Comments

Ireland's Best . . .

Ireland's Best . . .

I have a tune book called "Ireland's Best Tin Whistle Tunes" (#1). On Page 17 (#28) there is a tune called "The Bag of Spuds". I have it from several sources that this is not the correct title of this tune. It's a nice little tune, but I'd like to know
the correct title -- if anyone knows. Thanks in advance for any input.

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by justwhistle

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Could you post us a few bars of "abcs" ?

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Kenny

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Many tunes have more than one name. Does it look like this one?

X: 1
T: Bag Of Spuds, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:Bdd2 =ceed | BddB ABGA | Bdd2 =ceed | gabg abag:|
|:gabg eaaf | gbag efede | gbag eaaf | gedb abag:|

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Martin Milner

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Is it like this?
bDD bEED bDDbabg
the small case notes are the low octave and the capitals are the second octave.
I know this tune as a reel called 'mála beag prataí' or translated as 'the little bag of spuds'

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by blas

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Wow! Blas, so you're a dyslexic too? ;-)

On topic, your notation, following your reversal of the current norm for ABC's, is identical to John's. Here it is turned the other way around, starting with your way, adding the '2' which doubles the time value:

| bD D2 bEED | bDDb ab g2 | ~ yours
| Bd d2 Beed | BddB AB G2 |

| Bd d2 ceed | BddB ABGA | ~ John's ( he does have that 'c')

The book in question gives it this way:

K: G Major
|: BddB ceed | BddB A2 G2 | BddB ceed | gabg a2 g2 :|
|: gabg ea a2 | gabg e2 d2 | gabg ea a2 | gedB A2 G2 :|

"The Bag Of Spuds"
Key signature: G Major
Submitted on November 23rd 2001 by Josh Kane.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/391

"Anything For John Joe" / "The Bag of Spuds"
Key signature: G Major
Submitted on January 22nd 2004 by gian marco.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2425

"Anything For John Joe?" ~ a different key and B-part
Key signature: D Major
Submitted on July 1st 2004 by Dow.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/3237

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by ceolachan

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Yip thats the girl we are talking about. Mála beag prataí was one of the first reels I ever learnt, a belter on the flute!

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by blas

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

This is a lovely and very straightforward reel. I first heard it on one of the early Chieftan LPs - Michael Tubridy on flute. The other Bag of Spuds as played by Kevin Crawford is here on this site at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/579 and is also a great tune although it's a bit similar to one of the Copperplates.

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Bannerman

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Thank you, all. It appears that the tune is properly named in my book after all. AFTER (duh) I posted this discussion I checked the tunes at thesession.org and found this out! It's interesting though, because the session players in my current town & my home town know a totally different tune called The Bags of Spuds. I think there should be an official registry for tune names . . . first one registered wins. What do you think??
:)

# Posted on June 24th 2006 by justwhistle

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

That would take all the fun out of it.

# Posted on June 24th 2006 by Phantom Button

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

Isn't this a tune for the "tuber"?

Brian x

# Posted on June 24th 2006 by briantheflute

Re: Ireland's Best . . .

I just refer to them as the "Major Bag" and "Minor Bag"....of spuds. The Minor one is the one very similiar to "Down the Broom", "Chris Droney's" (..I'm expecting slainte to bring up our argument on this. A classic example where I thought he was referring to the major tune, lol) and "The Old Copperplate" as Bannerman says.

I first heard the Major one from a Gerry McKee tutor. Lovely simple tune and the minor is played sometimes at our session (Trip to Birmingham/Road to Rio/Bag of Spuds).

# Posted on June 24th 2006 by PaddyCmusic

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