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TOTW (OT) 19th August 2016: Salmon Tails Up The Water

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For this tune of the week I have chosen an English Polka called "Salmon Tails Up The Water".  It's a really simple tune to learn, but a lot of fun to play - in my opinion.  The tune comes from Northeast England, and is often played on the Northumbrian small-pipes or the melodeon.  Website "The Session" has more information about it https://thesession.org/tunes/2903

"Salmon Tails" works perfectly as a clawhammer banjo tune, and plays out nicely in gDGBD tuning in its most common session key of G.

Although this tune is often played in jam sessions around my area, I actually first learned it from a great recording by Hunter Robertson, on his album "Hunter Robertson Sings Songs for the Masses".  He plays it in an interesting medley with a couple of old-time tunes and a Greek tune.

I've attached a video of myself playing in a medley with another Northumbrian polka.  I've also attached a TAB which I wrote for teaching the tune to my students, and a medium-speed audio file which could be used to play along with.

There are a lot of versions out there, on YouTube etc.  Here is a nice version played on the melodeon, which is quite a lot slower and more accented than the way I usually play it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwT8BEevHYY

Enjoy!


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