Chiff and Fipple Forums

Yeah, those Kerry guys are slippery like that Tunes are very malleable in Kerry. You get polkas with hornpipe elements, hornpipes with polka elements, reel, slide and polka versions of the same tunes, hornpipes and reels used interchangeably... it's a horribly fluid mess! I love it so much.

I guess if you have the book, then you've read the intro that talks about that!

Yeah, I read the intro, but I'm guessing it's much more real hearing it in person—in action as it were—rather than trying to imagine it from the written word. {"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture"] It's just difficult sorting all this out from a distance.

As part of a class I've been taking I was charged with playing polkas as slides and vice versa. I see how it can be done, it just hasn't reached my fingers yet.

Slippery , huh?

Best wishes.

Steve

I was reminded of this thread as I was perusing the book again this past week and came across the transcription of the second (of three) ballydesmond polkas as a slide. The second and third ballydesmonds are so widespread I'm assuming you know it, so try comparing the slide with the polka version.

As an aside, the Bicycle is in there as a slide and as a reel... (the reel is actually from Denis's playing... on the box).

NicoMoreno wrote:I was reminded of this thread as I was perusing the book again this past week and came across the transcription of the second (of three) ballydesmond polkas as a slide. The second and third ballydesmonds are so widespread I'm assuming you know it, so try comparing the slide with the polka version.

I don't have the book, something like this? http://www.harmonyware.com/tunes/Ballyd ... oubled.mp3 (Obviously very rough, as I just tried it for the first time about five minutes before recording this in one take.)

In Newfoundland sometimes singles get changed into doubles, or perhaps it's vice-versa. I know I've got a field recording of Rufus playing "Israel Got A Rabbit" as a double, and "Joey Clement's" and "Sydney Pittman's" are essentially single and double versions of the same tune. One day when Jen was feeling mischievous she started putting "Mussels in the Corner" and "Lonesome Road to Dingle" in as many different tune types as she could make work...

Sent you a PM

The tune change thing is fun, although hard sometimes - one of our friends played a set of slides at the NE tionol one year and included a slide version of Nellie's Polka... the whole session went from a nice set of slides into very much a polka. It is difficult sometimes to tell them apart, and fingers sometimes overtake the ear!

NicoMoreno wrote:I was reminded of this thread as I was perusing the book again this past week and came across the transcription of the second (of three) ballydesmond polkas as a slide. The second and third ballydesmonds are so widespread I'm assuming you know it, so try comparing the slide with the polka version.

For those of us slower than the average, what's the # or tune name given to the Polka version in the book?

The whole duple meter to triple is intriguing, but a bit confounding to someone with my limited experience with the music.

Thanks and best wishes.

Steve

Aha, found it. #9 Maurice Manley's. With a clue from the book, "This is a slide version of ... the second of the Ballydesmond polkas."

Best wishes.

Steve

Julia Clifford (I think) plays Maurice Manley's

Got to say, I really like that. May have to sit down and learn it.

Glad you found it Steve - sorry I was busy the last couple of nights and didn't get back to check the number. Good find Sol - I knew I had one of them playing it. I'll see if that clue helps me track down a recording of Johnny playing it.

Now I'm wondering how you found that recording - it is definitely Julia Clifford, as I have a copy of the same recording it's from, The Humours of Lisheen (evident also in the url).

My copy has it labeled as slide gan ainm though.

Also here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw13HuDL1kY Coincidentally that last slide is the one my friend tried playing - it's more common as a polka, often with a third part.

Nick, I just typed "locate Manley" on my Linux server. I downloaded that album from the site I linked to a while back, and they had the correct name on it when I downloaded it. Dunno when the track name got fixed, but I'm grateful.

If I hadn't had it locally, my next step would probably have been irishtune.info, which also would have gotten me there pretty quickly.