Since 1994 TASC has been organising Events & Workshops to encourage the use and enjoyment of Folk Music in Mid Wales and the Borders

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FOLK TUNES 2019 (Steady Sessions)


These are the tunes we'll be using for the Steady Sessions (see right). Thanks to Almeley Steady Sessions (ASS) and Tuneworks (TW) for use of their material.

Tunes on this page use pdf format for which you will need acrobat reader or one of the other programmes that read pdfs. We used PDF Creator to create the pdfs on this page a free programme which can read and write pdf documents. We have also provided the tunes in abc format. If you are unfamiliar with abc read this short guide to abc from John Messenger.

The videos aren't always precisely the same as the dots - that's what makes folk music folk music - but are there to give an idea of the tune for those who like to work that way.

If you find the video is too fast to play along with, you can always use the YouTube controls to slow it down.

001 Will's Way

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - featuring Mick Phillips on fiddle,
    who follows it with Three Round Three (tune #015)

Comments: Don't worry! We won't play it as fast as this video.

This is in the mixolydian mode (it has a flattened 7th note in the scale) so that’s why it appears to be in D major, but lacks a C# in the key signature. (ASS)

002 Young Collins

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - of a traditional English Morris stick dance tune from the village of Bledington in Gloucestershire. Played here on a 30-button C/G Anglo concertina made by Harold Herrington.

Comments: Excellent morris tune. Play slowly!

003 Albert Farmer's Bonfire

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - played by Anahata, it's the second tune in set. (The first is the Fireside Polka written by Sue Harris).

Comments: None yet.

004 Captain Lanoe's Quick March

Comments: None yet.

005 Cock of the North

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - played by Clive Williams on a D/G melodeon

Comments: An old favourite.

006 Constant Billy

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video played by Jesse Smith on a D/G Hohner. Begins with the words, which aren't often heard.

Comments: None yet.

007 Ffidl Ffadl

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - Delyth Jenkins on harp, who begins with a simple version and develops the tune on repeated playing.

Comments: This film of the excellent Delyth Jenkins was funded by trac.

008 Fox and Geese

Comments: None yet.

009 Michael Turner's Waltz

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - played by Martin Ellison on the Eric Martin 2 row, 8 bass, DG melodeon

Comments: None yet.

010 The Cuckoo's Nest

Comments: None yet.

011 (The Moon and) Seven Stars

Comments: None yet.

012 The Plane Tree

Comments: None yet.

013 The Rattlin' Bog

Comments: None yet.

014 Salmon Tails (Up the Water)

Comments: None yet.

015 Three Round Three

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video Taken in Llandrindod Wells, Rhayader & Builth Wells

Comments: Musicians from Mid Wales who will be familiar to many of you. Video by Jackie at Tenterhook Times.

016 Tip Top Polka

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video -See #20 video of the Bacup Dancers

Comments: None yet.

017 Out on the Ocean

Comments: None yet.

018 The Road to Lisdoonvarna

Comments: None yet.

019 Fanny Power

Comments: None yet.

020 The Rochdale Coconut Dance

  • pdf
  • abc
  • video - played by Gavin Atkin for the Horsmonden Traditional Music Workshop. First time through at dance speed, second time through slower to learn from.
And as a bonus here's the Britannia Coco-Nutters of Rochdale in action but as the Dorking Folk Session website says "Many people assume that this tune is associated with the Britannia Coco-Nut Dancers of Bacup and it is often played with the Tip-Top Polka, a tune used by the nutters.
There is no evidence that a ‘coconut’ dance ever existed in Rochdale or that this tune was associated with the Bacup dancers."

Comments: None yet.

021 Step and Fetch Her