recommend a longer tune

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 4:22 pm

glauber wrote: In O'Neill's it's written as A minor, and it has F natural and sharp, G natural and sharp (this is minor, not dorian...). It also has a c#. . . .

I thought this sounded odd, since I've been playing the tune for some time (plus O'Carolan played a lever harp and didn't put too many accidentals in tunes -- if you think half-holing is difficult, reconfiguring levers is even harder). I looked in O'Neill's, and the two tunes in there, "Carolan's Farewell" (no such tune in his complete works) and "Carolan's farewell to music", bear no resemblance to the tune in the Complete Works of O'Carolan (I have the Ossian version; it's written in Dminor in that, with no accidentals), nor to any recording that I've heard of it. The farewell to music in O'Neill definitely sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. I don't recognize the other at all.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 4:29 pm

The one in O'Neill is the one i O'knew. The more the merrier!

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 6:02 pm

Quote @ glauber

Well, you can! and most of them in one place too: Geraldine Cotter's 100 Tunes CD. It doesn't have the Carolan stuff, only legit Irish tunes.

You know...I've been here a while and I should probably know this. But what/who is an O'Carolan tune?

I'll put getting that book on my list of things to do (which is about 65 pages long as of now, LOL).

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 6:24 pm

This is a nice one but you need a special program called Scorch to view the sheet music:

http://www.irishfiddle.com/scorch/germans.htm

"Two Germans" (Barndances) from Altan.

A 4 part tune I think (I've heard people play it with strange numbers of repeats).

-Brett

CiaranOC · Post by **CiaranOC** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 6:29 pm

Another vote for the Kid on the Mountain! http://www.madfortrad.com/ztjkid.htm - great slip-jig.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 6:29 pm

The Pikemen, aka The Halting March; The Portroe Jig, aka Out on the Ocean; Calliope House, by Dave Richardson, originally fiddle tune and a bit hard to learn properly on whistle.

Regards,

Philo

Post by **Nanohedron** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 6:32 pm

Dang...C&F froze up on me! Anyway, Cran, if you want a listen to The Drunken Sailor, there's a good version on the CD The Fire Aflame.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 9:07 pm

skh wrote:Kid on the mountain.

Sonja

Exactly what immediately came to mind.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 9:44 pm

Try a nice slow air into a longer tune.

If you are good at sliding into an Fnat, a good combo would be The May Morning Dew into a slip jig such as (5 parts) O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick or a (3 part) double jig such as Blarney Pilgrim.

Eamon An Chnoic (Ned of the Hills) into a (3 part) slip jig such as Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife is nice.

If you are up to hornpipes and reels, just try sticking them together and see if the change is nice. Air into a jig/slip jig into hornpipe/reel changes the mood.

Lots of time if you do a real tear jerker air followed by a constasting fast, happy sounding tune, you will make the listeners laugh at the change.

Take what you can do good and weave magic with it in addition to learning longer tunes.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:51 am

Cranberry wrote:Quote @ glauber
Well, you can! and most of them in one place too: Geraldine Cotter's 100 Tunes CD. It doesn't have the Carolan stuff, only legit Irish tunes.
You know...I've been here a while and I should probably know this. But what/who is an O'Carolan tune?

I'll put getting that book on my list of things to do (which is about 65 pages long as of now, LOL).

http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/carolan.html

Easily_Deluded_Fool · Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:58 am

Three tunes that I string together are
Fanny Power + Southwind + Planxty Irwin

Each has part A + B. Play them once each,
or each part twice, then next tune, or
each part twice x three;
then next tune etc.

This gives a 'waltz' that can last 10 - 15 minutes,
and the tunes are easy to learn.

I use the above as a default medley when I can't think
'what to play'. Fits nearly every situation, and
they are fully 'automatic', so I can play while
watching the attractive ladies in the room ....
rule of holes now applies - when yer in one - stop digging

HTH

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 2:32 am

The Downfall of Paris.

It's a set dance, played reasonably slowly I believe, and has several parts with more variations appearing in each part. It's also the longest tune I had in my first tutor book (Irish Mandolin).

andreaz54 · Post by **andreaz54** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 6:44 am

Hey Cran

Get out your Bill Ochs tunebook and try "Drummond Castle" or "The Ladie's Pleasure". I found these to be longer and are a bit of a challange but not too much. Another good one is "Wayfaring Stranger"...but that is not in Bill Ochs book! If you are feeling really industrious you could try "Bonapartes Grand March"...that is in Bills book too.

I never timed these but considered them to be some of my larger accomplishments!! LOL! Really!

maracirac · Post by **maracirac** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 1:33 pm

i remember one more long tune: jig strayaway child, have 6 parts. beautifull version on some old bothy band records, second or third...
marin

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 1:41 pm

Cranberry wrote:You know...I've been here a while and I should probably know this. But what/who is an O'Carolan tune?

Terence (Turlough) O'Carolan was a famous blind Irish harp player and prolific composer. He's considered Ireland's national composer, but his compositions have not been accepted into the corpus of Irish Traditional Music. Some are pretty, though. Many sound like early Baroque stuff or maybe Vivaldi.