Don Tremaine's Reel — Mandolin Tab

Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Graham Townsend · Key of D · 120 BPM · 2/2 time · Canadian Fiddle · Beginner

Chords used in this arrangement: D, G, A.

This tune is named after Don Tremaine, the beloved CBC broadcaster who served as announcer for Don Messer's Jubilee. The connection runs even deeper than the title suggests, since Graham Townsend's own father was Don Messer's square dance caller, making the whole Messer orbit basically a family affair for Townsend. Graham wrote this reel around 1961, while still a teenager, which is wild to think about given how polished and satisfying the tune feels. It's a bright, driving D reel with a pretty straightforward A-part that sits nicely under the fingers, but the B-part climbs up into higher territory with those ascending runs, so watch your position shifts and give yourself time to get the string crossings clean before you bring it up to speed.

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.