I don't want to name any specific tune as there so many but look out for recordings by some of the great tenor banjo players especially the wonderful Eamonn Coyne who played a brilliant gig in Edinburgh on Wednesday. His latest album is listed in the recordings section.
Also, look out for recordings by great players such as Gerry O'Connor, Gary Peterson (Hom Bru) and even Barney McKenna (Never underestimate the contribution that the Dubliners have made.)
Oh, I've changed my mind! The Bumblebees set which features "The Roaring Barmaid" with Mary Shannon on banjo is fantastic. So, that's an obvious tune to play.
AJ, I've been going through all the tunes I know on fiddle and gradually discovering which ones just jump out at me on banjo. I'm playing a 17 fret neck, so just about everything from fiddle feels comfortable on this banjo too. But it's still easier to start on tunes that don't go above "a" much. Here's a start:
Reels and Hornpipes
Road to Lisdoonvarna (aka the Lisdoonvarna Reel)
Boys of the Lough
Within A Mile of Dublin
Mairtin O'Connor's Flying Clog (in G)
Brenda Stubbert's
Wheels of the World
Dance of the Honeybees
The Noisy Curlew
Bank of Ireland
Staten Island Hornpipe
Wicklow Hornpipe (aka Delahanty's)
I Have No Money
Cup of Tea
Jigs and Slip Jigs
My Darling Asleep
Tar Road to Sligo
Tripping Upstairs
Tobin's Favorite
White Petticoat
Up in the Air
Whinny Hills of Leitrim
Baby Rory's
Sean Ryan's
Morrison's
Banish Misfortune
Whelan's Fancy
Here's another few,
The Monagahan jig, Seanamhach tubestation, Mist covered mountain, the congress, kitty's gone a milking, the jug of punch, maid behind the bar, Joe Cooley's,
My favorite tunes on the banjo are Mason's Apron, Colonel Frazier, and Cup of Tea. For more ideas, ckeck out the playing of Kieran Hanrahan and Seamus Egan.
I got Eamonn Coynes album recently"through the round window" and i found it very good. Did anyone see The Dubliners DVD "Live at the Gaiety?"- Barney McKenna does a banjo solo on it that i think anyone else would do well to equal.
Let's not forget the "other" Seamus Egan -- the one who lives in Portland, Oregon. He's a brilliant player. I once recorded him playing "The Japanese Hornpipe" in a session, and it quickly became my favorite banjo tune. He plays it on his album, "In Your Ear."
Ya Aimme i agree,
I posted a cd here called 3-way street with Egan, Mick Moloney and Eugene O Donnell. There are some excellent banjo sets on it. Also His album "a week in January" has a few great tunes on the banjo, notably the Congress set.
If you're still here AJ, check out this month's edition of Irish Music Magazine. There are 4 solos for tenor banjo with notation and tablature taken from "50 solos for tenor banjo" published by Walton's. These are Moloney's reel, Galway Hornpipe, Josie Mcdermott's and Flowers of red hill.
Oh, another suggestion . Look out for some of Tony (Sully) Sullivan's tune books. He is another great exponent of the Irish tenor banjo. Bye for now
For Tony Sullivan (Sully) books, and recordings, go to his website:
www.halshawmusic.co.uk
Learn to play the Jig of Slurs (Jug of Slugs).
Also, if you put a little information in your member profile and it will help people to know a little about where you're at (playing wise and geographically) and then we can be more helpful.
I've just taken a moment to go back to Sully's website. It's not the easiest to find your way round (!). The books Session Tunes (volumes 1, 2 and 3) are well worth getting. The presentation is simple, clear and reasonably informative. Lots and lots of tunes.
Green Groves of Erin is beautiful, as played on Angelina Carberry & Martin Quinn's album. Love how she substitutes in that open G note.
This is my current favourite banjo album, and I've accumulated a lot in the last six months. Go here to hear some nice sound samples: http://www.reeltrad.com/newalbum.html
I can hardly wait...some day, someone will reveal that "Smack your Salamander on the Davenport" was composed in 1860 by none other than Mairtin O'Raibhidhleaghainn. I love the traditional process....
I'm a bit obsessed with Gary Peterson's playing of "The Sandyburn Reel" - it goes up the neck a lot but the sound is very effective & driving due to the open E and A strings, and it's not as hard as it sounds. The basic tune isn't as hard -- Gary's triplets or quintuplets or whatever are f@
Great player and a great tune, Bren. You're right about the tune being easier than it first appears. It certainly isn't too much of a problem on the mandolin but I get "intonation" problems when I attempt it on the fiddle. More practice required.
my favourite tunes to play on the banjo are moving cloud, the masons apron, dr gilberts, the confirmation and the belfast hornpipe. alot of people dont like to play them, but when you've played them a few times, the are really simple. i dont know the names of my other favourite tunes.
