The Session >> Tunes >> Cooley's (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Cooley's

reel

Key signature: Eminor

Submitted on May 15th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 2088 tunebooks.

Also known as Cooley's, Cooleys, Cooney's, Cuil Aodha, E Kreiz Hag Endro, Joe Cooley, Joe Cooley's, Joe Cooley's Fancy, Joe Cooleys, JoE KoOlY'z, Luttrell's Pass, Put The Cake In The Dresser, Put The Cake On The Dresser, Ríl Chuil Aodha, The Tulla , The Tulla.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Cooley's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
|:D2|EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB dBAG|FDAD BDAD|FDAD dAFD|
EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB defg|afe^c dBAF|DEFD E2:|
|:gf|eB B2 efge|eB B2 gedB|A2 FA DAFA|A2 FA defg|
eB B2 eBgB|eB B2 defg|afe^c dBAF|DEFD E2:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
Cooley's sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

This reel originally went under a different name (The Tulla Reel) but has since become associated with the master accordian player, Joe Cooley. You'll almost always hear this tune played with "The Wise Maid" or "The Maid Behind The Bar.

# Posted on May 26th 2001 by Jeremy

Cminor

Have a go in a different key, its good practice

K: Cminor
|:F|CGGC G2 CG|G2 FG BGFE|(3DCB, FB, GB,FB,|DB,DF BFDB,|
CGGC G2 CG|G2 FG Bcde|fdcd BGFB|B,CDF C3:|
|:d|cG ~G2 cede| cG ~G2 ecBG|(3FGF DF B,FDF|GFDF Bcde|
cG ~G2 cede| cG ~G2 Bcde| fdcd BGFB| B,CDF C3:|

# Posted on June 11th 2002 by donnchad

E dorian?

It looks like c only occurs twice in this reel and is sharped both times. So does that mean this is really E dorian rather than E minor? (I know, it doesn't really matter; I'm just hopelessly academic!)

At my local session I've heard Cooley's followed by The Golden Keyboard.

# Posted on June 12th 2002 by x

I don't think the C belongs in there, sharpened or not. Usually it's fiddlers or piano accordionists who like to stick neat leading notes in tunes. I would skip it, frankly.

I really like playing Cooley's into the Sligo Maid.

# Posted on June 13th 2002 by Bloomfield

Hexatonic

It's one of those tunes that's based on a scale that foregoes the 7th degree. In the key of "D" that would mean the scale would go
D E F G A B d, no C sharp or natural. Any six note scale is "Hexatonic" as any five note scale is "Pentatonic" most 8 tone western scales are "Diatonic" (I wonder why not "Octonic", maybe the minor 3rd & 6th are accounted for). As most Irish tunes are in the dorian mode (with a C# in the mode of E dorian) as opposed to the natural minor (C Natural in the scale of E minor) if you are going to play the C most players would use a C#, making it E dorian rather than E minor.

The Sligo Maid is another tune where the C is optional & the F is absent - it can be pentatonic or hexatonic. So it could be played or written in a key signiture with no sharps - true A minor, one sharp - A dorian or 2 sharps - A mixolydian. And none of them are wrong or right. As you can see - Irish music falls within the explanations of classical western theory, but it also blurs the lines a bit. It's because this music isn't rigid & allows for different approaches to it.

# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Mad Baloney

"Details" Correction

I noticed under the "Details" tab that Cooley's was listed as being included on Mary Berin's Fedeoga Stain. Cooley's is on one of the tracks, but it the Hornpipe by Paddy O'brien and not the reel.
The Hornpipe is a great piece also - a lot of fun to play.

# Posted on October 15th 2002 by ralpheym

"Details" needs no correction

Read the "Details" again: it doesn't say that this particular tune is on that album: it just says "Recordings of a tune by this name". There's a difference. :-)

# Posted on October 15th 2002 by Jeremy

Details Details

OK. I stand corrected.
IMHO it seems that it would be more useful information to know about albums that did have the particular tune. But thanks for pointing out the difference. - re

# Posted on October 15th 2002 by ralpheym

Put the Cake on the Dresser

I have an old recording of michael coleman playing "cooley's" under this name, and I have also heard it might be composed by Joe Mills. Does anyone know the origins of this tune?

