Cross Reel: Mandolin Tab
Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Key of D · 120 BPM · 4/4 time · Scottish Reel · Beginner
Also known as Da Cross Reel, General Howe.
Chords used in this arrangement: D, C, G.
This is a Shetland tune known as "Da Cross Reel," and on the island of Whalsay it went by the completely different name "General Howe". It's a cousin to the older Scottish mainland tune "Lasses of Stewarton," but Shetland fiddlers bent the structure into something lopsided that still works! Those asymmetrical phrases are part of the charm and part of the challenge. In D, the tune sits in a great range for mandolin, and that mix of smooth A-part runs and the choppier, stacked B-part figures keeps it interesting from start to finish. Aly Bain recorded it on The Silver Bow with Tom Anderson, so if you want to hear what it should feel like at full tilt, that's the recording to track down.
This page includes mandolin tablature, standard music notation, and a chord chart, printable as PDF and playable in sync with the original recording. Change the key, slow the tempo down, and loop the bars you want to practise. Download the Cross Reel PDF.
Cross Reel: questions and answers
What key is Cross Reel in?
Cross Reel is in D major. The transpose control on this page moves the tab, notation and chords to any other key.
What chords are used in Cross Reel?
The chords in this arrangement are D, C, G. The chord chart on this page shows each shape and highlights the current chord as the tune plays.
How fast is Cross Reel played?
This recording is at 120 BPM in 4/4 time. Use the speed control to slow it down without changing the pitch, then work back up to full tempo.
Is Cross Reel a good tune for beginners?
Yes. Cross Reel is rated beginner, so it suits players who are still learning their first tunes.
Can I download Cross Reel as sheet music?
Yes. A printable PDF with the mandolin tab and standard notation is free at /tab/cross-reel.pdf, and there is a download button on this page.
Is Cross Reel known by any other names?
Yes. It is also called Da Cross Reel, General Howe. The same melody often travels under several titles in different regions and collections.
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More in D
- The Lark in the Morning (D, 120 BPM)
- Liberty (John Dickinson and Arthur Lee,, D, 120 BPM)
- Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine (D, 120 BPM)
- Fairy Dance (Nathaniel Gow, D, 120 BPM)
- Briar Picker Brown (D, 120 BPM)
- Banks of the Ohio (D, 120 BPM)
- Quince Dillons High D (D, 120 BPM)
- Frieze Britches (D, 120 BPM)
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