The Banshee
Reel in G Major · by James McMahon · difficulty 3 of 5
The story of The Banshee
Most session tunes are anonymous; this one has an author and an instrument. James McMahon (1893-1977), a Fermanagh flute player famous for playing an ivory flute, wrote it - and for decades it was simply "McMahon's Reel". Then a couple of 1970s recordings retitled it "The Banshee", and the wailing name stuck for good.
It is proof that a twentieth-century composition can go fully native: The Banshee is played in sessions everywhere, often by musicians who assume it's as old as the hills. In G major with a catchy, chattering opening phrase, it's a popular early reel for whistle learners - easy to remember, satisfying to speed up.
How to play The Banshee on tin whistle
Reels run in 4/4 with two big pulses to the bar. Keep the eighth notes even and let the emphasis, not extra speed, carry the drive.
The tab under the notes shows the whistle fingering for every note - filled circles are covered holes, and a + means the overblown octave. If you are new to stave notation, you can try reading the stave and tab together which gradually will make you learn the notation.
Start slow with a metronome getting the base melody right. As the fingers learn the tune, try adding some ornaments and gradually increase the tempo without losing control.
Notation is sourced from The Session, the community archive of traditional music.
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