

Gm Dm B F Gm B F Gm Dmaj

B B B C F

F B Dm Gm Dsus G

53. Go From My Window

Go from my win dow love, go; Go from my win dow my dear; The

G D G D G D

44

wind and the rain wi ll drive you back a gain, You can not be lodg ed here.

Dm Am C G D G G D G

54. What if a dayThomas Campiom

Am E Am E Am G C G A Esus4 E Am

C m G Am E Am G C m Em Bsus4 B E

Am G C m G Am G Em Am Em F m E Am

29

55. Sick, sick, and very sick

Bm F m Bm F Bm

44

Bm F m Bm F Bm

F m D Bm Em Bm

F m D Bm Em B

56. John come kiss me now

57. Watkin’s Ale

G C Am D G

23

G Am C Am D

G D Em G C G D G

30

58. Monsieur’s Almain

C G C Dm C

44

C G C Dm C

C G C Dm A Dm

C G F C G C

59. Wilson’s Wild

D D G A

43

D D Em A D D1 2

D D G A

D G D A

D G D A D

31

Playford tunes

These tunes come from dance books of the 17th and 18th centuries, notably the series called ’The Dancing Master’ produced by John

Playford and his sons. The attributions refer to first occurrence in the Playford series. They are all used frequently in Playford

country dancing today and I have mostly used the present day versions and harmonies.

60. All In A Garden Green

G D Em D C Am D

22

C G Am7 D7 G

G C D7 G Em Am D7

G Am D7 G C

Am D G

61. Amarillis

G D Em D G D G

44

Am C G Am D

G C G Am Em D G

Playford 1670

32

62. Childgrove

Dm Gm Am

44

Dm Gm A7 Dm

F C Dm Am

F C Dm A7 Dm

Playford 1701

63. ArgeersThe Wedding Night

No convincing explanation has been found for the title. The North African territory of Algiers was much

in the news in the 1660s.

33

64. Daphne

Em B Em G D C Em

86

Em D Em B G Am D G

G D Em Bm

Em Em G Am D Em

Playford 1651

65. Dick’s Maggot

G D G Am G G D G D G

23

D Bm Em A D F m Bm D A D

G C Am D G C D G

Playford 1702

66. Grimstock

G Em D G C Am D

86

G Em D G C D G

G G G D G

Playford 1651

34

67. Hole in the Wall

G D Em Bm Em Em

23

Em Am B Em Am Bsus Em

C D Em D G D D Em

Purcell (Hornpipe from Abdelazar), adopted by Playford 1696

68. Horses Branle

44

derived from a branle in Thoinot Arbeau’s ’Orchésographie’ - not a Playford tune but feels related

69. Indian Queen

D A D A

44

D A Bm A7 D

A F m Bm Bm E7 A

G A Em A Em A D

Playford 1701

35

70. Jack’s Maggot

D G D G A

D G A D A D

D D G A

D D G A D

Playford 1702

71. Lull Me Beyond Thee

Dm F C F Dm Gm A Dm

86

F B Gm A Dm Gm A Dm

F C F C F C F C

F C Dm Am F Gm A Dm

Playford 1651

36

72. Morisco

44

1 2

1 2

Appears as a branle in Thoinot Arbeau’s ’Orchésographie’, 1589, and later in Playford, Dancing Master, Supplement to 3rd Ed., 1657

73. Mr Beveridge’s Maggot

Gm D7 Gm Cm D7 Gm Gm F7 B E F7 B

23

B F Gm Cm A7 D7

D7 Gm D7 Gm B F Cm D7 Gm

Playford (1695)

74. The Parson’s farewell

Dm C B Am F

C Dm C Dm

Apparently this comes from a bourrée

37

75. Portsmouth

G C G C D

44

G C G D7 G

G G Em Am Am

G C G D7 G

Playford 1701

76. Stanes Morris

Am E Dm Am Am Dm Em Am

C G Am C G Am

C F C Am Dm Em Am

William Ballet Lute Book (1595). No known connection with Staines town.

