Lexington Irish Session
Sets Tune Index
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Sets Tune Index
Native Cafe Table

Welcome to the Lexington Irish Session

Come enjoy traditional Irish dance music in a friendly and welcoming environment.

Sessions are where musicians and singers of traditional Irish music meet to play tunes informally together. The Lexington Irish Session is open to anyone who would like to come play; listeners are welcome as well. (So are dancers who want to improvise while we play!) Some of the most common instruments are fiddle, flute, whistle, bodhran, guitar, concertina, accordion, mandolin, pipes, bouzouki, harp, and voice, but anyone who plays this type of music is welcome.

What is an Irish Session?

Questions? Email lexington.irish.session@pm.me.

Upcoming

Sets

Here is a selection of common sets we play.

If you would like to see a running list of previous sets played at the the session and slow session see this spreadsheet.

Reel Sets

Audio: Cooley's - Wise Maid (unaccompanied)

Instrument: flute 
T: Cooley's
R: Reel
M: C|
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:D2|"Em"EBBA B2EB|B2AB dBAG|"D"FDAD BDAD|FDFA BAGF|
"Em"EBBA B2EB|B2AB defg|"D"afec dBAF|DEFD "Em"E2:|
|:gf|"Em"eBB2 eBgB|eBB2 gedB|"D"A2FA DAFA|A2FA defg|
"Em"eBB2 eBgB|eBB2 defg|"D"afec dBAF|DEFD "Em"E2:|
 
T: The Wise Maid
R: Reel
M: C|
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:"D"F3G FEDE|FAAB AFED|d2eg fdec|dBAG "A"BEE2|
"D"F3G FEDE|FAAB AFED|d2eg fdec|1) "A"dBAG "D"FDD2:||2) "A"dBAG "D"FDFA||
|:"D"d2AG FDFA|dfaf "A"gfeg|"D"fAdf "A"eAce|"G"dfed "A"cAA2|
"G"BDGB "D"ADFA|dfaf gfed|"G"Bdce "D"dBAG|"A"FGEF "D"D2FA:||"A"FGEF "D"D4||
Audio: The Concertina - Ships Are Sailing- Father Kelly's (unaccompanied)

Instrument: fiddle 
T: Concertina Reel
R: reel
M: C|
K: D
  A2FA BAFA|A2FA BAFA|B2cA BAcA|B2cA BAFG |
  A2FA BAFA|A2FA BAFE|FABc d2dB|AFEF D2FG:|
|:Add2 Add2|AddA BAFA|B2cA BAcA|BAcA BAFG |
  Add2 Add2|AddA BAFE|FABc d2dB|AFEF D4  :|
 
T: Ships are Sailing
R: reel
M: C|
K: Em
"Em"Beed BcdB|"D"ADFD ADFA|"Em"E3F "D/F#"GFGA|"G"Beef "D"gfed|
"Em"Beed BcdB|"D"ADFD ADFA|"Em"E3F GFGA|1) "Em"Beed e4:|2) "Em"Beed e3f||
"Em"g3a  bgeg|"D"f2fg afdf|"Em"gfga bgeg|"D"fede "Em"e3f|
"Em"g2ga bgeg|"D"fefg afdf|"G"g2bg "D/F#"fgaf|1) "Em"edef "D"gfef:|2) "Em"edef "D"gfed||
 
T: Father Kelly's
R: Reel
M: C|
K:G
"G"B2GB AGEG|"G"DGGF G2AB|"C"cBAB  cBAG|"D"EAAG FDGA|
"G"B2GB "D/F#"AGEG|"G"DGGE "G/B"GABc|"C"d2Bd  gdBd|1) "D"cFEF "G"G3A :|2) "D"cAFA "G"GABc||
"G"d2Bd gdBd|dGBd gdBd|"A"e2^ce "A/C#"agfe|"D"defg agfe|
"G"d2Bd gdBd|"G/B"dGBd gdBd|"C"c2Ac  "Am"BAGB|1) "D"AGFA "G"GABc :|2) "D"AGFA "G"G3A||

Jig Sets

Audio: Kesh - Morrison's - Tripping Up the Stairs (unaccompanied)

Instrument: flute 
T: The Kesh
R: Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G3 GAB|A3 ABd|edd gdd|edB dBA|
  G3 GAB|A3 ABd|edd gdB|AGF G3:|
|:B3 dBd|ege dBA|B2B dBG|A3 AGA|
  B3 dBd|ege dBd|g3 aga|bgf g3:|
 
T: Morrison's
R: Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:E3 B3|EBE AFD|EDE B3|dcB AFD|
E3 B3|EBE AFD|G3 FGA|dAG FED:|
Bee fee|aee fee|Bee fee|a2g fed|
Bee fee|aee fee|gfe d2A|BAG FGA|
Bee fee|aee fee|Bee fee|faf def|
g3 gfe|def g2d|edc d2A|BAG FED|
 
