Category: Original Tunes

Original Ceilidh music written by Charlie Abel.

  • Making some music

    Making some music

    The “March o’ the Scottish Samurai” is a new tune I have written and dedicated to Ronnie Watt. Who is a famous Aberdonian karate master. He is a living legend in our city. I already wrote a tune for Ronnie in 2015 and that first one I called Ronnie Watt’s 9th Dan. During the last 3 months of Lockdown Ronnie has continued his karate classes for his students using Zoom online video conferencing software. He has offered this to his students for free to replace the regular classes that he has taught for 50 years. Since lockdown, 3 times a week many karate students take part in his 3-hour sessions, at no cost to themselves. Children and adults can train karate and have some communication outside of the confines of their own lockdown environment. Keeping active and engaged without having to worry about the cost. I think it is inspiring to see such a well respected and gifted person share his hard-earned knowledge and experience for free. Ronnie’s 50 years of karate training bring priceless experience to the students.

    Scottish Samurai


    Ronnie also founded the Scottish Samurai awards more than twenty years ago. The awards started small in Aberdeen and have grown into an international network of people from different walks of life. None of the awardees pays for their awards, Ronnie and his usual karate activities helps fund it, along with some generous donations from like-minded people. I wanted to write another tune for Ronnie to help highlight the good he does in Aberdeen and chose the title of the tune “March o’ the Scottish Samurai” because of his Scottish Samurai awards, and because to me, Ronnie is like a Samurai marching against the wind. Full of the warrior spirit, marching to protect his students and make them better people. Sharing an ancient way of life that the modern world has lost and is sorely missing.
    Read more about Ronnie at Karate.scot and Samurai.scot

    The Road to Wisdom

    A new tune for Maria Rosaria, I’ve called it “The Road to Widom“. Maria Rosaria is my Italian mother in law who lives in Rome. It was her 70th Birthday and the tune just came to me while I was helping my wife make her a birthday video. She has many friends from all over the world who wanted to take part in the video. Maria Rosaria was born in Italy, studied in Italy, studied in Berkley California for a few years, moved back to Italy, Moved to Chile, during the dictatorship she moved back to Italy. She has written books on Latin-American history and is regarded as an authority on the subject, making many television appearances on political programmes. Maria Rosaria was also recognised by the Chilean Government with the title “Commendatore”. She is currently a professor in Rome.
    The Road to Wisdom is a fitting title for a special lady. Though she claims she has not much wisdom at all, I think it’s it is the wise who constantly question themselves.

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  • Free Sheet Music Library

    Free Sheet Music Library

    I have been told a few times recently that I’m not good at selling myself. The truth is it’s because generally, I don’t like people who are good at selling themselves. It’s something ingrained in the northeast of Scotland psyche. Naebody likes a big heid. I’ve always been conscious of this.

    I really enjoy creating music. Here I am giving away free sheet music.

    I have started a small free sheet music library on IronBroo.scot and as I create new tunes I will build it up. You can download the PDFs for sheet music for free if you want to learn any of my tunes. I would love to hear them being played or recorded by other people.

    I really enjoy doing what I do with music. Here’s one I made earlier…

    The free sheet music library is on the Iron Broo website https://ironbroo.scot/sheet-music-library/

    It’s a pretty modest library at the moment ( more of a shelf ) but it takes a long time for me to write out and record the tunes and make the videos. If you want updates you can follow this blog or find us on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and visiting ironbroo.scot. Leaving positive comments is encouraging. 🙂

    Scottish Music Videos

    The tune in the video above is one of my own compositions and the pictures and video are all my own, taken on Lochnagar in Aberdeenshire. I used an iPhone and a Canon Camera. Scotland is such a stunningly beautiful place with such a variety of scenery, it is a source of endless inspiration.

    Buy me a coffeeBuy me a coffee

    You can also buy me a coffee, that would help inspire more activity and improve my inventory for music creation!

  • New Cd launched today

    New Cd launched today

    I’m excited to announce a new album release today. Available on CD from CharlieAbel.scot or download on the usual platforms.
    iTunes, CdBaby, Amazon etc.

    The album contains 16 tracks of Celtic music and songs. Some of my own original pieces.

    Please give it a listen and if you like it I hope you will buy the CD from my website or online or download from any of the available outlets.

    The next Iron Broo CD is in the pipeline and will be coming soon…

    Happy St. Andrews day.

    ​Charlie.

  • Iron Broo’s Pizza Sessions Videos.

    Our Pizza Sessions – Live Ceilidh Music Videos

    It was the first of May 2017 and it was time for some more live ceilidh music video.  I had not long finished building the Pizza Oven, a dream that had been on my bucket list for a long time. A crazy dream that would scare most folk off as it was not an easy task but I wanted to make the real thing. I spread the work over 2 years, a slice at a time. It’s based on the ancient Pompeii design and built from bricks and mortar. I did use a few modern substitutes in the build process however it remains a concrete and brick oven built from scratch.  It cooks amazing food and not just pizza.  I invited the band over for a pizza party to celebrate the anniversary of the Liberation of Italy, a few days earlier and the completion of the oven works.  So, while the oven was getting up to temperature we decided to have a wee tune…

    ​You can see the videos and others on our ceilidh clips pages.
     
    http://charliespizzaoven.blogspot.co.uk/
     
    We are based in Aberdeen, Scotland.  In the video, it might look like we are in Italy but it was pretty cold when we filmed these. It was supposed to be spring and reasonably warm but the Scottish weather has never been known to pay any attention to details or expectations, it was only 8c.  Luckily sitting in front of the oven put out enough heat to keep us warm and stop the fingers freezing up completely.
     We tried an improv version of a tune I wrote that I thought came out pretty well, here it is..  If you like the videos please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel. It’s free and you will get updates when I post new movies.

    Live ceilidh music videos

    A Fling Set
    Ronnie Watt’s 9th Dan – Original tune by Charlie Abel
    The Jaqueline Waltz and European Set.
    Gay Gordons
    The Dark Island
  • New tune composed

    I wrote a tune for Albert Thomson of Inverurie for his retirement.
    ‘Albert Thomson, Armiger, Knight and Samurai’
    I’m hoping folk will pick it up and slip it in at a few ceilidhs. So one day I can retire as well 😉
  • Original tune for Ronnie Watt’s 9th Dan

     

    I wrote and recorded this tune for Ronnie Watt to mark his 9th Dan Karate belt. Ronnie is an inspiration to many people. His karate teaching has had a very positive impact on many peoples lives.

    You can download the sheet music for free here…