Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The American

reel

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on June 21st 2010 by Larry the Piper.

This tune has been added to 13 tunebooks.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: American, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
g| f2 df ecAc | acAc e2 eg | f2 df ecAc | dBGB d2 dg |
f2 df ecAc | acAc e2 eg | f2 ed efge | dBGB d2 dg ||
faec e2 Ag | faec e2 ef | faec efge |dBGB d2 dg :|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The American sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Sources of "The American Reel" after Neil Gow

This is a 'round' transcription of 'The American Reel' cited in Hugh Cheape's article "A Dance Called America" in The Voice - The Official Publication of the EUSPAB, Winter 2003, pg.23. Cheape, a well known Scottish historian and renowned piper, states this tune was "published by Niel Gow in the fifth of his books of fiddle music." Citing written documentation by James Boswell in the "Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Dr. Samuel Johnson" (pub. 1775), Cheape describes Boswell's account of a specific dance to a bagpipe tune. The dance was called, "America" and this reel is the tune Cheape suspects may have been played. Either way, this is a very nice tune with a solid documented history that connects Scotland, Ireland and America. Hope you like it.

# Posted on June 21st 2010 by Larry the Piper

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