Sheehan's Reel

[Jody Stecher]

Sheehan's Reel is well-known in Ireland, the USA, and especially in the Canadian Maritime provinces where it is believed to have been composed on Prince Edward Ireland by Charlie Sheehan, except by those who disbelieve this, arguing that since it is printed in O'Neill's (famous Irish tune book) it must have been composed in Ireland. Some years ago I wrote an article on the controversy which was published in  Fiddler Magazine. In any it one of the tunes that lay naturally on the 5-string banjo fingerboard. My arrangement uses similar techniques as the banjo version of The Ship In Full Sale which I posted here a few days ago.

Attached to this message are the score, a midi file with stilted rhythm in which the chord choices can be assessed, and a Voice Memos recording of me playing it once through on the banjo. The 3rd string is new and went a bit flat. Sorry!  I tuned the bass string up to D (to "Elevated Bass" tuning) for its resonance as there are long D chord passages here that benefit from the overtones the low D generates without actually being plucked. The A part of this tune is more easily played in this tuning as well.

[Trapdoor2]

I like this reel. Never heard it before. O'Neill was a Chicago police chief. If he heard a Breton tune, it would be Irish before he took off his hat.

My biggest personal problem is that I have played Irish tunes on the Tenor banjo (usually tuned ADAE) for 40 yrs. I have a very hard time playing this kind of music on the 5-string...probably because I've been doing it on Tenor and Mandolin so long. I have bought Tom Hanway's Celtic 5-string books and never could get my fingers to do it.

No matter. I just like Irish tunes.

I have always liked looking thru the glass of "The Session" website, where you can find simply tons of Irish tunes in just about every conceivable variation. Sheehan's Reel has 9 different settings there and yours is slightly different, as it should be.

I like setting #1, which has F naturals in the 3rd and 4th measure of the B part. None of the other settings have that...but it tickles my ears.

[Joel Hooks]

It is interesting, I would play the B part entirely out of the 7th position an 7th PB falling to the first position for the last two measures. 

[Jody Stecher]

I got mixed up with names. The alleged composer was Charlie Sheehan's father Jim Sheehan. They both played fiddle and  were  from PEI but if you meant Cape Breton you're not wide of the mark because it was Cape Breton  Scottish fiddle legend Angus Chisholm who made the tune famous in eastern Canada when he played it at the 1969 Highland Games in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. A tape of the performance got copied and spread around.  

Chief O'Neill's books containing the tune were published in 1903 and 1907. Jim Sheehan's family on Prince Edward Island say he composed the tune around 1894. Tunes travel both ways across the Atlantic so it's possible that Francis O'Neill heard the tune from one of his musical police officers newly arrived in Chicago from Ireland and had his scribe (also named O'Neill) write it down and assumed the place of origin to be Ireland whereas the young pre-cop may have learned it from a visitor from Canada.  Sheehan of course is an Irish name and Jim and Charlie's forbears emigrated to Canada from Ireland. The music the Canadian Sheehans  played was Irish or at least Irish-ish. 

I also play Irish music on tenor banjo, tuned GDAE but I find that all tenors sound better tuned CGDA.  Over the years I've heard various 5-string banjo players play Irish repertoire and I didn't much like it.  It's only recently I thought to try it myself. It could be made to sound good. The problem wasn't the banjo, it was the players I think. I'm certainly not *there* yet and I may not even try because I think my tenor playing is viable. But it's fun and somehow rewarding to create 5-string settings of a few of these tunes. I'm making arrangement of Scottish and Canadian and USA tunes as well, all using classic banjo technique and sound.

Trapdoor2 said:

I like this reel. Never heard it before. O'Neill was a Chicago police chief. If he heard a Breton tune, it would be Irish before he took off his hat.

My biggest personal problem is that I have played Irish tunes on the Tenor banjo (usually tuned ADAE) for 40 yrs. I have a very hard time playing this kind of music on the 5-string...probably because I've been doing it on Tenor and Mandolin so long. I have bought Tom Hanway's Celtic 5-string books and never could get my fingers to do it.

No matter. I just like Irish tunes.

I have always liked looking thru the glass of "The Session" website, where you can find simply tons of Irish tunes in just about every conceivable variation. Sheehan's Reel has 9 different settings there and yours is slightly different, as it should be.

I like setting #1, which has F naturals in the 3rd and 4th measure of the B part. None of the other settings have that...but it tickles my ears.

[Jody Stecher]

Sure, I tried it like that but it sounded more staccato than I wanted it to sound.

Joel Hooks said:

It is interesting, I would play the B part entirely out of the 7th position an 7th PB falling to the first position for the last two measures. 

[Jody Stecher]

If anyone wants to read my article on this tune I've attached it here:

[Joel Hooks]

I understand that.

Jody Stecher said:

Sure, I tried it like that but it sounded more staccato than I wanted it to sound.

Joel Hooks said:

It is interesting, I would play the B part entirely out of the 7th position an 7th PB falling to the first position for the last two measures. 

[Jody Stecher]

My approach to Irish music  has been influenced by the Irish bagpipes. Uilleann pipers have two systems of fingering, the open and closed, which produce contrasting  sounds. The open fingering produces flowing legato music with a singing tone but which in the hands of anyone but a master can get muddy. Like banjo music produced entirely by slurs (hammers).  The closed system has an amazing popping sound and is articulate but when used exclusively can sound persnickety. Like banjo music produced entirely by snaps (pulling off).  When the approaches are combined in various proportions the result is marvelous.  The banjo can do that too. It can pop and it can sing.  So that's one thing I'm aiming for. 

Joel Hooks said:

I understand that.

Jody Stecher said:

Sure, I tried it like that but it sounded more staccato than I wanted it to sound.

Joel Hooks said:

It is interesting, I would play the B part entirely out of the 7th position an 7th PB falling to the first position for the last two measures. 

[Joel Hooks]

Yes, clearly understood and is something I also do.  

This is a minor gripe I have with those 1950 FVE recordings.  He got so wound up in his "violin" method of fingering that it can sound like constant staccato (with much buzzing).

[Austin]

Yeah, but his speed and accuracy is pretty much unmatched

Joel Hooks said:

Yes, clearly understood and is something I also do.  

This is a minor gripe I have with those 1950 FVE recordings.  He got so wound up in his "violin" method of fingering that it can sound like constant staccato (with much buzzing).

[Jody Stecher]

He was speedy and accurate  for fifty years before he changed his fingering. Good enough for me.

Austin said:

Yeah, but his speed and accuracy is pretty much unmatched

Joel Hooks said:

Yes, clearly understood and is something I also do.  

This is a minor gripe I have with those 1950 FVE recordings.  He got so wound up in his "violin" method of fingering that it can sound like constant staccato (with much buzzing).