# Posted on May 12th 2003 by Jamie

Composer

I found this on cranfordpub.com:

"In trying to search out the 'true' composer(s), I've read a few theories. The most likely comes from Allan Jardine, a folklorist who interviewed a number of Irish composer / musicians during the 1970s. In his interview with Galway accordionist Joe Mills:

"There has always been some contoversy over the authorship of the tune. According to Joe Mills, who does claim to be the composer, the story goes that Joe Cooley was a young lad of 18 or so when he first heard Joe Mills playing the tune, (1938). They were both members of the Aughrim Slopes Band and Cooley was reported to be mad for the tune. "He quickly learned it, and played it sometimes 2 and 3 times per night."
Joe Mills feels that this is why so many people came to associate the tunes with Cooley, as does even his own brother, Seamus.

Mill's title Luttrell's Pass refers to the Battle of Aughrim, fought in Joe Mills' neck of the woods in the early part of the 17th century. Other titles include Joe Cooley's Fancy (Tony McMahon recording), and the Tulla Reel, (Ceol Rince na hEireann, Vol. 1, #200.)

Below are a few of the other possibilities:

Dan Collins, a student of John McGrath, says that Sonny Brogan told him that Joe Cooley and himself wrote Cooley's Reel together. This seems unlikely since Brogan was interviewed by Jardine and no mention was made of this co-authorship.

Another claim that Joe Cooley was a co-author comes from his brother, Seamus. Charlie Piggott and Fintan Vallely's book includes an account in which Seamus says that he and Joe heard some old concertina play a tune that they couldn't remember all of, and that they reconstructed it themselves.

Reg Hall, the author of the booklet included with the 2 CD set Michael Gorman:The Sligo Champion, states that the original name of the tune is Put the Cake in the Dresser and that Gorman composed it. No one can dispute that the variations are his.

Don Meade of NYC, who directed me to much of the above information, also adds
"Jimmy Keane of Chicago tells me, he has an old manuscript from Co. Kerry with a tune called Leahy's that is the original Cooley's Reel ".

Mayo accordionist Vincent McGrath claims that his uncle John McGrath, composed it. McGrath died in 1955. There are a number of his students still living and none that I've talked to verify Vincent's claims. Only one tune their teacher wrote, an untitled D reel known as John McGrath's Composition is most certainly his.

We await confirmation..."

Interesting, isn't it?

Something I know for sure is that Michael Gorman wrote a third part for the tune, and called it Put the Cake on the Dresser. Here is a recording of him playing all three parts: http://www.cranfordpub.com/mp3s/michaelgorman1.mp3

-Max

# Posted on June 18th 2004 by Max Becher

Actually, first time I ever saw the c# there. I heard it played a little differently, esp. starting the 3rd bar with (3FED instead of just FD. Also, from the 7th bar - afge dBAF |1 DEFD EGFD :|2 DEFD Egfg | which is a nice transition. The way it's written here I really don't understand what's going on in the transition. Anyway, there are some more variations but never mind. It's always fun to find variations on this site, gives me ideas :)

# Posted on May 3rd 2005 by firelad

PS. I heard it played with Tarbolton Lodge, a tune I never quite managed to learn yet.

# Posted on May 3rd 2005 by firelad

Correction - Cooley's

Apologies, it wasn't Michael Coleman (as I stated above) but Michael Gorman who has this tune recorded as Put the cake in the dresser. However, the bio that I have on Gorman doesn't mention it was the third part he wrote, but says that he wrote the tune itself. Has anyone gotten anything more definitive? Gorman wrote the mountain road which usually has only two parts commonly played, but Gorman is recorded playing four / five on the recording I have. Could he actually of composed "Cooley's" and the third part is original / or a variation on a theme? Just curious.

j

# Posted on January 7th 2006 by Jamie

I have a recording of Alan Stivell (Breton harpist) playing this tune, but with another section included. On the track listing it is called E Kreiz Hag Endro. Does anyone else know it by this name? How does that fit in with the Cooley's/Mills debate??

