Reel (single reel), G, Traditional Irish
The Galway Rambler is a traditional Irish reel with a happy strut to it.
Recordings
- Video – The Tune Makers with Charlie Lennon: ‘The Galway Rambler’ and ‘The Bucks of Oranmore’ – The Tune Makers are Liz Carroll (fiddle), Máirtín O’Connor (button accordion), & Dave Flynn (guitar).
- Audio – Comhaltas: Devanney’s Goat / Galway Rambler / Last Night’s Fun – session recording. From Foinn Seisiún Book 3. (The Galway Rambler starts at time 1:17 in this recording.)
- Video – Tunes from Doolin: The Galway Rambler (Reel) – played on concertina
Dots (Music Notation)
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.
Play from the Dots
Sets
Examples of sets that include this tune.
- Devanney’s Goat Reel Set: Devaney’s Goat (D) / Galway Rambler (G) / Swinging on a Gate (G)
- Devaney’s Goat (D) / Galway Rambler (G) / Last Night’s Fun
- Fermoy Lasses / Reconciliation / Galway Rambler
- The Galway Rambler / The Bucks of Oranmore
References and Resources
For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.
- More Recordings
- Audio – Stephen Ducke: The Galway Rambler (Reel) – played on tin whistle. From the book Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
- Audio – Tony O’Rourke: Maud Miller/ Galway Rambler/ Morning Star – played on tenor banjo with piano backing. From the album The Maid at the Well. (The Galway Rambler starts at time 1:00 in this recording.)
- Video – The Whistler: The Galway Rambler (Reel) – played on tin whistle
- Video – Mossie Martin: The Galway Rambler / The London Lassies – two reels – played on fiddle at moderate temo.
- Books
- Book – Comhaltas: Foinn Seisiún, Volume 3 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
- Book & Audio – Stephen Ducke: Irish Music 400 Traditional Tunes
- Book – Grey Larsen: 300 Gems of Irish Music for All Instruments
- Lessons
- Lessons – Online Academy of Irish Music: The Galway Rambler – taught on tenor banjo and tin whistle. Play-along virtual session. (Requires subscription to OAIM.)
- Lesson – Shannon Heaton: Learning Irish Flute – Tune of the Month with Shannon Heaton – Galway Rambler [Reel] – taught phrase-by-phrase on flute, with advice on posture and body position. Phrase-by-phrase instruction begins at time 7:22 in this recording.
- Lesson – Luke Gannon: The Galway Rambler – taught phrase-by-phrase on button accordion
- Lesson – John Whelan: The Galway Rambler – button accordion: approximately one-hour video and audio recordings of phrase-by-phrase teaching of the tune plus a PDF file of the notation. (Purchase.)
- Other Resources
- Webpage: The Session: The Galway Rambler (Reel) – crowdsourced sheet music, comments, and other information.