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

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Teetotaler's

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 473 tunebooks.

Also known as The Bowl Of Coffee, O! My Foot, Prohibition, The Road To Newbridge, Teetotaler, The Teetotaler's Fancy, The Teetotaler, Teetotaler’s, The Teetotaler’s, Teetotalers, Teetotaller, Teetotaller's Fancy, The Teetotaller's, The Teetotaller, Teetotaller’s, The Teetotallers, Temperance, The Temperance, The Templehouse, The Temprance .

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Teetotaler's, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:G2 GF GABc|dBeB dBAc|BEED EFGA |BGAF GFED|
G2 GF GABc|dBeB dBAc|BEED EFGA |BGAF G4:|
|:Beed e2ef| gfaf gfed| B^cde d2ef| gfaf gfed|
Beed e2ef|gfaf gfed|BEED EFGA|BGAF G4:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Teetotaler's sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

This tune starts off with same first phrase as "The Sally Gardens" which can be quite confusing. It's probably not a good idea to play both tunes in one set.

The first part starts and ends with a fairly long G which could be nicely ornamented with a roll.

Apart from that, the tune is fairly straightforward and a lot of fun to play, especially as part of a set of fast reels at sessions. Try following this tune with a good, fast reel in D.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

In our sessions we have found this tune goes well with The Scholar.
The origin of the word "teetotaler" apparently goes back to a British parliamentary debate in the 19th century when the subject of abstinence (from alcohol) was being discussed. One of the speakers was advocating total abstinence, but, because he had a slight speech impediment it came out as "t-total abstinence". Hence the word "teetotal".

trevor

# Posted on December 3rd 2002 by lazyhound

I find the bit about the speech impediment highly unlikely, Trevor. Stuff like anecdotal accounts and acronyms used to explain the origin of words almost always get made up after the event and then become fact just because people repeat what they heard from someone else. The "T-" is more likely just for emphasis.

# Posted on August 22nd 2005 by Dow

Found this on the internet, so it MUST be true...

"There is general agreement that the first use of "teetotal" in reference to abstention from alcohol was in a speech to an English temperance society by a man named Richard Turner in 1833. Whereas some of his contemporaries drew a moral distinction between beer and hard liquor, Turner urged his listeners to abstain totally from all alcohol.

Contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that Turner recommended "tea" as an alternative to alcohol, or that his listeners were urged to mark the letter "T" for "Total Abstinence" on their pledge cards at the meeting. The "tee" tacked onto the front of "total" was just a common way, at that time, of giving extra emphasis to a word, a process linguists call "reduplication." (And yes, the term "reduplication" has always struck me as weirdly redundant.) The use of "teetotal" to mean "absolutely, totally" is well-documented in other, non-alcoholic writings of the day. For instance, one author, writing in 1885, had occasion to write, "I hope I may be tee-totally ruinated, if I'd take eight hundred dollars for him." "

# Posted on September 13th 2005 by Schy

The Teetotaller-acronyms and Irish tune names.

I agree with Dow: acronymic origins of words are suspect and unlikely. Take the Australian example of the common name for an emigrant from the Mother Country: POMMIE. It is often asserted that the derivation is from convict days:Prisoner Of Mother England. Unlikely, in my opinion. If one considers the complexion and "funny" accent of the "New Chum" then much more appealing is the idea that the childish chant and sarcastic association of: "Immigrant....Pomegranate!; Immigrant....Pomegranate!", (despite the disparity of syllables) is much more likely. Pomegranates, the fruit with the red,rosy sunburnt appearance, grow well in the antipodes. The names of Irish tunes are most likely to be based on the simplest origins. It is food for thought in another posting that there is a wonderful lack of religiosity in Irish tune names. Apart from the occasional Father Whosit's Fancy the music remains secular.

# Posted on December 10th 2005 by fairhairedboy

Acronyms

Sorry, that was meant to be "..........acronymic origins of TUNE NAMES..........."

# Posted on December 10th 2005 by fairhairedboy

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