Breton counties

BROIOÙ

BRETON COUNTIES

CORNWALL COUNTY
VANNES COUNTY
LEON COUNTY








   This is not of course a complete inventory of traditional Breton music and scores but only of the tunes I've played with traditional musicians like Titi le Digabel; I've noted these tunes and mentioned a beat value coming from my own experience of Breton music and dances.
They are part of the repertoire I play with a bombard, a binioù (Breton bagpipe) or with my Highland bagpipe.
Therefore you'll only see scores from the binioù-bombard repertoire : the field of Breton music is obviously wider particularly by including other instruments not displayed here.

You can complete your knowledge with the books “Tonioù Breizh  Izel” edited by Dastum and Bodadeg Ar Sonerion.
Some tunes are also part of the Celtic Songs section.

This section begins with two maps displaying Breton counties: the first map is in French and the second in Breton which is one of the Celtic languages.
I've generally classified the tunes according to their counties of origin.
Some of them have been related to a county according to the personality of their author; others have been put apart due to their fame.
By the way, the laments (gwerzioù in Breton) have been put apart.

Each score is illustrated at the bottom of the page by the flag of the county.

As the tunes can be played on various instruments, I've not mentioned embellishments (grace notes).
Some of these airs have a natural A (real note = key of B flat major) that doesn't exist (or can hardly be played) on the Highland bagpipe: you'll then have to replace this note.

The notes match the real sound so you'll have to lower each of them from a semitone to get what I call the Scottish writing.

NB : I use the word “county” but it is certainly a poor translation for the French Pays and the Breton Bro that are not administrative divisions but closer to the notion of Terroir.

All scores are provided free in good faith. Feel free to share, not forgetting to mention my website.

If anyone believes there are copyright issues associated with any of the music, please email me with details and I will investigate.

BRETON TUNES (Eric Maclewis' repertoire)

CELTIC SONGS

Designed & produced by Eric Maclewis
© ericdentinger.com
2008-2024

BRO WENED (VANNES COUNTY)

VANNETAIS-GALLO COUNTY
(Bro-Wened Ar C'Halloued)

BRO-LEON (LEON COUNTY)

BRO-GERNEV (FRENCH CORNWALL)

FRENCH CORNWALL (2)

OTHER DANCES (misc. counties)

GWERZIOÙ (LAMENTS)

OTHER TUNES

VANNETAIS-GALLO
CORNWALL COUNTY
SOUNDCLOUD
YOUTUBE
BANDCAMP