Just now I send Joe Offer a MIDI of a lovely parlour tune called "Bonnie Tyneside." (The Tyne is a river in NE England.) It's already on the net, but I forgot, so what the heck.

I added a very simple bass line to the tune so pianists can see what the chords are. It's simpler than what I play, but if you improvise, you know what hard work it is to recapture what you just did.

The song is actually in AABA form, but I added another AB set so you can hear some harmony notes that add interest.

There are two places where an Em chord is followed by an E. "Is this legal?" you may ask. Yes it is. It's not common, but it's amazing what a difference it makes. Play it, and you are suddenly in the 19th century.

I don't know anything about the tune's history, but you can start reading about Tyneside by following this link:

http://www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk/GeordieOrigins.htm

The song is in 3/4 time with two pickup notes (eighth notes).Here are the chords, starting with the first full measure:

D-- D--* A-- A-- Bm-- Em-- E-- A--

D-- D--* A-- A-- Bm-Em D-- A-- D--

D-- (for 4 measures)Bm-- Em-- E-- A--

D-- D--* A-- A-- Bm-Em D-- A-- D--

The measures with * have the notes D-F#-G. When the melody plays G, avoid striking the highest string on a guitar, which is an F#. F# against G is simply too discordant, I feel.

Let me know if you like it. If you don't like it, don't let me know.

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