T: Tripping Up the Stairs
R: Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:FAA GBB|FAd fed|cBc ABc|dfe dAG|
FAA GBB|FAd fed|c2c ABc|1)dfe d2A:|2)dfe dBc||
|:dBB fBB|f3 fed|cAA eAA|e3 edc|
dBB fBB|f3 fed|cBc ABc|1)dfe dBc:||2)dfe d2A||
Audio: Connaughtman's Rambles - Pipe On the Hob (unaccompanied)

Instrument: flute 
T: Connaughtman's Rambles
R: Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:FAA dAA|BAB dAG|FAA dfe|  d2B BAG |
  FAA dAA|BAB def|gfe dfe|1 d2B BAG:|2 d2B B2g||
|:fbb faa|fef ded|fbb faa|  fed e3  |
  fbb faa|fef def|gfe dfe|1 d2B B2g:|2 d2B BAG||
 
T: The Pipe On The Hob
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A|: d^cd A2G |F2D DED |EDE cBc|  E2D DFA  |
    dcB cBA  |BAG A2G |EDE cBc|1 E2D D2A :|2 E2D D2e||
 |: f2d d^cd |f2d d^cd|edB c2d|  ede age  |
 [1 f2d d^cd |f2d d^cd|ede age|  ed^c d2e:|
 [2 ~f3 ~g3  |agf g2e |fed eag|  ed^c d2A||

Slip Jig Sets

T: Little Fair Canavans
R: Slip Jig
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: G
|:  A|BAG AGE GED|EGD DEG A2c|BAG AGE GED|EGD DEF G2:|
|:  A|Bdd edd BAG|Bdd edB A2c|Bdd edd BAG|GED DEF G2:|

T: Redican's Mother
R: Slip Jig
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
  A|FAA FAd AFD|FAA FAd B2A|FAA FAd AFD|EDB, DFA B2:|
|:e|f3 faf edB|Aff fef g2e |f3 faf edB|AFE DFA B2 :|
 
T: Humours of Derrycrossane
R: Slip Jig
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: G
G|:B2B BAB c2c|BAG BdB ABc|BAG BdB cde|1)dBG GAF G2A:|2) dBG GAF GBd||
 |:g3  edc Bcd|ecA ABG A2d|g2g edc Bcd|  gdB GAF GBd |
   g3  edc Bcd|ecA ABG A2B|def gfe def|  gbg agf gdc ||  B3

Polka Sets

Audio: Julia Clifford's - I Looked East And I Looked West - Scartaglen (unaccompanied)

Instrument: fiddle 
T:I Looked East And I Looked West
R:Polka
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:G
GB BA/G/|FA AB/A/|GA Bc|   d2 cA     |
GA BA/G/|FA A>B  |cA FA|1) G2 GD    :|2) G2 GB/c/||
dg fe   |fA A>B  |cd ef|   g2 fe     |
dg fe   |fA A>B  |cA FA|1) G2 GB/c/ :|2) g2 GD||
 
T:Julia Clifford's
R:Polka
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:D
f>a ge|f>a ge |fd ed      |  e/f/e/d/ Bd    |
f>a ge|f>a ge |fd e/f/e/c/|1)d2       de   :|2) d2 dB||
A2 A>B|Af  a>f|ed ef/e/   |  dA       Bd/B/ |
A2 AF |Af  a>f|ed ef/e/   |1)d2       dB   :|2) d2 d2||
 
T:Scartaglen
R:Polka
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:G
GG/G/ GA      |Bd de/f/   |gB B/A/G/A/|  BA A2    |
G>A   GA      |Bd de/f/   |gd AB/A/   |1)G2 GD   :|2)G2 BB/A/||
Gg    g2      |fe e/f/g/e/|dB B/A/G/A/|  BA AB/A/ |
Gg    g2      |fe e/f/g/e/|dB AB/A/   |1)G2 BB/A/ |2)G2 GA/B/||
g2    a2      |b2 ba      |g2 a2      |  b2 ba    |
gb    e/f/g/e/|dB g>e     |dB AB/A/   |1)G2 GA/B/ |2)G2 BB/A/||G4|

Slide Sets

Audio: Cat Slides

Instrument: flute 
T:Where's the Cat
R:Slide
M:12/8
L:1/8
K:G
Z:Center for Irish Music 2021 Common Tunes | www.centerforirishmusic.org
"G"DED "G/B"G2D "C"E2D G3    |"Em"DED G2B "Am"ABG E2D  |"G"DED "G/B"G2D "C"E2D G2A   |"G/B"BAB "Am"c2B ABG E2D:|
|:"G"BAB "G/B"d2B "Am"AGE c2A|"G/B"BAB d2B "Am"ABG E2D |"G"BAB "G/B"d2B "Am"AGE c3   |"C"ege "D"d2B ABG E2D   :| 

T:The Cat's Rambles to the Child's Saucepan
R:Slide
M:12/8
L:1/8
K:D
|:"D"d2e f2e dcd B3|"G"g2A cBA "A"e2A cBA|"D"d2e f2e dcd B3|"Em"g2A "A"cBA "D"d3 d3:|
|:"D"d2e f2a baf a2f|"A"e2A cBA e2A cBA|"D"d2e f2a baf a2f|"Em"e2A "A"cBA "D"d3 d3:|