The Session >> Tunes >> Toss The Feathers (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Toss The Feathers

reel

Key signature: Dmixolydian

Submitted on June 14th 2001 by Miss Lonelyhearts.

This tune has been added to 585 tunebooks.

Also known as The Creaking Headboard, Croith Na Cleití, Toss The Corrs.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Toss The Feathers
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
|:D2 FD ADFD|ABcA G~E3|D2 (3FED ADFA|d2 ed cAGE|
|(3DDD AD (3DDD AD|ABcA G~E3|cABG A2 AB|1 cded cAGE:|2 cded cAGc||
|:Ad (3ddd Ad (3ddd|Ad (3ddd ed^cd|eaag a2 ag|eaag ed^cd|
|efge afge|dfed cAGB|cABG A2 AB|1 cded cAGc:|2 cded cAGE|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
Toss The Feathers sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Toss the Feathers (II)

One of my all-time favorite tunes. Kevin Burke rips through a tremendous version on his If the Cap Fits cd. This tune is quite different from the more common Toss the Feathers reel, and we play them in a set, giving rise to lots of odd looks when someone asks, "Great tunes! What are they called?" You can emphasize the long d in measure 4 of Part A and the long a in measure 3 of Part B by sliding up to those notes. I also tend to add triplets to the stair-step phrases (|cABG A2| becomes |(3cBA BG A2|, and in Part B |afge...| becomes |(3aaf ge...|). Finally, go with the bluesy feel of that c natural in a D tune by sharping the G in the end phrase that comes around in each half: |cAB^G A2...|

# Posted on June 14th 2001 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Toss the Feathers

Cool tune. found sound recording really useful as it was very slow and allowed us to learn the tune very easily. thanks!

# Posted on September 3rd 2001 by Bonxie

This version more common

Actually, this setting of the tune is the more well known. Kevin Burke popularized the emin version, but most veterans know this setting as Toss the Feathers--especially in Clare

# Posted on January 14th 2003 by pchaffee

Yep, I've noticed that, based on recordings of Clare musicians and sessions. On this side of the pond, both tunes are fairly widespread, but seems to me more people know the Em one.

# Posted on January 15th 2003 by Miss Lonelyhearts

True Story

Breandan's true story in the sessions section reminded me of one I'd forgotten about:

Matt and Shannon Heaton had started up a tune learning session at the Small Circle coffeehouse in Longmont. One of the first tunes they taught us was the Clare version of Toss the Feathers. So we're all stomping away, roaring it out.

Now, the session at the Small Circle takes place on a small "stage" built of plywood covered by vinyl flooring. It's very bouncy and loud -- tapping your foot sounds like someone hitting a bodhran fairly hard.

Somehow, none of us noticed that Matt's enormous latte (his very favorite kind, but I can't remember what kind that is, exactly) was headed off the table, and after about three times through the tune, pop! Off it went, right into Matt's open fiddle case. (He was playing the fiddle at the time, thank god.) Great consternation and mopping up, with Matt moaning that he'd only gotten one sip out of it -- I think he was more crushed about losing the latte than he was over the mess in his case. :)

Zina

# Posted on March 19th 2003 by Zina Lee

I think this is a newer version

It's nice on Accordion or Concertina (Galway versions?)
but I suspect the earlier version - see John
Roche - is the correct one, anyway that is the
way Swarbrick used do it;probably during the
early days of O'Riada when there was no real need
to be 'session' wary. I think on fiddle, Trevor,
your version sounds overdone wheras the old one
seems to fit like a glove - made for the fiddle I
think.

# Posted on September 13th 2003 by sorefingers

Toss The Feathers (as a single reel)

I heard this played in my local session as "Toss The Feathers #3". I see that it's posted on JC's as the "Clare version" by none other than Zina. It's the same setting as the one I heard at our session:

K:Dmix
D2AD EDAD|D2AG EAGE|D2AD EDEG| AddB cAGE:|2 AcGE EDD2||
Add^c d2cd|ed^cd ed~d2|eaag ed^cd|ed^cd ed~d2|
eaag efge|dged cAGE|D2AD EGAB|cded cAGE||

# Posted on November 23rd 2004 by Dow

Yes, this is what I've been looking for! Thanks Anderson-san. I really don't know exactly why, but this is the standard version of the tune played in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It's a bit weird that unusual Clare versions of common tunes are popularised in the city, considering none of Irish people residing there have Clare origin. I guess some of the musicians picked up tunes while visiting the county for ceili band competitions.