I've just been working on Humors of Ballyloughlin, playing open D and A strings together for the first note of the A part. Just a good, rockin' tune on the banjo. Seems like a lot of the 'piping' tunes make a good transfer to banjo. Whelan's jig is also good. So is the High Reel.
the mountain road
the high reel
ferghaill o garas
the skylark
swallows tail reel
farewell to ireland (different to farewell to eireann)
the gravel walk
the star of munster
good tenor banjo tunes
good tenor banjo tunes
well the title explains itself. i want any tune names that are cool on the banjo!! and where to find them
i would greatly appreciate it!!!!!!! Thanks!
AJ
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by berserker
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
I don't want to name any specific tune as there so many but look out for recordings by some of the great tenor banjo players especially the wonderful Eamonn Coyne who played a brilliant gig in Edinburgh on Wednesday. His latest album is listed in the recordings section.
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/390
Also, look out for recordings by great players such as Gerry O'Connor, Gary Peterson (Hom Bru) and even Barney McKenna (Never underestimate the contribution that the Dubliners have made.)
Oh, I've changed my mind! The Bumblebees set which features "The Roaring Barmaid" with Mary Shannon on banjo is fantastic. So, that's an obvious tune to play.
John
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by John J.
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
AJ, I've been going through all the tunes I know on fiddle and gradually discovering which ones just jump out at me on banjo. I'm playing a 17 fret neck, so just about everything from fiddle feels comfortable on this banjo too. But it's still easier to start on tunes that don't go above "a" much. Here's a start:
Reels and Hornpipes
Road to Lisdoonvarna (aka the Lisdoonvarna Reel)
Boys of the Lough
Within A Mile of Dublin
Mairtin O'Connor's Flying Clog (in G)
Brenda Stubbert's
Wheels of the World
Dance of the Honeybees
The Noisy Curlew
Bank of Ireland
Staten Island Hornpipe
Wicklow Hornpipe (aka Delahanty's)
I Have No Money
Cup of Tea
Jigs and Slip Jigs
My Darling Asleep
Tar Road to Sligo
Tripping Upstairs
Tobin's Favorite
White Petticoat
Up in the Air
Whinny Hills of Leitrim
Baby Rory's
Sean Ryan's
Morrison's
Banish Misfortune
Whelan's Fancy
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Here's another few,
The Monagahan jig, Seanamhach tubestation, Mist covered mountain, the congress, kitty's gone a milking, the jug of punch, maid behind the bar, Joe Cooley's,
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
My favorite tunes on the banjo are Mason's Apron, Colonel Frazier, and Cup of Tea. For more ideas, ckeck out the playing of Kieran Hanrahan and Seamus Egan.
-Max
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Oh... and there's also Mick Moloney.
-Max
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Cathal Hayden and Enda Scahill (pick it up) are even better(in my humble opinion)....
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
O My Gosh! How could I have forgoten Cathal Hayden?!! Thanks, Celtic1234!
-Max
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
I got Eamonn Coynes album recently"through the round window" and i found it very good. Did anyone see The Dubliners DVD "Live at the Gaiety?"- Barney McKenna does a banjo solo on it that i think anyone else would do well to equal.
# Posted on November 30th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Enda Scahill (Pick it up) is just brilliant -
& Kevin Griffin is also very good (Tradional Irish Music from Doolin) Ossian OSS CD109
# Posted on November 30th 2003 by Enob
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Let's not forget the "other" Seamus Egan -- the one who lives in Portland, Oregon. He's a brilliant player. I once recorded him playing "The Japanese Hornpipe" in a session, and it quickly became my favorite banjo tune. He plays it on his album, "In Your Ear."
Aimee
# Posted on November 30th 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Ya Aimme i agree,
I posted a cd here called 3-way street with Egan, Mick Moloney and Eugene O Donnell. There are some excellent banjo sets on it. Also His album "a week in January" has a few great tunes on the banjo, notably the Congress set.
# Posted on November 30th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Yeah, Celtic1234, but I'm talking about the OTHER Seamus Egan -- not the one who plays with Mick Moloney, et al.
Aimee
# Posted on December 1st 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Aimee, do you have a link to a site for the other Seamus Egan? I'd like to find out more about him. Thanks!
