Key signature: Amajor
Submitted on December 18th 2004 by snowyowl.
This tune has been added to 40 tunebooks.
Also known as Yankee, The Yankee.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Banjo Breakdown
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Amaj
AAA c2 e|a2 e c2 e|AAA d2 f| a2 f d2 f|AAA c2 e|a2 e c2 e|BBB c2 e|BBB c2 e|AAA c2 e|a2 e c2 e|AAA d2 f| a2 f d2 f|efg agf|e2 d c2 B|Ace aec|A3 A3||a2 e c2 e|a2 e c2 e| a2 f d2 f| a2 f d2 f|a2 e c2 e|a2 e c2 e|BBB c2 e|BBB c2 e|a2 e c2 e|a2 e c2 e|efg agf|e2 d c2 B|Ace aec|A3 A3||AAA c2 e|AAA c2 e|BBB d2 f|BBB d2 f|AAA c2 e|AAA c2 e|B2 e ccc|BBB c2 e|AAA c2 e|AAA c2 e|BBB d2 f|BBB d2 f|efg agf|e2 d c2 B2| Ace aec|A3 A3|| aee cee| aee cee| aff dff| aff dff| aee cee| aee cee|BBB c2 e|BBB c2 e| aee cee| aee cee| aff dff| aff dff| efg agf| e2 dc2 B| Ace aec|A3 A3||
Posted in respone to a request by g00se. I think this tune is American. It should be played with a lilt to it.
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by snowyowl
In Richard Robinson's Tunebook, Scotland is cited as the origin of this tune. It is certainly part of the Highland piping repertoire.
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by ragaman
Sorry - Corrections.
This is a Scottish pipe-tune.
There are no G sharps - all are natural.
There are no high "b" notes, that should be "B"[ end of 2nd line of music].
Two bars have been missed out in the 2nd part.
7th and 8th bars in 4th part are not what is commonly played.
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by Kenny
Have edited ABC, thanx kenny. This is my setting of the tune so it is slightly different. I've always been told it is American though
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by snowyowl
I could not find this tune any where on the web! Many Thanks snowyowl
I looked all over the place for this tune(on the internet that is). I have a short recording of it (played on the bag pipes). Becasue the name of the tune contains Banjo i thought it was Bluegrass? Whatever it is. it sounds good on the Mandolin!
Thanks again
# Posted on December 20th 2004 by g00se
One of the original flash tunes
This used to be a kitchen tune long before Norman Gillies got hold of the Mason's Apron. There used to be versions of it in every rhythm imaginable - hornpipe, reel, strathspey, jig, etc, plus a couple of really wierd and wonderful creations never heard now. Kitchen piping is by far the most poorly studied aspect of Highland piping, but snatches of it exist in the literature going as far back as you care to look...
# Posted on December 26th 2004 by Calum
Banjo Breakdown
This is a very old bagpipe tune. it was written by Donald MacPhee and first published in 1876 as 'Yankee', a hornpipe. it has been played as a strathspey, a jig and a reel.
there are eight parts.
See 'The Highland Bagpipe and its Music', by Roderick Cannon, FSA(Scot). John Donald Publishers Edinburgh 1995.
topsedin
# Posted on February 16th 2006 by topsedin
"Plethen Peswar Luf" / "The 4-Hand Reel" (the dance) ~ relatives?
