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BRIMS Intermediate Fiddle

Home Ruler

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A classic hornpipe for our last class of this 12 week session. Hopefully we’ll follow this up in the future with Kitty’s Wedding, which I’m still working on! Definitely one of my favorite hornpipe sets. Alex’s version is a little different from the way I learned it, but it is good for me to get “variations” into my little brain, so that I don’t have to play something the same way every time through it.

Home Ruler  Listen   View Notation  Key of D

And come on out to the BRIMS’ recital at 2pm on Sunday (April 17th) at the Haven. See what we’ve been up to for the past 3 months!

BRIMS Intermediate Fiddle

Paddy Fahy’s Sligo Maid

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I’ve fallen behind a couple of weeks in Alex’s class, so here is the “catch-up” post. However, I will say it was well worth the wait as these are two tunes worth knowing. I think Sue was the force behind learning Paddy Fahy’s, and no, we don’t know which Paddy Fahy’s it is. Part of the allure. However, after looking it up on thesession.org, it listed several other titles for it, one of which gave me quite a good chuckle this morning.

“Also known as And Never Was Piping So Gay, Blacksmith’s Anvil, The Blacksmith’s Anvil, Ed Reavy’s, Fahey´s Tractor, Never Was Piping So Gay, Paddy Fahey’s, Paddy Fahey’s No. 14, Paddy Fahy’s Favourite Orgy Scene, Reavy’s, Shaney Mulhearn’s, Shaney Mulhern’s.”

When we were learning Sligo Maid, I was sitting there thinking that I just recently played it with someone, but I couldn’t place it. Sophie was kind enough to remind me that we played it for our teacher set on Friday. Yes, Alzheimer’s is rapidly setting in. Further confirmation of that was that I couldn’t recall the names of the tunes the next day and had to email for help. The brain is an amazing place and getting less amazing all the time. Enjoy the tunes!

Paddy Fahy’s  Listen   View Notation   Key of G
Sligo Maid   Listen   View Notation   Key of Am

Session Workshop Class

Session Workshop Tunes

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Slip sliding away…

We’ve added two well-known slides to work on for the next two weeks. I’ve really grown quite fond of slides since our trip to Ireland. Who knows, maybe it was all the dancing with “Timmy the Brit”. Regardless, slides and polkas are fun tunes to add to your repertoire. Hope you enjoy them!

Remember for Spring break week, there will be no BRIMS classes on April 5th or 7th. So we’ll all have a chance to practice our tunes an extra week (I personally will need that!). Work on getting those reels up to speed and those transitions. Don’t put your instrument down for too long over the break. As soon as we know what the plan will be for the recital, we’ll let you know so you can focus your practice more. In the meantime, safe travels to those of you who are hitting the road!

Jig Set (3x each)
Out on the Ocean   Listen   View Notation   Key of G (A part) Em (B part)
Swallowtail Jig   Watch   View Notation   Key of Em
Connaughtman’s Rambles   Listen   View Notation   Key of D (A part) Bm (B part)
Kesh Jig   Listen   View Notation   Key of G

Reel Set (3x each)
O’Connell’s Trip to Parliament   Listen   View Notation   Key of D
Drowsy Maggie   Listen   View Notation   Key of Em (A part) D (B part)
Torn Jacket   Listen   View Notation   Key of D
Silver Spear   Listen   View Notation   Key of D

Hornpipe Set (2x each)
Boys of Blue Hill   Listen   View Notation   Key of D
Off to California   Listen   View Notation   Key of G
Napoleon Crossing the Rhine   Listen   Couldn’t find notation, sorry!   Key of Em

Slip Jig Set (3x each)
Rocky Road to Dublin   Listen   View Notation   Key of Am
Dever the Dancer   Listen   View Notation   Key of Em (A part) D (B part)
Humours of Whiskey   Listen   View Notation   Key of Bm (A part) D (B part)

Waltz Set (2x each)
Si Bheag Si Mhor   Watch   View Notation   Key of D
Fanny Poer   Watch   View Notation   Key of G
Empty Wallet Waltz   Listen (to Virginia!)   View Notation   Key of G
Planxty Irwin   Watch   View Notation   Key of G

Slide Set (3x each)
Road to Lisdoonvarna   Listen  View Notation   Key of Em
O’Keefe’s Slide   Listen  Couldn’t Find Notation   Key of Em
Here’s an up to speed version to play along with (reverse order)   Watch

This post is growing like a shamrock in springtime!

