The Session >> Tunes >> The Old Bush (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Old Bush

reel

Key signature: Dmixolydian

Submitted on March 11th 2003 by gian marco.

This tune has been added to 329 tunebooks.

Also known as The Bush, Captain Rock, The Long Hills Of Mourne, Old Bush, The Ould Bush.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Old Bush, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
|:d^c|A2GA cA~A2|d^cde fdec|A2GA cA~A2|dfed cAd^c|
A2AG cAA2|d^cde ~f3g|af(3gfe fde^c|dfed cA:|
|:Ag|eg~g2 edcd|efge c3d|eg~g2 a2ge|dfed cAAg|
eg~g2 ag~g2|efge defg|af(3gfe fde^c|dfed cA:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Old Bush sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Source: Willy Clancy
Transcription: G.M.P.

I love this tune!

# Posted on March 11th 2003 by gian marco

Me too. Sounds lovely and dark on the flute.

# Posted on March 12th 2003 by glauber

Old Bush

A real classic - surprised it hasn't been posted before. A great favourite with pipers.

# Posted on March 12th 2003 by Kenny

Kenny has it right. Its a classic.

# Posted on March 12th 2003 by Atanos

Tune name

The Old Copperplate and The Old Bush are two different tunes, both great reels

# Posted on March 19th 2004 by reelymcneely

"the old bush" . guitar chords

Hi all
I'm looking for backing chords for "the old bush".

# Posted on August 19th 2004 by gian marco

This tune goes between A mixolydian and A Dorian - the D is just the first note.

# Posted on August 18th 2005 by wormdiet

Captain Rock

This title was given to the tune on a recording by Michael Coleman and Galway flute player Tom Morrison.

# Posted on August 29th 2006 by 52Paddy

Nice tune. Below is a version quite similar to Martin Hayes' open and spacious treatment on "The Lonesome Touch".
X:1
T:The Old Bush [1]
T:The Long Hills of Mourne
N:printed settings include CRE I 105, O'Neill's DMI 781
N:("Captain Rock") and Petrie's "Complete Collection" no. 907
R: reel
M:4/4
Z:Transcribed by Paul de Grae
L:1/8
K:Dmix
A2 GA cA ~A2 | d^cde fdec | A2 GA cAGA | dfef cAdc |
A2 GA cAGB | Add^c defg | (3agf (3gfe fde^c | dfed cA A2 ||
eg ~g2 edcd | efge ~c3 d | eg ~g2 afge | dfed cA A2 |
eg ~g2 ag ~g2 | fgfe defg | (3agf (3gfe fde^c | dfed cA A2 ||

# Posted on September 13th 2007 by drone

Watch M. Hayes play the tune with D. Cahill on the guitar: http://www.custysmusic.com/mall/CustysTraditionalMusicShop/martin_hayes_and_dennis_cahill.htm

# Posted on September 13th 2007 by slainte

Backing chords

when not paying attention (you know, someone throws it into a set in the middle of session and when the set is done you ask, "what was that third tune you played?" "Oh yeah, the Old Bush"), I tend to want to back this tune playing A modal or minor chords in the A part and E chords on the B part. But Ged Foley and Dennis Cahill (appears that is what Dennis is playing in slainte's link above) both taught it to me playing D modal chords in the A part and A chords in the B part. it just seems one of those tunes that defies specific chordal logic - and is all the btter for it IMHO.

# Posted on March 19th 2008 by daddae

I too tend to hear the A part in A modal, going to a D major chord. As for the B, I start on a C major and move up to D major (it looks like Cahill is doing something similar in the video, I think--it looks like he moves up to a D shape on the 10th fret as the second chord in the B section).

The first two measures of the B spell out a C major chord all over the place. Just another example where conventional progressions don't fit some of these tunes (whether those are harmonic or modal progressions).

# Posted on April 29th 2008 by dr_funkenstein

On their album *Soulstice*, Todd Denman and Aniar play "The Old Bush" in Dmajor under the name "The New Bush."

# Posted on October 1st 2008 by bdh

C

The C natural that comes out in the second part is so expressive. Love it every time.

# Posted on April 26th 2009 by Picopanpipe

what chords i have to play with my guitar?

# Posted on September 27th 2009 by michele bresciani

In response to a request in discussions, here are some chords for this tune: For the version seen in the sheetmusic:

|:Am - - - | D - - - |Am - - - | D - - - |
Am - - - | D - - - | D - - - | D - Am - :|
|:C - - - |C - - - |C - Am - |D - Am - |
C - - - |A(m) - D - |D - - -|D - Am - :|

N.B. A(m) indicates that either a major or minor chord can be used, according to taste.

For the alternate setting posted by Drone above, the last line needs to be altered thus:
C - - - |D - - - |D - - -|D - Am - :|

For an alternative accompaniment to the A part, you can stay on a D5 (D, but omitting the 3rd) chord throughout.

On the descending 'staircase' run in the penultimate bars of the A and B parts, you could elaborate, thus:

D G D A |
or
D A D G |
or
D Em D/F#2 - |

As for the alternative A-part accompaniment, the final bar of the B-part could use D5 throughout.

These are just a few out of many possibilities. Perhaps others will offer their chord choices.

# Posted on September 27th 2009 by OrganicPeatCreature

Taken from
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/22738
here are Tony O'Rourkes chords. They show perhaps less of the ear-twisting influence of classical, jazz, pop and funky modern trad backers than my convoluted effort above:


"I'm using zookman's computer but it's Tony O'Rourke here. I often play a D without the F or F# in it and refer to the chord as D Undefined.
My chords for Old Bush are something like this:

D C/ D / D C / D C / D C / D / D /D C //(1ST PART)
C / C G/ C /C Am/C /D /D /D C//(2ND PART)
I learnt the tune from a recording by banjo player Liam Farrell in a band called Le Cheile, with Raymond Roland on accordeon.
Regards
Tony O'Rourke"

# Posted on September 29th 2009 by OrganicPeatCreature

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