The Fiddler’s
Companion
© 1996-2008 Andrew Kuntz
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Notation
Note: The tunes below are recorded in what
is called “abc notation.” They
can easily be converted to standard musical notation via highlighting with your
cursor starting at “X:1” through to the end of the abc’s, then
“cutting-and-pasting” the highlighted notation into one of the many abc
conversion programs available, or at concertina.net’s incredibly handy “ABC
Convert-A-Matic” at http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html **Please note that the abc’s in the Fiddler’s
Companion work fine in most abc conversion programs. For example, I use
abc2win and abcNavigator 2 with no problems whatsoever with direct
cut-and-pasting. However, due to an anomaly of the html, pasting the abc’s
into the concertina.net converter results in double-spacing. For
concertina.net’s conversion program to work you must remove the spaces
between all the lines of abc notation after pasting, so that they are
single-spaced, with no intervening blank lines. This being done, the F/C
abc’s will convert to standard notation nicely. Or, get a copy of
abcNavigator 2 – its well worth it.
[AK] |
BÓ BREAC, AN. AKA and see "The Spotted Cow."
BÓ LEATADARCAC, AN. AKA and see "The One-Horned
Cow [1]."
BÓ LEAT-ADARCAC UI MARTAIN. AKA and see "Martin's One-horned Cow."
BÓ MAOL, AN (The Hornless Cow). AKA and see "The Hornless Cow."
BÓ NA LEATH ADHAIRCE. See “The cow with one horn.”
BOANIE... See also "Bonnie..."
BOANIE ISLE O' WHALSAY
[1], DA. AKA ‑ "Qualsay." Shetland, Shetland Reel. A Minor.
Standard. AABBCC. Whalsay is one of the islands in the Shetland group. The tune
is known throughout the Shetlands and is generally played as a reel today,
though there have been 6/8 versions in the past (see [2]). In the 1950's
"at least one fiddler, the late Jimmy Scollay of Burravoe, played it in
6/8 time, his version being noted down by Shuldham‑Shaw in the key of
G" (Cooke, 1986). Cooke's 'b' version is from J. Hoseason's MS., Mid Yell
(Shetland), 1863. Cooke (The Fiddle
Tradition of the Shetland Isles), 1986; Ex. 27b., pg. 77.
BOANIE ISLE O' WHALSAY
[2], DA. Shetland, Jig. A Minor. Standard
tuning. AA'BB'. Cooke's 'a' version is from A.W. Johnston's "Old Lore
Miscellany" ("Four Shetland Airs"), Vol. 5, No. 2, 1912, pg. 80.
Cooke theorizes that jig time, while popular in the Shetlands today, was a
relatively recent import and addition to the repertoire. "There may once
have been a dance genre of which only the tunes have survived‑‑in
the 'ambiguous' rhythm which is neither 2/4 nor 6/80‑‑and this
finds parallels in the dance repertory of western Norway, but during the past
100 years their tunes have been modernized or 'rationalized', most into reel
time, but some into jig time. One should not discount the possibility that some
never were dance tunes at all. Twelve of the twenty‑one tunes in this
category were recorded from one source, John Stickle of Unst, and he, having
received most of them as 'listening' tunes from his grandfather, played them
rather slowly. However, those which have been taken up and popularized by the
Shetland Folk Society are played today as true jigs at a brisk tempo and are
frequently used for any dance today requiring music in jig time" (Cooke,
1986). Cooke (The Fiddle Tradition of the
Shetland Isles), 1986; Ex. 27a., pg. 77.
BOANIE LASS O'
BEKKAHILL, THE. AKA and see "Bonnie Lass o' Bekkahill."
BOANIE POLKA. Shetland, Polka. Traditional Shetland polka. Anderson & Swing, 1979
(Haand Me
BOANIE TAMMIE SCOLLAY. AKA and see "Da Foula Reel,"
"Da Shaalds o' Foula [2]."
