i’ve been in a rut with the same sort of session tunes. Does anyone feel like sharing some titles of reels, jigs or airs that arent commonly played at music sessions. I know whats “common” may not be for others but im looking for tunes to learn that aren’t bread and butter ones.
How about some Carolan and/or airs?
Here’s a couple that I’ve picked up recently that I think are great tunes.
The Galway Rambler (great flute reel)
One of my favorite jigs that’s not often played (around here anyway):
Scarce O’Tatties (I like to put this in front of Banish Misfortune).
There’s a bunch of great tunes in Vince Broderick’s “Traditional Irish Flute Solos” (also on "The Turoe Stone) too. Also check out John Skelton’s A Few Tunes and A Few More Tunes. There’s HEAPS of great tunes in those.
(Edit: I splel gud)
If it’s “obscure” tunes you want, here are some tunes which I’ve posted at “The Session.org”. None have been commercially recorded, as far as I know. I know nothing at all about them or their origins, and have named the first 3 reels after the players whom I recorded playing them. If anyone recognises them, I would appreciate any information about them.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4874
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5557
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4476
Here are a few “Gan Ainm”s as well :
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5894
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4188
We have one in our local tunebook that doesn’t get played much
at session. It’s called the Colerane Jig, and it almost sounds like
Klezmer instead of ITM, but it is apparantly Irish trad…
http://thesession.org/tunes/display/17
It is good practice for half-holing the G#. You can slide up from
the E to the Fnat in the B part, which makes that half-hole easier.
Another is a neat Adorian tune someone trotted out at a recent
learning session. No one else had heard of it. It’s called “Cold
Frosty Morning”, and it sounds rather gypsy-ish (especially
when played on a button box and a fiddle)
‘Coleraine’ is a common tune in New England, and is included in the popular “New England Fiddler’s Repertory” book. It’s played at contras regularly.
‘Cold Frosty Morning’ is commonly played in old-time (stringband) music.
I believe both have Irish roots.
Faeries Hornpipe is nice–I found it in O’Neill’s
Also, I’m not sure if a lot of sessions play Monaghan Jog, but it’s one of my favorites.
One of our session’s favorite sets is Red Haired Boy, Reconciliation, Star of Munster, all reels.
Here´s a nice strathspey I transcribed back in 1983. It´s from an old LP, “I love Scotland”, from the 1960-ies with Rob Gordon (accordion). I wasn´t that sure about the strathspey rhythm then (and how it´s usually notated), so it´s notated rather “straight”. I hope you´ll like it!
C:trad, Scotland
S:as played by Rob Gordon
O:Scotland
Z:Klas Krantz 1983
N:Two tunes: Boatie Rows and Willie brewed a of malt
R:Strathspey
Q:“Andante”
L:1/8
M:2/4
K:G
|: d | Bd dd/e/ | dg a/g/f/e/ | dB BA/G/ | B2Ad|
Bd dd/e/ | dg a/g/f/e/ | dB A/G/A | G3 :|: d |
gd de/f/ | gd dg | e>d eg | a4 |
gb eg | d>g dB | AG AB/A/ | “Fine” G3 
K:D
|: F/G/ | Ad B/A/G/F/ | Be d/c/B/A/ | d>B AF| BE EF/G/ |
Ad B/A/G/F/ | Be d/c/B/A/ | d>B AG | F/A/D D
|:d/e/ | fd ec | d/c/B/A/ dF | GB Ad/e/| fd ed/e/ |
fd ec | d/c/B/A/ dF | GB Ad/e/ | “D.C. al Fine” fd d :|]
/Falkbeer
For some curious reason the Chiff and Fipples editor coded the key of second tune Willie brewed a peck of malt" as “Big Grin”. It should be “K:D” D major.
You really need to disable the smilies when posting abc notation. That’ll take care of the “Big Grin”.
I found this site recently
http://nassau.globat.com/~beatbrokerz.biz/acapella/files
9 gigs of acapella mp3’s.
It’s not my ‘thing’ exactly, but somebody might like it.
No whistles 
How could they 
Thanks!
Here´s Ship of graca again, I´ll hope it works better now.
I have corrected some errors too.
X:1
T:23. Ship of grace
C:trad, Scotland / as played by Rob Gordon
S:as played by Rob Gordon
O:Scotland
Z:Klas Krantz
N:Two tunes: Boatie Rows and Willie brewed a of malt
R:Strathspey
Q:“Andante”
L:1/8
M:2/4
K:G
d | Bd dd/e/ | dg a/g/f/e/ |dB BA/G/ | B2Ad |
Bd dd/e/ | dg a/g/f/e/ | dB A/G/A|G3|
|: d | gd de/f/ | gd dg | e>d eg | a4 |
gb eg | d>g dB | AG AB/A/ | G3 :|]
K:D
F/G/ | Ad B/A/G/F/ | Be d/c/B/A/ | d>B AF |
BE E F/G/ | Ad B/A/G/F/ | Be d/c/B/A/ | d>B AG | F/A/D D |
|:d/e/ | fd ec | d/c/B/A/ dF | GB Ad/e/ | fe e d/e/ |
fd ec | d/c/B/A/ dF | GB Ad/e/ | fd d :|]
I heard this set and fell in love with it.
Edinburgh RocK
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5450
Bunny’s Hat
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/738
Trip to Pakistan
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/112
It can be heard here with McGoldrick and Becky Taylor:
http://www.kerrywhistles.com/movies/Dave_Williams_Tribute_05j1.wmv
At the very least listen to it…it really grooves.
thanks for the responses, this is great.
Here’s 3:
Dusty Bob’s (jig)
Alasdair of the Dun (Scottish Polka). (I may have mis-spelled that first word, but you can search by “of the dun”)
Cutting Bracken. (aka, I’m so tired of cutting bracken)
really enjoying that "Scarce O’Tatties " tune, thanks a bunch.
Im enjoying Trip To Pakistan. Thanks to Mike for that.