This week I'm teaching The Jolly Beggarman, which I learned as The Red Haired Boy. I probably learned it because it was called The Red Haired Boy. But I digress. It's a nice hornpipe whose A part is similar to its B part, making it easy to pick up pretty quickly. It's played in bluegrass jams probably as much as it is in Irish sessions.

--Dan

Let's give it a listen. I like this version played by Emmett Cooke, who also calls it Red Haired Boy.

Diana Havlin, from the Washington, DC area of the United States, shares: 
This is a lovely little tune that I learned from a recording on the concertina player Edel Fox's solo CD, Chords and Beryls. The melody is simple but holds a lot of interest.

So let's give a listen to a performance of the reel, with the awesome percussive sound of a couple of step dancers thrown in for good measure:

A couple of years ago I started a Spotify playlist called "Tunes to Learn," and this tune was one of the first to be added to the list. It's got an easy, accessible pattern to it, and it's just lovely to play. I hope you enjoy it, too.

I like this version by John Whelan on his album ​Celtic Roots (Spirit Of Dance).

Now let's learn the tune. As a reminder, the sheet music is available in the Session link at the top; the first setting is what's being taught here. But if you can learn it by ear without "the dots," give it a try!