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[ACE]

Got a bit of a do to attend next week and my friends have asked if I could do  some square dances. (slightly out of my comfort zone, but why not) I have a few tunes like turkey in the straw and a few skiffle tunes that will fit the bill. anybody know any simple tunes that will do just in case it goes on a bit. I shall need to record them and play them back on my tailgater amp so I can also call them to start with then join in the tune. So if you want to make a soundtrack in G preferably, I will pinch it. Not asking much am I but HELP.

[Marje]

A pair of reels that work well for a square dance are "Goodbye Girls I'm Going to Boston" and "Log Cabin" (not to be confused with The Log Cabin). They can both be found in various formats on the abc Tune Finder site, http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind

Having said that, many reels and jigs you'd use at an English ceilidh would work well enough.

[ACE]

Sorted. English reels, It is going to be a western style evening, so my usual irish and scottish sounding stuff would not really do. But I have dragged out my list and found loads of stuff. Thankyou.

If they want line dancing, I'm out of it.

[george garside]

a set I have used for years is Swanee river, Camptown Races and  Oh Susanna.        Coming round the mountain, Maggie and Geordie Hinny also works well.    La Russe and Caddum wood go well together ( I play  La Russe in D and Caddum in G to give a key change)

 Many Scottish  tunes work well  if the tempo is adjusted to suit the dance eg Scotland the Brave , thistle of Scotland & Loch Lomond and loads of others!

george

[katesfolly]

Here's a short list of relatively common, relatively easy ones that make decent dance tunes:
Seneca Square Dance (G)
Natchez Under the Hill (G or A, regional variation)
Kansas City Rag (this one, not the actual rag:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaOyEoyzE2E) (G)
Sugar in the Coffee-O (G or D, regional variation)
Sally Ann (D)
Run Johnny Run (G or D, regional variation)

None of that's very western, but it should serve well enough, and western squares tend to be slower and more stately than southern squares, so you shouldn't need to play them blazing fast either. 

Have a great time, ACE!

[ACE]

All went well, Buffalo girls etc. Melodeon on, tamborine under my foot and for some strange reason was able to call the moves while I was actually paying the tunes. Can't usually speak at all. Strange.