# Posted on October 29th 2007 by rutharmstrong

Finally I know what this tune is!!!! I first heard it by Benoit Sauve (as much as of you here at thesession.org hate his playing) playing it in Bminor on a recorder (amazingly, that is).

# Posted on November 3rd 2007 by JosephC

The Dubliners' version

The Dubliners' version.

X: 1
T: Cooley's Reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
Z: olafure@gmail.com. 15. jun 2008
K: Emin
|:D2|EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB dBAG|FDAD BDAD|FDAD dAFD|
EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB defg|afef dBAF|DEFD E2:|
|:gf|eB ~B2 eBgB|eB ~B2 {a}gedB|A2 FA DFAB|BA FA defg|
eB ~B2 eBgB|eB B2 defg|afef dBAF|DEFD E2:|

# Posted on June 15th 2008 by middlefaster

Cooley's Reel in Dm?

Has anyone done a transcription of the Pat Surface's version of Cooley's on "Due North"? It's gorgeous but it would be nifty to have the notes.

# Posted on October 14th 2008 by bobbi

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

LOL, see: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/19370/

Why not suss it out from the recording by ear? I suspect you're eminently capable. :-)

# Posted on October 14th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

Yes, I am capable, you are right. This query is for a student, and for a combined learning process, which is the most powerful. Learn the tune by ear, prompt yourself with the written language of music--the notes. Also doing a comparision of versions, so it would be helpful. Anyhow, thanks, Will.

# Posted on October 14th 2008 by bobbi

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

fwiw, a really nice Dm setting of Cooley's can be heard on John Carty's album "I Will if I Can". In the liner notes JC calls Dm "the saddest of all keys". Don't know about that, but it's a lovely track.

# Posted on October 14th 2008 by octogreg

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

Good answer, Bobbi. Still, you'll be better off if you transcribe the tune yourself. Listening closely enough to jot a tune down, and mark in all the nuances you possible can, is a great way to gete inside a tune, even if you never come back to use the notation. You'll be able to more effectively teach the tune because you've dug into it so thoroughly.

My $0.02.

# Posted on October 14th 2008 by Will Harmon

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

octogreg, JC was quoting Spinal Tap there with the "saddest of all keys" thing ;-)

# Posted on October 15th 2008 by Reverend

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5dnVlbKgoM

# Posted on October 15th 2008 by Reverend

Re: Cooley's Reel in Dm?

You got there before me Reverend, I was thinking of that very scene after reading octogreg's comment about it being the saddest key sig.

I actually think B minor is the most heart renching

With E major being the happiest

# Posted on October 15th 2008 by D.J.F.

Cooleys

This reel seems to be one of the most recognized irish tunes out there... Anyone agree?

# Posted on April 6th 2009 by KonradA

Just in general

I live quite close to where joe cooley was from and evdry year they have this big fesival calle the cooley collins.its a week of real irishness.a mini willie clancy/milwown malbay.i have a tune that goes well with it also so il check it out.i love that a tune i hear played so lovingly locally is a bit hit in the session

# Posted on April 18th 2009 by Reelyconkored

I've heard this tune played as an interlude between verses in Star of the County Down.

# Posted on March 14th 2010 by Invincible

"Cooley's" in Scotland...

Some interesting comments above about the tune's origins. Thanks for that information. I reckon the band who made this tune common in Scotland was a 70s folk-rock band called "The JSD Band". It was on their very first album when the fiddler was Chuck Fleming. Certainly that's where Dougie MacLean and I learned it from, and we'll still bring it out in a session when we get the flute and the fiddle out. A genuine classic.

# Posted on August 4th 2010 by Kenny

3rd part....

Don't think Gorman's 3rd part adds anything, myself. His 2nd part is also slightly different from the more usual version.

# Posted on August 4th 2010 by Kenny

Tunes played with Cooley's

I like to play Bill Hart's just before and going into Cooley's Reel

# Posted on October 12th 2010 by Kaylee Johnson

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