-Max
# Posted on December 1st 2003 by Max Becher
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Max, you can hear snippets of Mr. Egan's (of Co. Offaly, living in Portland, Or) banjo playing at
http://www.aniar.com/theotuns.html
Click on the wav files for Humours of Ballyloughlin and Cunningham's Fancy.
# Posted on December 1st 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Thanks Will! I'll check them out.
-Max
# Posted on December 1st 2003 by Max Becher
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
If you're still here AJ, check out this month's edition of Irish Music Magazine. There are 4 solos for tenor banjo with notation and tablature taken from "50 solos for tenor banjo" published by Walton's. These are Moloney's reel, Galway Hornpipe, Josie Mcdermott's and Flowers of red hill.
Oh, another suggestion . Look out for some of Tony (Sully) Sullivan's tune books. He is another great exponent of the Irish tenor banjo. Bye for now
John
# Posted on December 3rd 2003 by John J.
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
AJ
For Tony Sullivan (Sully) books, and recordings, go to his website:
www.halshawmusic.co.uk
Learn to play the Jig of Slurs (Jug of Slugs).
Also, if you put a little information in your member profile and it will help people to know a little about where you're at (playing wise and geographically) and then we can be more helpful.
Cheers
Dave
# Posted on December 3rd 2003 by showaddydadito
AJ
I've just taken a moment to go back to Sully's website. It's not the easiest to find your way round (!). The books Session Tunes (volumes 1, 2 and 3) are well worth getting. The presentation is simple, clear and reasonably informative. Lots and lots of tunes.
Dave
# Posted on December 3rd 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
ill tell yopu all a gr8 banjo tune, moving cloud, i know its a bit gimmike but you cnt deny it does iprove the old dexterity lol
# Posted on January 9th 2004 by Liam "banjo" Vernon
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Look for Slap Your Frog on the Sofa, it sounds great on the tenor
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Dark Raven
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Hey Will your tune is already acquiring alternative names!
Try Sean Ryan's "Abbeyleix" reel.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Dr. Dow
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Green Groves of Erin is beautiful, as played on Angelina Carberry & Martin Quinn's album. Love how she substitutes in that open G note.
This is my current favourite banjo album, and I've accumulated a lot in the last six months. Go here to hear some nice sound samples: http://www.reeltrad.com/newalbum.html
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by grego
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
I can hardly wait...some day, someone will reveal that "Smack your Salamander on the Davenport" was composed in 1860 by none other than Mairtin O'Raibhidhleaghainn. I love the traditional process....
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
"Mountain Road" is a current favorite of mine on tenor. Less common but equally adaptable I think is "Are You Willing."
but idunno, i kinda think the bounce has more to do with the dscovery process of the player than the tune itself.
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by vboyd100
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
I'm a bit obsessed with Gary Peterson's playing of "The Sandyburn Reel" - it goes up the neck a lot but the sound is very effective & driving due to the open E and A strings, and it's not as hard as it sounds. The basic tune isn't as hard -- Gary's triplets or quintuplets or whatever are f@
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by Bren
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Great player and a great tune, Bren. You're right about the tune being easier than it first appears. It certainly isn't too much of a problem on the mandolin but I get "intonation" problems when I attempt it on the fiddle. More practice required.
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by John J.
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
ok ok enough chitchat and laziness from me
ive heard a lot lately about Sandyburns,, now I must go take a look at it....wish me well before i submerge..
# Posted on August 17th 2004 by vboyd100
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
Agree with Sandyburn Reel, should have been written for banjo, also Cambridge Hornpipe, and Gerry O'Connors "Niamhs Capers", a classic.
# Posted on October 22nd 2004 by tirvaluk
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
my favourite tunes to play on the banjo are moving cloud, the masons apron, dr gilberts, the confirmation and the belfast hornpipe. alot of people dont like to play them, but when you've played them a few times, the are really simple. i dont know the names of my other favourite tunes.
# Posted on February 3rd 2007 by gabriel
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
I've just been working on Humors of Ballyloughlin, playing open D and A strings together for the first note of the A part. Just a good, rockin' tune on the banjo. Seems like a lot of the 'piping' tunes make a good transfer to banjo. Whelan's jig is also good. So is the High Reel.
# Posted on April 25th 2007 by the mad greek
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
I dont know that many nice banjo tunes but Leddy from Cavan is a nice reel on it
# Posted on August 11th 2009 by luke01
Re: good tenor banjo tunes
the mountain road
the high reel
ferghaill o garas
the skylark
swallows tail reel
farewell to ireland (different to farewell to eireann)
the gravel walk
the star of munster
# Posted on December 14th 2010 by Dec Flynn