Crowley’s No.1

Tips

In this lesson, I suggested putting on a pair of headphones when playing along with the audio track. Imitate and move along with the track.

What is most important, is that you don’t try to play faster than you’re ready for. The aim is to let it flow. It doesn’t matter if you miss a note here and there. It does matter if you lose the flow, lose the momentum.

I suggested a lot of variations for the 1st and 3rd phrases of both parts. Of course, none of these need to be played. They’re merely suggestions, if you wish to play them.

A - F A B - D’ B

A — A B - D’ B

A F D’ A B - D’ B

A F A D’ B - D’ B

A D’ — B - D’ B

A B D’ A B - D’ B

F’ A’ F’ A’ G’ - F’ G’

F’ D’ F’ A’ G’ - F’ G’

Set of Tunes available to learn here on the website:

Crowley’s No.1

Crowley’s No.2

Fergal O’Gara

pair this tune with

Story Behind The Tune

The two Crowley’s Reels were paired together by Michael Coleman on a 78 rpm in 1935. From that recording, they are always played together and commonly known as Crowley's Reels. Some think that Coleman named them after one of his associates in New York. Similarly, Donegal fiddler Hughie Gillespie also recorded two reels which he named Master Crowley’s. There were two Crowley brothers who came from Cork and worked in New York as uilleann-pipe makers. There was also a Master Crowley who was Coleman’s dance teacher.