# Posted on November 23rd 2004 by slainte

Toss the Feathers

Listen to James Kelly playing the unusual Clare setting of the tune: http://www.claddaghrecords.com/www/music/mp3/NOV2004/JKM0147trk1.mp3 I think it's almost the same as what Dow transcribed above.

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by slainte

Set?

could someone suggest some good tunes to play along with 'toss the feathers'?

thanks:)

# Posted on February 2nd 2005 by vinicius

Toss the Feathers #3

Here's my version of the tune:

K: Dmix
D2AD EDAD|D2AG EAGE|D2AD EGAB|cded cAGE|
D2AD EDAD|D2AG EAGE|D2AD EGAB|cAGE EDD2||
Add^c d2cd|ed^cd edd2|eaag ed^cd|ed^cd edd2|
eaag efge|dfed cAGE|D2AD EGAB|cded cAGE||

Well, it's actually a mixture of Dow's setting posted above and James Kelly's. I personally like playing it a little bit slowly.

# Posted on March 21st 2005 by slainte

My version of TTF #3

K:Dmix

|D2 AD EDAD|D2 AG EAGE|D2 AD EDEG|AddB cAGE|
|D2 AD EDAD|D2 AG EAGE|D2 AD EDEG|cAGE ED D2|

|Add^c d2 cd|ed^cd ed d2|eaag ed^cd|ed^cd ed d2|
|eaag efge|dged cAGE|D2 AD EDEG|AddB cAGE|

John Dwyer learnt this from Sonny brogan.

# Posted on September 22nd 2006 by 52Paddy

By the corrs

the corrs perform this tune full of energy

# Posted on October 4th 2006 by crescent_jules

"Toss the Feathers" a la Corrs? ~ this is offered as a curiosity

# Posted on December 12th 2006 by redindygo

"Here's a flute tab I found on the Corrs discussion group."

Toss the Feathers

(1) D E D A D E D A B C A G E D E
D E D A D E D A D D B C A G E
D D A D E D A B C A G E E
1. C A B G A A B C D E D C A G E :||
2. C A B G A A B C D E D C A G B

(2) A D D A D D A D D E D C D
E A A G A G E A A G A G E D
E F# G E A F# G E F# E D D C A B
1. C A B G A A B C D E D C A G B :||
2. C A B G A A B C D E D C A G E D

# Posted on December 12th 2006 by redindygo

& here is my attempt to make sense of the weird notation, TAB FOR FLUTES ~ who came up with that, and how useless sense there's nothing to distinguish not length or pitch? I would love to know, if there's anyone who can answer that??? Anyway, here's the bits worked back in as best as I was able to figure it, at least cleaned up and making abit more sense:

K: D Mixolydian
|: D2 ED ADED | ABcA GEDE | D2 ED ADED | AddB cAGE
D2 DA D2 ED | ABcA GE E2 | cABG A2 AB |1 cded cAGE :|
2 cded cAGB ||
Ad d2 ad d2 | Ad d2 ed^cd | eaag a2 ge | a2 ag aged
efge a2 fg | efed dcAB | cABG A2 AB |1 cded cAGB :|
2 cded cAGE ||

# Posted on December 12th 2006 by ceolachan

~ yes, the nap... Did I suggest 'clarity'? Here's a correction:

~ " ~ since there's nothing to distinguish note length of pitch? ~ "

Just a few slips there, not too bad... :-/

# Posted on December 12th 2006 by ceolachan

AAA! ~ "note length or pitch?" Good night all...

# Posted on December 12th 2006 by ceolachan

The Flute TAB has scrambled my brain cells...

# Posted on December 12th 2006 by ceolachan

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