I’ve been wondering if this forum could be used to compile a list of tunes widely considered to be standard to the repertoire of a reasonably accomplished piper/fluter/whistle player. Obviously what’s considered a mainstream tune in one area might be obscure to people elsewhere. But it might be possible to reach a consensus of what constitutes ‘100/200 reels every piper should have in their repertoire’ and for the same thing to be done for the flute/whistle repertoire. Such lists could never be definitive but they could serve as something for less experienced players, or those in the middle of nowhere, to focus their learning on. Any thoughts?
Hi Seanny,
There is a list of tunes taught at the “Southern California Uilleann Pipers Club” meetings with MP3 links. They are available at:
http://www.SoCalPipers.com/tunes.html
Patrick.
Patrick
The version of Dinky’s is interesting on that site…the one I play is a wee bit different, it has various bits where you drop from back d to bottom D and then back up [in the second half]…different key I guess.
Which version is it that you play yourself?
Boyd
Ac dDDD dAeA dDDD dcAB cEEE cEdE cEEE cABc dDDD dAee dDDD
dcAB cccA BBAG FGEG DD
Ac dDDD dAee dDDD dcAB cEEE cEdE cEEE cABc dddB cccA BBBG AGAB
cccA BBAG FGEG DDAG
[air-piped there as I’ve only got a pen here at work and this is one of those tunes I learnt by ear and haven’t looked at the notes before!!! 
]
looks as if some 150 people looked by, and then decided either that they hadn’t got the time or that the discussion would prove inconclusive.
One rule of thumb if you’re relying on written collections is to look for tunes in G or D, with lots of bottom D’s, and avoid all those screechy fiddlers’ tunes in E.
Some obvious candidates would include Fraher’s Jig, Garret Barry and Banish Misfortune - indeed you can play those three as a set in that order and any piper will feel at home with you.
More advanced tunes would include the Gold Ring (Ennis and Clancy versions), the Hurlers’ March.
Why do I always think of jigs rather than reels?
Do what most of us do: buy a lot of piping CDs and spend a lot of time listening to them. Most of them feature the kind of core piping repertoire you’re asking about. I’d skip the record labels and go place a big order at the NPU website for 8-10 CDs, members get a discount.
They also have some books with transcriptions available; Seamus Ennis’s The Master’s Touch, The Dance Music of Willie Clancy,
The Piping of Patsy Touhy, and the Leo Rowsome collection are worthwhile, as are the Ceol Rince na hEireann series. Use the books in conjunction with the recordings. Use slow down software if you have to, it’s extremely helpful and you’re certain to get a better sense of the tune that way.
Who’s playing the pipes there lad? I hear two or three different pipers, I think.
Hi Lorenzo,
It’s mostly Michael Eskin playing on the site. He got all these clips together for it and adds new ones as he comes across them.
Hi Boydy Boy,
Your version is a version I heard of Dermott and Joe McLoughlin playing on a radio show in the 80’s. Mighty playing!!! It’s also the version I play. The one Michael plays on the site is the A version (afaik) and is more common to fiddlers.
Patrick.
Now this is strange, I just asked the IRTRAD crowd what this Dinky’s tune was, it had been in my head, I didn’t know the name. I also didn’t realize it was played in A, I sent a bunch of guesswork ABC in D. I’m going to persist in playing it in D. Cranville! Nice that you de-semitoned Paddy Fahy’s. If you ever hear Paddy play that himself, you’ll find that it’s full of sorta Bbs and kinda Fnats.
I think you mean avoiding fiddle tunes in A, Roger, unless the fiddlers in your area are real sickos!
It’s basically the version Flynner plays on “Words and Music”.. one of my fav Planxty albums. The version of this tune I now play, on the B set anyway, has a few Bb’s and Fnat’s thrown in… gives a great laid back feeling to the tune.
PD.
I’d be in that group of 150. My own approach to “core tunes” is to learn what’s being played in the local sessions and go on from there. I’d play along when I knew the tune and sit out when when they played something I didn’t know and I always went home with a list of specific tunes to work on.
Learning tunes that way was a whole lot easier for me than trying to work through a list of tunes. Of course, I still have my own personal piping projects that have nothing to do with playing with others, but that’s another list.
Bread and Butter Tunes?? 
Air/Songs
The Banquet
Fill the Cup
Barley Grain
White Bread and Butter
Slip Jig
Hunting the Hare
Reels
Molly, put the kettle on
New Potatoes
Gooseberry Bush
Double Jigs
Wallop the Potlid
Apples in Winter
Boiled Goats Milk
Crabs in the Skillet
Bannocks of Barley Meal
Do you want any more
Fat mans Fancy
All in O’Neils 1850
Slan go foil
Liam
Patrick
You’re bang on there…it was a Joe McLaughlin recording I took Dinky’s from.
Boydy Boy
www.strathspeyinmay.com