And even though this is not the key we play it in and the melody is a bit different, this is just too amazing to pass up! You really must hear (and see) this version of Napoleon Crossing the Rhine   Watch

And just for Adrienne and Julie, here’s a little tenor banjo (from a master) that I stumbled upon while trying to find a suitable recording of Swallowtail Jig. The first tune is also one some folks learned from Breda and Claire Keville in Ireland last summer. But no, it isn’t Swallowtail Jig 🙂   Watch

BRIMS Intermediate Fiddle

Drops of Brandy

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Sorry for the delay posting this one. I’ve been wrestling with taxes for the past couple of days, but now, posting the tune name, it seems like a good time to “practice” it. Though maybe that would be more appropriate if it were called “Glasses of Brandy”. I first heard this tune last summer in Ireland, but it’s become quite popular around here recently. Maybe I just didn’t recognize it before. Yes, another slip jig… good practice for my guitar students as some slip jigs are a little funky when it comes to rhythm.

Listen to Drops of Brandy (slip jig).
Listen to Drops of Brandy (bowing on a-part).
Listen to Drops of Brandy (bowing on b-part).

Misc Goodies

Sure Signs of Spring

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During a long winter, we all look for harbingers of Spring. Growing up in the northeast, I remember my Grandmother calling us when she saw her first robin or the day we received the Burpee Seed catalog and could start planning our vegetable garden (sans bugs and weeding, of course). For the last few years though, those has been replaced by the arrival of the Swannanoa Gathering catalog. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Gathering, and I’m already signed up. For me, it is the best summer vacation possible (short of a week in Ireland) – full immersion into Irish tunes, song, and dance for a week in July. Because it is up in the mountains near Asheville, NC, it has traditionally been a nice break from the blistering summer heat of Central Virginia. Fantastic instructors, pot luck sessions, good food, and two instructor concerts that are among the best showcases of Irish musicians gathered together in one place (and with John Skelton as MC, lots of laughs as well!). Sleep is the only thing lacking during the week!

But Swannanoa isn’t the only option available in the States. Here are some links to SwannyG and several others that are also well known.

Swannanoa Gathering
Augusta Heritage
Catskills Irish Arts Week
Mountain Road Fiddle Camp

Hope you can find the time to go to one of them. We found it to be a great getaway and a wonderful family activity.

BRIMS Intermediate Fiddle

Sailor’s Bonnet

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Sadly I couldn’t stay for class tonight. It’s been one of those weeks. But I did drop by to record this week’s tune, The Sailor’s Bonnet. Alex mentioned it was part of a classic set, which of course, piqued my curiousity, so off to Google I went. As is often the case, I became distracted by other themes and came across this wonderful resource on the Comhaltis site. Many tunes, ordered by some common sets. Sweet!

Comhaltis Tune Links (set 1)
Comhaltis Tune Links (set 2)

But I digress. Below is the tune for the week – enjoy!

Listen to Sailor’s Bonnet (reel).
Listen to Sailor’s Bonnet (played slower).

P.S. Maybe the set was The Tarbolton / The Longford Collector / The Sailor’s Bonnet. Will have to ask Alex!

BRIMS Intermediate Fiddle

Tommy Mulhair’s Jig

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Today’s tune brought back memories from Ireland as we learned Mulhair’s from Breda and Claire Keville. Since I knew the tune on mandolin already, it was interesting to be able to think more about the ornamentation and bowing for a change in class. My old brain seems to only be able to handle one dimension of a tune at a time (maybe two on a good day after coffee). I can either focus on the notes, the bowing, or the ornamentation, but not all three. Still, last night the jig rhythm seemed to be emanating from my bow for a change. And memories of Ireland always bring a smile to my face.

Also found out while looking for the notation that this tune also goes by the name of Castletown Connors.

Listen to Mulhair’s Jig.
Listen to Mulhair’s Jig (played slower).

Traditional Irish Music Musings and Tune Learning Resource