The Tarbolton

Reel, E Dorian, traditional Irish
Also known as: Tarbolton Lodge

This traditional Irish reel was recorded by Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman in 1934 as the first tune in his now famous Tarbolton set. The tune is named for the Scottish village of Tarbolton. Tarbolton Lodge, another of the tune’s titles, may refer to the Masonic lodge in Tarbolton where poet Robert Burns was inducted in 1781.

Recordings

• Video – Michael Coleman: Tarbolton / The Longford Collector / The Sailor’s Bonnet – fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945), accompanied by Michael “Whitey” Andrews on guitar. 1934 recording “XR remastered from a mint pressing provided from a private collection.”
• Audio – Comhaltas: Tarbolton – session recording, from the album Foinn Seisiún Volume 2
• Audio – The Center for Irish Music: The Tarbolton​ / ​The Longford Collector ​/​ The Sailor’s Bonnet – from the album Young Irish Musicians Weekend Vol 1, by The Center for Irish Music, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

Sheet Music

As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Tarbolton Reel Set: The Tarbolton (Em) / The Longford Collector (G) / The Sailor’s Bonnet (D)

References and Resources

For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.

• More Recordings
  • Video – Pat Barton Accordion: The Tarbolton – Irish traditional reel on button accordion
  • Video – Shane Farrell: The Tarbolton Irish Reel – played on tenor banjo
• Books
  • Book – Foinn Seisiún, Volume 2 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
  • Book & Audio – Stephen Ducke: Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
  • Book & Audio – Dave Mallinson: 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Marla Fibish (Peghead Nation) Irish Mandolin with Marla Fibish – The Tarbolton – mandolin lessons (requires subscription to Peghead Nation)
  • Lesson – Tergal14 Mandolin: Irish mandolin lessons. Tarbolton (reel) – mandolin tutorial video with tablature (in video)
  • Lesson – Chris Haigh (The Fiddle Channel): The Tarbolton reel (Irish fiddle lesson) – video lesson includes sheet music in video
  • Lesson – Kevin Burke (Fiddlevideo): The Tarbolton (Reel) – lesson with video, sheet music, and play-along track. Video excerpt is free. Full lesson requires subscription to Fiddlevideo.
• Additional Resources
  • Article – Wikipedia: Tarbolton – a brief article about the Scottish village of Tarbolton
  • Article – Wikipedia: Robert Burns – this article about Scottish poet Robert Burns mentions his connection to Tarbolton and Tarbolton’s Masonic Lodge.
  • Article – Wikipedia: Michael Coleman (fiddler) – biography