Shetland, Air and Reel. "Boanie Tammie Scollay" is a song sung to
essentially the same tune as "Da Foula Reel" and is sometimes played
as a reel by that name (Cooke, 1986). Cooke prints the following text to this
dance tune, in oral tradition in the Shetlands in the 1970's:
***
Where has due been aa the day, boanie Tammie, pretty Tammie,
Where has due been aa the day, boanie Tammie Scollay?
I'm been a coortin, bonnie maiden, minnie maiden
I'm been a coortin, bonnie minnie maiden
What's due gaan to gie taw us, bonnie maiden etc.
Bread and cheese upon a plate...etc.
BOAT OF BOG, THE. AKA and see “The Bridge of Spey.”
BOAT ON
BOAT STREET LASSES,
THE. AKA and see "The Maid
of the Forest," "Miss
Thornton's {Reel}," "Coming through the Field(s),"
"Lady Anna Hope," "Thro the Fields [2]," "The
Creeping Mouse," "Down the Street," "Spike Island Lasses [2],"
"Salamanca [2]," "O'Loughlin's Reel."
BOATIE ROWS, THE. AKA and see “Keel
Row.” Scottish, English; Reel, Strathspey, and
X:1
T:Boatie Rows, The
M:C
L:1/8
R:Strathspey
S:Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
G | (B<d) (d>.e) (d>.g)
(a/g/f/e/) | (d<B) (B>.G) (B<A) (A>.G) | (B<d) d>e d>g
(a/g/f/e/) | (d<g) a>b g2 (.g.G) |
(B<d) (d>.e) (d>.g)
(a/g/f/e/) | (d<B) (B>.G) (B<A) (A>.G) | (B<d) d>e d>g
(a/g/f/e/) | (d<g) a>b g2g ||
d | (g>.d)(d>f)
(g>.d)(d>.g) | {f}(e>.d)(e>.g) ({f/g/}a3)f | (g<b) (e<g)
(d>.g) (d>.B) | {B}(A>.G)(A>.B) ({A}G3)f |
gdd (e/f/) gdd (g/f/) | ({f}e>d
(e/f/g/) ({f/g/}a3) (g/f/) | (g<b) (e<g) (dg/f/) {f}(e/d/c/B/) |
{B}(A>.G) (A<B) ({A}G2)G ||
BOATIN' UP (THE)
BOATING UP
BOATING UP
|
See also listing at: Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An
Index to Recorded Sources |
BOATIN’ UP
BOATMAN [1] (Boate Man). English, Country Dance Tune (6/8 or 6/4 time).
D Major (Fleming‑Williams): C Major (Barnes, Chappell, Karpeles, Sharp).
Standard tuning. AB (Chappell): ABB (Sharp): AABB (Barnes, Fleming‑Williams,
Karpeles). The air was first published by Playford in The English Dancing Master (1650) and again in his Musick's Recreation on the Vio., Lyra‑way
(1661). Barnes (English Country Dance
Tunes), 1989. Chappell (Popular Music
of the Olden Times), vol. 1, 1859; pgs. 308‑309. Fleming‑
Williams & Shaw (English Dance Airs;
Popular Selection, Book 1), 1965; pg. 7. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs),
1951; pg. 18. Raven (English Country
Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 37. Sharp (Country
Dance Tunes), 1909; pg. 43.
X:1
T:Boatman [1]
M:6/8
L:1/8
B:Sharp – Country Dance Tunes (1909)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:C
G E2 G2G|G E2 G2G|c2c B2A|d3 D3|G E2
G2G|G E2 G2G|c2d ed2|c3 C2z:|
|:c2d e2d|c2B A2G|F2F E2D|d3 D2D|G E2G2G|G
E2 G2G|c2d ed2|c3 C2z:|
BOAT(S)MAN [2]. AKA and see "Sailing Down the
River on the O‑hi‑o," "Ohio
River," "Boatman Dance."
Old‑Time, Breakdown.
***
George Caleb Bingham (1811-1879). Raftsmen
Playing Cards.
Flatboat Fiddler. From Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newspapter, v. 50, April, 1880.
***
The Boatsman dance, the Boatsman sing,
The Boatsman do most everything.
And when the Boatsman get on shore,
Spends all his money and he work for more.
