To get pdfs of individual tunes, scroll down and click the highlighted links. Some of our tunes come from a collection called the Kentucky Open Band Contra Tunes, where you may find some of our listed tunes that do not have links. Others have been added over time from various sources.
Our current tunes are listed to the left, and the tunes we are contemplating on playing are listed in below.
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Note for curious non-musicians: To tell whether a tune you're listening to a reel, let your foot tap along with the music at a natural pace, then see how many fast notes you count between each tap. If you can count to 4, it's a reel. |
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Note for curious non-musicians: To tell whether a tune you're listening to is a jig, let your foot tap along with the music at a natural pace, then see how many fast notes you count between each tap. If you can count to 3, it's a jig. |
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Note for curious non-musicians: Waltzes are are performed in 3/4 time. They were popular in mid-18th century Europe and has spawned several different folk and ballroom variations. In Contra, they are often the last tune played in the evening. |
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Note for curious non-musicians: Some may remember the polka as the cha-cha. It was originally a Czech peasant dance. Most contra dance events will include a few polkas. |
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Note for curious non-musicians: Most hornpipes are in 2/4 or 4/4 time, although the rhythmic grouping is what defines it, rather than just the time signature. The rhythm goes "diddle-diddle-diddle" |