English Country Dance Tunes Book

English Country Dance Tunes for Sessions, Ceilidhs and Traditional Dancing

English Country Dance Tunes is a practical traditional tune book compiled by Dave Mallinson, bringing together a varied selection of dance tunes suitable for country dances, ceilidhs, barn dances, pub sessions and folk festivals.

Although the collection is rooted in English traditional music, the repertoire also includes Scottish, Irish, Welsh and American tunes commonly heard in English sessions and dance settings. It is especially useful for melodeon, accordion and concertina players, as well as fiddlers, flute players, whistle players and other traditional musicians.

The tunes are arranged with practical playing in mind, making this a useful addition to the repertoire of beginners, improvers and experienced players wanting reliable dance music at their fingertips.

Part of the Pub Session Series

This book forms part of Dave Mallinson’s popular Pub Session Series, a group of tune books designed to capture core repertoire played in English pub sessions, folk festivals, country dances, ceilidhs and by Morris musicians.

The wider series includes Easy Peasy Tunes, English Country Dance Tunes, English Pub Session Tunes, Popular English Session Tunes and 101 Easy Irish Session Tunes. Together, these books create a valuable reference library for traditional musicians.

Traditional Dance Tunes with Real Practical Use

After including many of the common tunes that have their own dances, the collection gives attention to variety: different genres, time signatures, tune lengths and dance forms needed for a good night’s playing.

The book includes reels, polkas, hornpipes, single jigs, double jigs, slip jigs, waltzes, 48-bar tunes and Playford dances. This makes it particularly useful for musicians playing for English country dancing, ceilidhs, barn dances and folk events.

Suitable for Melodeon, Accordion and Concertina

One of the strengths of this series is its accessibility. Only 14 notes are required to play the tunes, keeping the repertoire within reach of many traditional musicians.

The music is especially suitable for D/G melodeon, as the tunes sit within the natural range of the instrument without requiring accidentals. It is also highly useful for accordion, concertina, fiddle, flute, whistle and other melody instruments used in folk sessions and dance bands.

Session-Friendly Settings

The settings are Dave Mallinson’s own versions, shaped by years of playing traditional music in sessions, dances and folk settings. They are designed to be usable, recognisable and session friendly.

Chord arrangements are included as practical suggestions, broadly reflecting the soundtrack where available, while still leaving room for players to adapt the accompaniment to their own style.

Key Features

• Traditional English country dance tune book
• Compiled by Dave Mallinson
• Part of the Pub Session Series
• Includes 101 traditional tunes
• Suitable for sessions, ceilidhs, barn dances and country dances
• Includes English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and American repertoire
• Covers reels, polkas, hornpipes, jigs, slip jigs and waltzes
• Useful for melodeon, accordion, concertina, fiddle, flute and whistle
• Only 14 notes required to play the tunes
• Optional companion CD available

Specifications

• Title: English Country Dance Tunes
• Author: Dave Mallinson
• ISBN: 9781899512645
• Product Code: AM302
• Optional CD Product Code: AM302C
• Label Number: DMPCD0603
• Format: Book / CD / Book & CD options available
• Series: Pub Session Series

Included Tune List

At Squeezebox Marketplace

At Squeezebox Marketplace we carefully select traditional music books that are genuinely useful to players. English Country Dance Tunes is a strong choice for musicians wanting practical repertoire for English sessions, ceilidhs, barn dances, country dances and folk events.

Explore More English Folk Music Resources

Explore more session books, tune collections and traditional repertoire in our English Folk Music Books & Tune Collections collection.

You can also browse our wider Accordion & Melodeon Books, Tunes & Learning collection for more books suitable for accordion, melodeon, concertina and traditional musicians.