Cho:
Dance, Boatsman, dance. Dance, Boatsman, dance,
Stay out all night, 'til the broad daylight,
Coming home with the girls in the morning.
Hey, ho, the boatmen row,
Sail down the river on the
Hey, ho, the Boatmen row,
Sail down the river on the
***
Well, I never saw a pretty girl in my life,
But what she'd been some boatsman's wife.
When the Boatsman blows his horn,
Look out, men, your daughter's gone!
(Johnson)
***
The boatmen whistle and the boatmen sing,
And the boatmen tell me some good thing.
Way, oh, boatmen row,
Sailing down the river on the O‑hi‑o. (Bayard)
***
Sources for notated versions: Debbie
McClatchey (Spandaro), George Strosnider (an elderly
BOATMAN [3], THE. (Fear a' bhàta). Scottish, Slow Air (3/4 time). B
Flat Major. Standard tuning. AABB. "This air sings delightfully and expressively
in Gaelic. The parties to the words were seemingly persons above the ordinary
rank. Whether the lady alludes to the cabin of his vessel or boat, or to some
apartment of her lover's residence, called the green chamber, she mentions her
delight at being there, where the best society met, to be entertained with
Spanish wine form the hand of her lover" (Fraser). A song by this name
appears in Allan Ramsay's ballad opera The
Gentle Shepherd (1725), not performed until 1729. Francis Collinson,
in his Traditional and National Music of Scotland, says that "Among
a sea going island people like those of the
X:1
T:Boatman, The [3]
T:Fear a’bhàta
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:140
S:Fraser Collection
(1874)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:B_
F>G | B2g2f>g | G2 Bz B>_A | G2F2B>F | G2 Bz d>e | f2g2f>e |
d2 gz f>e | d2B2c>B | B2 Bz :: d>c | B2 B>c d>F | G2 Bz g>f |
f2 f>g f>c | d2 fz d>e | f2 g2 f>e | d2 gz f>e | d2B2c>B | B2 Bz :|
BOATMAN [4], THE (Fear a' bhata). Scottish, Slow Air (3/4 time). E Minor.
Standard tuning. AA. A different tune than Fraser's (version #3). Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), vol. 2, 1988; pg. 6.
BOATMAN [5], THE. Old-Time. D Major. DDad or DDae tunings. ABC.
From western
X:1
T:Boatman [5]
M:C
L:1/8
S:Bruce Molsky
N:DDae tuning
N:ABC’s from a transcription by John Lamancusa, by permission. See http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.htm
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
z2 (A2 A)B d2 || f4 ~e2d2 | A3 (d
(d)edB | AFDF ~E2 (D2 | D2) (A2 A)Bd2 |
f4 e2d2 | B3 (d d)edB | AFDF E2 (D2
| D2) (A2 A)Bd2 || f4 a3e |
fe d2 B3 (d | d)edB AFDF | ~E2 (D2
D2) D2 || (F4 F)EFG | (A4 A)B A2 |
(F4 F)EFE | (D4 D2) [D,2D2] | (F4
F)EFG | A2 (A2 A)BdB | ABAF E2 (D2 |
M:2/4
L:1/8
D2 dc |
M:C
L:1/8
B2G2 FGAd | BABG A2 dc | BAGB AFDF |
E2 D4 dc |
BABG FGAd | BABG ABdc | BAGB AFDF |
E2D4 (A2 |
M:2/4
L:1/8
A)B d2 ||
BOATMAN [6], THE (Fir a bhàtd). Scottish, Air (3/4 time). G Major. Standard
tuning. One part. Morison (
X:1
T:Boatman [6], The
T:Fir a bhàtd
M:3/4
L:1/8
R:Air
N:”In rowing time”
S:Morison –
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
G>E G2 AB | d>B d2e2 | F>E
E2 FA | B>E (ED) B,2 | d>B d2 (e>G) |
(AB) e2 d>B | (BA) G2 (Gd) |
B>A (A<G) G2 ||
BOATMAN [7], THE (Fir a bhàtd). Scottish, Air (3/4 time). G Major. Standard
tuning. One part. Morison (
X:1
T:Boatman [6], The
T:Fir a bhàtd
M:3/4
L:1/8
R:Air
N:”In rowing time”
S:Morison –
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
D>
B,D E2 E>E | DE G2 AB | e>d B2
AG | F>B E2E2 ||
BOAT MAN [8], THE.
