Irish Flute Tunes

The Cat in the Corner (jig)

O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland tune number 129

 

I probably would have been better getting the cat to play it.

 

The Tongs by the Fire (jig)

Here's another tune from Francis O'Neill's 'Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 Gems'.

My understanding of 'gem' in today's context is a tune without syncopation and notes keeping close company with other notes they don't get on with.

 

The Whistling Postman - jig

A short tune to fill a spare minute. I don't know how much postmen/postwomen (or even postmodernists) whistle now under the burden of Amazon boxes.

 

Sweet Biddy Daly (jig)

This jig is also known as 'Health to the Ladies'. It's a good tune for getting used to playing in A as it doesn't need any G sharps.

As for the identity of Sweet Biddy Daly: I think she was the alter ego of Sour Suzie Knightly.

https://thesession.org/tunes/327

The Lonesome Jig

Here's a Lonesome Jig.  It only has 681 companions on this site so far - no wonder it feels a bit isolated.

The Blarney Pilgrim (jig)

Here's a tune I've managed to overlook during the years I've been putting tunes on this site.  It refers to the Blarney Stone the kissing of which is reputed to leave a great facility for fine talk on the lips which were in contact with said stone.  I was taken for my contact with the Blarney Stone when I was a child, though I think I was held the wrong way up and the incorrect bit of me made contact with the little rock of eloquence.

You can find the dots here:

https://thesession.org/tunes/5

Roger’s Jig

Here's an old, neglected Sligo jig.   There's a recording of Paddy Sweeney from Moylough in Sligo playing it on a fiddle in 1937: http://archive.org/details/PaddySweenyRogersJigVillageJig.  I like listening to recordings like that of tunes played at a quick pace and then hearing people who extol the virtues of Coleman, Sweeney, Killoran et al, giving off at people for playing too fast when they are playing much slower that their heroes every played.  I'm sorry if that was a very clumsily cobbled sentence - I'm not used to the heat - a bit of which has been visited upon us of late.  You'll be able to find the tune in squashed tadpole form at http://thesession.org/tunes/11483 and play it at whatever speed you like.

The Southwest Wind (An Ghaoth Aniar Aneas) - jig

Here's a jig from the South West - mar atá Co. Clare.  I associate it with Willie Clancy.  I'm not sure whether its title refers to the direction the air flowed through his pipes while he played it.  I think my flute was more Mecca-wards when I was playing it on this occasion - that would just be a west wind - with slight precipitation towards the end of the tune. For disciples of the dot there's always http://tunepal.org/tunepal/show_tune.php?tunepalid=8445-75.abc-1-Southwest~Wind%2C~The.

The Morning Lark (jig)

Here's a close relative of the 'Lark in the Morning'.  This one has fewer parts - from my playing it sounds as though it may be missing a wing and part of its voice. http://tunepal.org/tunepal/show_tune.php?tunepalid=87-cces-tunes2.abc-20-Morning%7ELark

My Former Wife (jig)

Here's an old jig played on an old flute. This poor flute is falling apart, maybe due to modern nasties like central heating which weren't about when it was young.  It seems not to like being 'My Warmer Fife'.

The Stolen Purse (jig)

Here's a tune I've played for years.  I never knew a name for it so I played it into the magic tunepal.org machine and that is where this title came out of.  My first part for the tune is a bit different from the versions on the computer but I suppose there's no harm in that.  It's worth taking note of the advice on the photo even if the tune is of no interest.

The Girls of Banbridge (jig)

Here's an approximation of O'Neill's version of a popular jig.  The dots can be found at: http://www.oldmusicproject.com/AA3Sheet/0701-1200/Sheet-0801-0900/0812-GirlsBanbridge.gif If you want to hear it played properly you could do worse than click on this link: http://archive.org/details/MichaelColemanGirlsofBainbridgeCherishtheLadies . The name  in Coleman's version is 'Bainbridge' - maybe a reference to characters in Beryl's very early work  (she'd have been 8 at the time).