38

77. Sellenger’s Round

G C G C

86

G C G C

C G G D

C G D G D G

Playford 1670

39

Carolan tunes

Whereas eighteenth-century Scotland achieved a fair degree of fusion between traditional (popular) music and fashionable,

cultivated baroque style, Ireland notably didn’t. The harpers and pipers went on as they always had, uninfluenced by baroque fashion,

but in rapidly dwindling numbers. Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) was the exception, a blind harper creating genuine fusion

music, admired by Geminiani. Many of his pieces are still frequently played. Some are ’planxties’, a word thought to mean a piece

written in honour of a patron.

78. Planxty Fanny PowerTurlough O’Carolan

G C Am D7 D7

86

G Am D D7 G

G Em C D7

G C D7 G D7 G

planxty

79. Planxty IrwinColonel John Irwin

Turlough O’Carolan

G C G Em C G D

86

G C G Em Am G D G

G D D G D Am D7

G C G Em Am G D G

planxty

40

80. HewlettO’Carolan

D A Bm G

43

D G D G A D D1 2

D Bm

Em A D

D A Bm G

D G D G A D

81. Si Bheag Si MhorTurlough O’Carolan (Ireland)

D D7 G D G A7 D D7

43

G D Bm D G A7 D D

D D7 G D G D Em7 A7

D D7 G D Em7 A7 G D

41

82. Carolan’s DraughtTurlough O’Carolan

G Bm Em G Em G C Am

44

G Bm Em A G Am D

D G Em C Em G G Em

G D Bm Em

Em Am Em G C D G

Em D G Am G

play as a march perhaps

This seems to be influenced by Vivaldi or Geminiani

42

French Dance Tunes

Some of the traditional French and Breton dance forms, as used by the baroque composers, are alive and well, notably bourrées and

gavottes. Mazurkas and scottisches are post-baroque, of course.

83. Le Canal En OctobreFrâ¢deric Paris

G C G C C D D G

44

G C G C C D G

Bm C D C C D D G

Bm C D C C D G

schottische

84. Schottische à Virmoux

D G D G

22

D A D G D A7

D D G D

G D G D A D

schottische

43

85. L’inconnu de LimoiseJ F (’Maxou’) Heintzen

G Em Am D

43

G Em Am D

C Bm Em Bm

C C D7 D7 G1 2

Mazurka

History: "Some years ago a workman from Limoise (Allier), occupied in moving some statues, was surprised to discover

a corpse buried with a cornemuse (type of French bagpipes) beside him. It is hard for me to describe the avalanche

of reflections and emotions it aroused in my head. This air was composed on that occasion, with deliberate intent

to make people weep." - Maxou Heintzen (tr Thos G)

86. Mazurka Limousintrad - learnt from Stewart Hardy

Am Em B7 Em

43

Am Em B7 Em Em Em A1 2

D Em A D Em A D C B7 Em Em1 2

mazurka

87. Bourrée a Huittrad

83

bourrée (three-time). A very traditional one with a lot of lift every four bars

44

88. Fil et Bobine (thread and spool)La Coccinelle (The Ladybird)

Jean Blanchard

G G Am D G

83

G Am D G Am C

D G Am C D D G1 2

bourrée (three time)

89. Le Ruban Bleu

G D G D G

42

D G D G D G D G1 2

bourrée (two-time)

90. Bourrée d’Aurore Sand

Em Em B B Am Em

42

D Em Em Em Am

Em Em Am D Em

bourrée (two-time)

45

91. GavotteMichael Praetorius (1571-1621)

44

gavotte

Transcription: S. Piron

92. Gavotte from Trouz Bras

Am (Gm) G Am

42

Am Dm G C

F Dm G Am

gavotte

93. Gavotte ton doubleTrad.

44

46

94. La BourbonnaiseGavotte

François Couperin

1 2

21

1 2

1 2

Gavotte

Transcription: Transcribed by Frank Nordberg - http://www.musicaviva.com

95. Theme Vannitaise aka Twiglet

Em D

44

Em D Bm Em Em

Bm D Em

Bm G D Em

an dro

47

96. An droMichel Le Cam

44

48

Medieval dance tunes

Nobody knows much about these but they’re cracking tunes.

97. La quinte estampie realFrench, 13th century

open ending

86

closed ending

49

98. La septieme estampie realAnonyme

86

50

99. Saltarello

I

86

1 2

II

1 2

III

1 2

IV

1 2

Late C14 Italian.

51

100. Ductia

86

86

52