Scottish, Slow Air (4/4 time) and Jig. D Major. Standard tuning.
AABBCCDDEEFFGGHH. McGibbon (Scots Tunes,
book II), c. 1746; pgs. 46-47.
X:1
T:Boat Man [8], The
M:C
L:1/8
R:Air
N:”Slow”
S:McGibbon – Scots Tunes, book II, pgs. 46-47
(c. 1746)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
F>G | A3d ({B}A3) (G/F/) |
(GF)”tr”(ED) A3A | B>cd>e (f>g/2a/4 g)f | ({f}”tr”e4)E2F>G |
A3d ({B}A3) (G/F/) |
{E/F/}(GF)”tr”(ED) A3A | (B>c)(d>e) f(g/a/) Ac | ({c}d4)D2 :|
|: d2 | “tr”(B>AB)c d>efd |
{e/f/}(gf)”tr”(ed) e2 (AG) | F2A2 (d>e)(f>g) | ({f}”tr”e4E2F>G |
A3d({B}A3)G/F/ | (GF)”tr”(ED) A3
(G/F/) | G>BA>d (cd) ({f)e)(d/c/) | ({c}d4) D2 :|
|: F>G | A3 (B/c/4d/4) ({B}A3)
G/F/ | {E/F/}(GF)”tr”(ED) A3A | B/(d/c/)(e/ d/)(f/e/)g/ (fg/4a/4 g)f |
({f}”tr”e4) E2 (F/G/”tr”G>F/2G/4)
| A3 (B/c/4d/4) ({B}A3) G/F/ | (GF)”tr”(ED) A3A |
B/(d/c/)(e/ d/)(f/e/)g/
(f>g/2a/4) Ac | ({c}d4)D2 :: d2 | “tr”(BA)(Bc) A3 (B/4/c/4d/8B/8c/8d/8)
({B}A3)G/F/ |
{E/F/}(GF)”tr”(ED) A3(G/F/) |
(G/A/B/)G/ Ad “tr”(c/B/c/)d/ ({f}e)(d/c/) | ({c}d4) D2 :|
M:6/8
L:1/8
N:”Quick”
F/G/ | AdA FDA | (d/c/B/c/ d) AFD |
“tr”F>GA def | “tr”e3E2A/G/ | (FDF) (AFA) |
BGB “tr”(cBA) | “tr”(fed) A(dc) |
d3D2 :: d/c/ | (Bc)A def | gfe agf | ecA EAc | A3”tr”G3 |
FAd dAF | GBe ecA | “tr”(fed) Adc |
d3D2 :: F/G/ | AdA FDA | (d/c/B/c/d) AFD |
F>GA (d/e/f/)(d/e/f) | e3E2A/G/ |
(F/E/D/E/F/)D/ A/G/F/G/A/F/ | B/A/G/A/B/G/ c/B/A/B/c/A/ |
(f/g/a/)(f/e/d/) Adc | d3D2 :: d/c/
| BcA d/e/f/d/e/f/ | g/f/e/g/f/g/ a/g/f/a/g/f/ | e/f/g/f/e/d/ c/d/e/d/c/B/ |
Ace “tr”G3 | (F/A/B/c/d) dBF | (G/B/c/d/e)
ecA | f/e/d/f/e/d/ Adc | dAF D2 :|
BOATMAN DANCE. AKA and see "Boatman [2]."