Key signature: D Major
Submitted on January 18th 2007 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6656
# Posted on January 19th 2007 by ceolachan
"The Banjo Breakdown" ~ filling in blanks and other ways
K: A Major
|: e |
A>AA c2 e | a2 e c2 e | A>AA d2 f | a2 f d2 f |
[1 A>AA c2 e | a2 e c2 e | B>BB c2 e | B>BB c2 :|
[2 efg agf | efe dcB | Ace aec | A3 A2 ||
|: e |
a2 e c2 e | a2 e c2 e | a2 f d2 f | a2 f d2 f |
[1 a2 e c2 e | a2 e c2 e | B>BB c2 e | B>BB c2 :|
[2 efg agf | efe dcB | Ace aec | A3 a2 ||
|: e |
A>AA c2 e | A>AA c2 e | B>BB d2 f | B>BB d2 f |
[1 A>AA c2 e | A>AA c2 e | B2 e ccc | BBB c2 :|
[2 efg agf | efe dcB | Ace aec | A3 A2 ||
|: e |
aee cee | aee cee | aff dff | aff dff |
[1 aee cee | aee cee | Bee cee | Bee c2 :|
[2 efg agf | efe dcB | Ace aec | A3 a2 ||
# Posted on January 19th 2007 by ceolachan
"The Fiddle Music of the Scottish Highlands: Ceol na Fidhle Volumes 1 & 2"
Compiled and arranged by Christine Martin
Published by Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, 1998 / 2002
ISBN: 1-871931-320
Page 78: "Banjo Breakdown"
This is a great little collection, recommended, and it also comes with recordings, 2 Cds in the modern edition...
# Posted on January 19th 2007 by ceolachan
"Banjo Breakdown" ~ more than one probably 'misunderstanding'
1800's ~ same ol, same ol?
First, if not already obvious, this has a more secure feel as being 4/4. Who's to say that the folks back then didn't make the same mistakes we still do to this day? Yeah, someone in Scotland has put their name to it way back in 1876's ~ and curiously by the name "Yankee"!? Does that and 'Breakdown' suggest an American connection? I think so. When I said this was familiar in the 'Comments' for "Plethen Peswar Luf" above I should have said that I had a sneaking suspicion I'd seen it in one of the several American tune collections...but I couldn't prove it because I don't have access to much of my library at the moment, which includes the likes of Howe's and Cole's.
And putting your name to what exactly? I have seen old 32 bar tunes macerated at the hands of pipers many times ~ including questionable claims in old piping collections. Alright, I can imagine they 'ARRANGED' it from your old standard 32 bar dance tune ~ into a multi-part behemoth, yeah, but it seems a bit silly to put your name to it, however, the classical musicians did it, and the Scots are well impressed to the point of following that fad, especially pipers, and it isn't just Scots pipers, the Northumbrian crowd enjoy a fancy like that too. Go on, give me any 32 bar tune and tell me how many parts of variations you want...
Of course, they do that in the classical style too, getting progressively notey as they go along. In some cases there's also the practice of taking one melody and making it into different tune forms ~ no change there either, nothing new.
"Breakdown" ~ yeah, well, mostly I have found that name attached to 4/4 melodies, not that you couldn't do else with any title.
So, my conclusions, and I may be wrong, but I think that the Scots piper mentioned above, Donald MacPhee, DIDN'T actually compose this melody, but dicked around with it and made it into an 8-part collection of variations, very common... There are other examples on site here, and some Irish, like Sean Maguire, enjoyed the same fancy...not always feeling the need to put their name to it.
Look close at this 4-part transcription, the 3rd & 4th parts are just variations on the 1st & 2nd. Also, as said, it wouldn't be the first time I've seen a 4/4 swung tune taken as a jig... In this case the repeat of that 'mistake' has been carried over time...
Alright, now I expect to be thrashed by my peers and superiors. It wouldn't be the first time... We have this want to believe the past is sacrosanct, that they knew what they were about. Come on gang, how many times has Thomas Tallis been ripped off, and not always credited, and then the composer, some famous, put their own name to the variations and arrangement? It is still being done, and on site here, sometimes with only a measure of difference, or a change of key, if that...
# Posted on January 20th 2007 by ceolachan
Banjo Breakdown as played by Dysart and Dundonald
Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band - the World Champions in the 1970s - have an interesting arrangement of this tune with jig and hornpipe versions and involving a harmonic "Bluebells of Scotland" on their CD "Live in Concert - Ballymena 1983" which is currently released.
I hope to shortly have the jig version of this tune on the Celtic Fringe website with added fifth and sixth part variations.
# Posted on July 28th 2007 by perthling2