Knocknagow (jig)

Here's a tune I was asked a while ago to play. I've always been a bit allergic to this tune - I'm not sure why - I think something bad like the house falling down happened the last time I played it and that left a bit of an impression which didn't please me too much. It's a good tune all the same. I think it's really 2 jigs joined together. I'm away to stand outside for a while in case this house isn't up to the Knocknagow test.

Do you want any more? (jig)

I think this is also called The Collier's Jig.  There's a collier's reel too which has the same general selection if notes in it.  I'll post it on the site if it's not already here. I've been reminded a couple of times lately that some people are finding some use for some of the tunes on this site so I thought I'd try to add one or two more.  It remains to be seen whether they'll fall into the useful category or otherwise.  I have a couple of requested tunes still to post as well.  I'm just being delayed by not knowing them and almost never having a flute closer that about 20 feet away.  If I attended to the latter matter then my chance of sorting the former should increase accordingly.

Jackson’s jig

I've been laptopless for a while so have hadn't been able to post any tunes.   I now have a new laptop and it and an old flute have combined to record this not so new jig.  I'm not used to the recording level on the new computer so this post may only be audible to canine creatures.   Maybe they can be persuaded to bark a louder version out if necessary.

John McHugh’s Jig

Here's a nice jig.  I can't type any more as I can hear a baby stirrng; a baby who cares little about this site and the words and notes thereon.

Gurney’s Favourite (jig)

Here's a jig I heard on a recording of Michael Gorman.  It's called Guiry's favourite in O'Neill's. I was a bit distracted by an infant with a new set of noisy birthday presents but hopefully the tune recovers sufficiently frequently to make it possible to pick up.

The Battering Ram (jig)

I found a 'please play the battering ram' email so here's said man-ewe (not Man U which I believe is a soccer team). This rendition is more sheepish than extraordinary but most of the notes are there.

Father Tom’s Wager (jig)

Here's a jig about a betting Priest, or a Priestly bet.  I don't know how he fared in the gamble but the jig flutters on to this day. There are a few versions of this knocking about.  This is more or less like the one in O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland.

The Mist on the Mountain (jig)

I've been asked to play this one so here it is.  There's a tune call "snow on the hills" a few posts down.  This one is continuing the theme but maybe has more to do with Kagools than with skis.

The Eavesdropper (jig)

Here's a tune I overheard someone asking for. I've a couple more to do too and I'll get around to them as soon as I find where I tied the knot in my hankerchief.

Willie Coleman’s Jig

I was asked to play this a while ago but haven't had much of a chance to play anything lately. The request referred to the "lovely flowing style" of a certain well known flute player.  I'm afraid I can only do stumbling but the tune can still hopefully be learned from here.

O’Mahony’s Jig

I'm sure nobody was wondering what it sounds like when a person plays a jig they don't know while looking out at a pissing wet August afternoon.  Just on the off chance that anyone was ...

Hinchey’s Delight (jig)

I've seen this tune with a "Hinch" and also with a "Hench". I was never a good henchman so I'll stick with i before e

The Rolling Wave (jig)

Here's a tune which I found lurking amongst the ones which I must have uploaded at some stage.  I don't know why I never posted this one and I'm too much of a coward to listen back to it to find out.  I'll leave the mal de mer to others. There is a lovely tune called "The Rolling Wave".  I hope this is like it but I'll not bet on it.

The Cat’s Rambles (jig)

There's a jig called "Kitty's Rambles" / "The Rambles of Kitty" (depending on which form of the genitive case is to the fore) but this one is nothing like it, apart from having the same time signature, structure and almost the same name.  I've never seen this one referred to as "The Rambles of Cat" but I have seen "Whelan's Old Sow" (but not "The Old Sow of Whelan") pinned to it. Neither tunes' names nor names of tunes ever made much sense to me.  Hopefully this cat's / Kit's / whatever you please sir's, apostrophised journey won't lead to an 'astrophe.

Brian O’Lynn (jig)

This is a fairly common tune. I'm sorry if it appears hurried in places but I was getting withering looks from a baby while I played it and that put me off a bit.

Tripping Up The Stairs (jig)

Here's a very popular jig which I was asked to play.  It's especially popular among people who are learning to play the flute or the tin whistle.  Stair carpets have a lesser regard for it.