BOATMAN OF PITNACREE. AKA and see “The Pitnacree
Ferryman.” Scottish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning. AB (Surenne): AAB
(Gow). Pitnacree is on the River Tay. "Very old." Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 436. Gow
(Complete Repository), Part 3, 1806;
pg. 33. Surenne (Dance Music of
X:1
T:Boatman of Pitnacree, The
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
S:Gow – 3rd Repository (1806)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
g|({g}f2) (AA) {A}e2 Ag|({g}f2) ef
dBB>g|f>A A/A/A e3g|f>e dB A/A/A A:|
B|A>F AB ~defd|e/e/e fd
({f}e>)d Bd|AFAB defd|efdB A/A/A A>B|
AFAB ~defd|efdf ({f}e)dBd|AFAB
defa|efdB ({B}A2)A||
BOATMAN'S DANCE [1]. AKA and see "Dance,
Boatman, Dance [1]." English, Morris Dance Tune (2/4 time). G Major.
Standard tuning. AABB. Tune used as a morris dance tune in North‑West
Morris, for either polka step or single step. See also "Boatman" [2] for version in old‑time
tradition. Wade (Mally’s North West
Morris Book), 1988; pg. 16. Cottey Light
Industries CLI-903, Dexter et al - "Over the Water" (1993. Appears as
part of the medley "Godley Hill").
BOATMAN'S DANCE [2]. Scottish (?), "Sand Jig" (4/4 time). G Major. Standard
tuning. AABB. Kerr (Merry Melodies),
vol. 2; No. 400, pg. 45.
X:1
T:Boatman’s Dance [2]
M:C
L:1/8
R:Sand Jig
S:Kerr – Merry Melodies, vol. 2, No. 400
(c. 1880’s)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
D2|G>FG>B d2d2|e2e2
d4|e2d2B2G2|B2A2 (3fed (3cBA|G>FG>B d2d2|
e2d2
gdBG|B2A2G2::d2|g2f2e2d2|e2d2B4|e2d2 cBAG|
FAag (3fed (3cBA|G>FG>B d2d2|e2e2
d4|e2d2 gdBG|B2A2G2:|
BOATMAN'S REEL, THE. AKA and see "The Grey Frieze Breeches,"
"The Ladies
Pantalettes/Pantaloons/Pantaloos," "Leonard's Reel," "Pat the Fowler," "The Green Pantaloons."
BOB AND JOAN. See "Boban John," "Bobbing Joan," "Bobbing
Joe," "Hey for Stoney
Batter," "Fill the Bumper
Fair," "Love and Whiskey,”
“Stoneybatter [1]." Irish, Air
or March (9/8). G Major (Colclough): D Major (Kennedy). Standard tuning. AB
(Roche): AABB (Breathnach): AABB’ (Kennedy). A variant of the Scottish tune
"Boban John" in a different time. The air was used in the opera The Wife of Two Husbands for the song
“Love and Whiskey,” to which Thomas Moore later wrote “Fill the Bumper Fair.”
Breathnach (1963) gives these words:
***
Hi for Bob and Joan,
Hi for Stoneybatter;
Leave your wife at home
Or surely I'll be at her.
***
Crofton Croker mentions “Bob and
Joan” in conjunction with James Gandsey (1769-1857), the famous Kerry piper (as
reported by Brendan Breathnach in The Man
and His Music {1997}). Gandsey, who
was nearly blind from smallpox contracted as an infant, nevertheless was an
incomparable talent of his time on his instrument, whose talents also included
telling a good story, singing a good song and holding his own at capping Latin
verses (a skill learned as a youth in a hedge school) with any educated person
in the county. Croker describes several
musical encounters with Gandsey at Gorham’s Hibernian Hotel, at one of which a request
was made of the piper for a lively song.
“Come boy, scrape away,” said Gandsey to his son, a fiddler, and
responded by singing “Bob and Joan,” to which he had set his own words:
***
To Killarney we will go,
And see fair nature’s beauties,
The mountain topped with snow,
And covered with arbutus.
Oh! Then, to hear at night,
At Gorham’s, how entrancing,
Old Gandsey play his pipes,
Which steps the maids a dancing!
Tow, row, row, row, row etc.
