Music Files

This page was last updated April 25, 2010.

Visit this page periodically as I'll keep adding more tunes. Many of these include tablature for flatpicked or fingerstyle guitar. The older files are in GIF format. They're fixed width images and are wider than your screen. If you try to print them directly from your Browser, you may only get what you see on the screen. There are many ways to print graphics that are wider than the screen. When you're viewing a music file, click on "SAVE." Once the file is saved you can load it with many different programs that have graphics capabilities(for example "Imaging For Windows"). You can also import it into word processing programs like "Microsoft Word". Then just use the printing options of your chosen software. More recent tunes are in pdf format. These require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or an equivalent. Some are in Tabledit format. These requires the Tabledit program or the free Tabledit Reader.

Black Joke (English/Scottish tune arranged for fingerstyle guitar, music notation and guitar tablature)

Carolan's Quarrel With The Landlady is one of the many great tunes by Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738). This is a fingerstyle guitar arrangement in standard tuning. Choose between pdf file or Tabledit file. The Tabledit file requires requires the Tabledit program or Tabledit viewer.

The Chatagee Reel (French Canadian tune with music notation and flatpicking guitar tablature)

The Cuckoo's Nest is played in Ireland, Scotland and England. This is the version from my flatpicking book, The Incomplete Celtic Guitar.

Der Heyser Bulgar is a hot Klezmer tune - Notation & flatpicking guitar tab - Page 1, Page 2, Page 3.

Click The Duchess Of Hamilton for a Scottish strathspey from the Gow collection (with flatpicking guitar tab).

Farrell O'Gara (Irish reel with standard notation and flatpicking guitar tablature)

Flatpick-l is a tune I wrote and named for the online discussion group by the same name. Click here for a Tabledit file of the notation and flatpicking guitar tab. I've also written out a more complex version which can be played without accompaniment. I'm posting this as a pdf file and a midi. The notation for this version shows how long the notes actually ring. PDF and MIDI.

The Fort At Kincora (Irish hornpipe with standard notation and flatpicking guitar tablature)

Frosty Morning comes from Old-Time fiddler Henry Reed (Standard Notation only).

Goodbye Girls I'm Going To Boston is a really catchy, mode-shifting Old-Time tune (Notation & flatpicking tab).

Grey Eagle is a classic American fiddle tune. I've written it out for flatpicking guitar. Grey Eagle Page 1 and Grey Eagle Page 2

For the holiday season, here's Greensleeves written out for flatpicking guitar.

Honeysuckle Rose by Fats Waller, as played by Django Reinhardt, January 31, 1938. This is a tabledit file and requires the tabledit program or tabledit viewer.

Click The Highway To Limerick for an Irish reel with flatpicking guitar tab.

Hulls Victory is a New England standard (Click for notation and tab in pdf format and for midi file)

Indian Reel is a part of French Canadian and New England Contra Dance repertoires (Notation & flatpicking tab-pdf file).

Jacques Cartier is a French Canadian tune also played at New England contra dances (Notation & flatpicking tab-not easy).

Jimmy In The Swamp (A good old-time tune similar to Temperance Reel - music notation and flatpicking tablature)

The Knotted Cord (Junior Crehan's) (A great Irish reel with music notation and flatpicking guitar tablature)

Lamplighter's Hornpipe is a fun tune, common in New England and New York. (Standard notation and guitar tab).

Lonesome John (This is an American Old-Time tune arranged for flatpicked guitar in open tuning (EADEAE). Standard notation and guitar tab.

Ma Yofus (How Beautiful) is a great Klezmer tune that works out well on flatpicked guitar.

Mason's Apron (Irish reel-with flatpicking guitar tablature)

Moran's Return (Traditional Irish air)

The Mathematician is a difficult hornpipe by famed Scottish fiddler/violinist J.Scott Skinner. Standard notation/flatpicking guitar tab/detailed fingerings.

Miss Hay of Yester is a Scottish Reel from the Gow Collection.(Notation & flatpicking tab). I've written out this one in dropped D tuning for a fuller sound.

Miss Johnson's - An Irish Reel with notation and flatpicking tab. Some of the fingerings I've written are not the easiest possible, but create a particular combination of sustained and unsustained notes that appeals to me. Change them if you like.

Morrison's Jig (Irish tune with standard notation and flatpicking guitar tablature. The grace notes and the roll are a little tricky but sound great on guitar.)

Old Time Back Step Cindy (Old-Time tune from fiddle master Tommy Jarrell arranged for flatpicking guitar.)

Petronella is an old Scottish reel popular at New England contra dances. I've written it out for guitar and mandolin.

The Periwig is an 18th century Scottish Pipe Tune that I learned from Fiddler Magazine (Cape Breton Edition 2000). I've written it out with flatpicking guitar tab.

The Piper's Wedding is a catchy pipe jig which I've written out in notation and flatpicking guitar tab with just enough ornamentation to bring out the pipe flavor.

Possum Up A Gum Stump (A good old-time tune - music notation and flatpicking tablature)

President Lincoln's Hornpipe (American-with flatpicking guitar tablature)

Randy At The Bow is a breakdown I wrote for Randy Howard, a great guy and an extraordinary musician, who passed away June 29, 1999.

Here's a basic version of the Irish tune Red Haired Boy with guitar tab.

Rip The Calico (Irish reel with standard notation and flatpicking guitar tablature: Lots of triplets and grace notes.)

Ross's Reel #4 (New England reel-with flatpicking guitar tablature)

Sailing Into Walpole March (Notation and flatpicking guitar tab with ornamentation): Gif file or Tabledit file.

The Silver Spire is a great Irish reel similar to the American tune Whiskey Before Breakfast.

Smith's Reel is a New England tune which I've written out with flatpicking tab. For this tune I've shown jazz chords instead of a more traditional accompaniment. Graphic - Midi - abc file.

Swallowtail Jig is common in Irish, English and New England traditions. These files have notation, guitar tab and chords. Choose pdf or gif.

Toss the Feathers Irish Reel in pdf format

Trip to Durrow is a great Irish Reel. This one is a fingerstyle guitar arrangement in DADGAD tuning. The file is a TablEdit (tef) file and requires either the TablEdit program or TablEdit Viewer.

Unzer Toyrele is a wild Frailach I transcribed (minus ornamentation) from a CD called "Mother Tongue," by the fantastic Klezmer band, Budowitz. Budowitz captures the sound of Klezmer as it was in 19th century Europe.

Walsh's Glauntane or Walsh's Hornpipe is an Irish tune I got from the fiddling of Julia Clifford(Notation & flatpicking tab).

Way Down Yonder In New Orleans is a song from 1922. I've written out a lead sheet with a detailed chord progression. I've also made a midi file with the melody and chords. Lead Sheet and MIDI file.

The World Turned Upside Down (18th century English tune that I've written down in two keys. This tune was used in the soundtrack for the PBS television series "Liberty" about the American Revolution.)