***
Source for notated version: piper
Seán Potts (
X:1
T:Bob and Joan
M:3/4
L:1/8
S:Colclough – Tutor for the Irish
Union Pipes (c. 1830)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
BGGE G2 | BGGBAc | BGGE G2 |
D/E/F/G/ A/B/A/G/ FA :|
|: GBdG B2 | G/A/B/c/ d/e/f/g/ Bd |
GB d/e/d/c/ B2 cAADFA :|
|: gbdgBd | g/b/c’/b/ ag fa | gbef gf/g/
| addd fa :|
|| G/E/B/E/ C/E/B/E/ G2 | G/B/d/g/
c/B/A/G/ F/G/A/B/ | G/E/B/E/ c/E/B/E/ G2 | F/G/A/B/ AD FA |
G/E/B/E/ C/E/B?E/ G2 | G/A/B/c/
d/e/d/c/ d>g | c’/b/a/g/ b/a/g/f/ g>f | eA A/B/A/G/ FA ||
BOB AND JOHN. See "Boban John." Scottish, Jig
(3/2 time). A Aeolian. Standard tuning. AAB. A variant of the Scottish tune
"Boban John.” Carlin (The Gow
Collection), 1986; No. 478.
BOB CHADDUCH'S JIG. AKA and see "King Pin Jig."
American, "Sand Jig". A Major. Standard tuning. AABB. A "sand
jig" is a designation for a synchopated type of dance tune popular in the
mid-19th century. It received its name from the practice of sanding
the stage to reduce friction and facilitate the brushing of the shoes. “King
Pin Jig” is related in the first part. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 80. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 424, pg. 48. Ryan’s Mammoth Colleciton, 1883; pg. 113.
X:1
T:Bob Chaduch’s
M:2/4
L:1/8
R:Sand Jig
S:Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:A
EA/B/ c/>e/ z/e/ | f/e/c/e/
a({g}a | EA/B/ c/<e/ z/e/ | f/e/d/c/ B/e/^d/e/ |
z/ E/a/B/ c/<e/ z/e/ | f/e/^d/e/
f/a/g/a/ | (b/>.g/)(a/>.f/) e/c/A/B/ | z/ c/B/G/ A2 :|
|: A({g}a) A({g}a) | f/e/d/e/ f2/ |
ze e2 | (3c/B/A/ B/G/ A/c/B/A/ | E({^g}a z({g}a) |
f/e/^d/e/ f/a/g/a/ |
(b/>./)(a/>.f/) e/c/A/B/ | z/ c/B/G/ A :|
BOB JOHNSON'S MARCH
AND REEL. Canadian, March and Reel.
BOB LE SUEUR’S FANCY. Irish, Jig. D Dorian. Standard tuning. AABB. Source for notated
version: piper Kirk Lynch (
X:1
T: Bob le Sueur's Fancy
S: Kirk Lynch
Q: 325
R: jig
Z:Transcribed by Bill Black
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
ded cAG | A3 BGE | D3 DEG | A3 cAG |
ded cAG | A3 BGE | D3 AGE | FGA D3 :|
ded fed | cAG c2 d | ded cAG | ^F3 AFD |
ded
fed | cAG c2 d | fed cAG | FGA D3 :|
BOB McQUILLAN’S. American, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning. AA’BB’. Although the tune has
been credited to
X:1
T:Bob McQuillan's
R:reel
C:Aly Bain
D:
Z:id:hn-reel-425
Z:transcribed
by henrik.norbeck@mailbox.swipnet.se
M:C|
K:G
~B3c dcBA|GABG D2DB|c2cd edcB|AGFE
D2dc|
~B3c dcBA|GABG D2ED|C2CD EDEG|1 FDEF
G2GA:|2 FDEF G2Bc||
|:d2Bd gagf|eccB c2AB|cAAc
~a3g|fdd^c d2B=c|
d2Bd gagf|eccB cege|dBGB cAFG|1 AGGF
G2Bc:|2 AGGF G2GA||
X: 2
T: Maud McQuillan's
C: Bob McQuillan
S: "Treoir"
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: Reel
Z: Transcribed by Bill Black
K: G
dc | B3 c dcBA | GABG D3 B | c3 d edcB | AGFE
D^cd=c |
B