The Blackhaired Lass

reel

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on August 15th 2001 by Will CPT.

This tune has been added to 105 tunebooks.

Also known as The Black Haired Lass, The Black-Haired Lass, Cailín Na Gruaige Duibhe, The Dark Haired Lass, Molly Will You Do It?, Smokey House.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Treasury Of Irish Music 2 by Various Artists
• Beal A' Mhurlaigh by P.J. And Marcus Hernon
• Blackwater by Altan
• Bundle And Go by John Doherty
• Erne by Jim McGrath, Cathal Hayden, Gerry O'Donnell, Tommy O'Sullivan
• Farewell To Ireland CD 2 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
• Feadoga Stain 2 by Mary Bergin
• Gavin Whelan by Gavin Whelan
• Kathleen Keane by Kathleen Keane
• Live At Mona's by Various Artists
• Live Recordings From The William Kennedy Piping Festival by Various Artists
• Many Happy Returns by Arcady
• Music On The Wind by Sean Moloney
• Noonday Feast by Joe Shannon And Johnny McGreevy
• Roaming by Jeremy Kittel
• Roll Away The Reel World by James Keane
• The Girls Won't Leave The Boys Alone by Cherish The Ladies
• The Moneymusk by Hammy Hamilton
• The Rocky Road by Michael Kerry
• The Russell Family Of Doolin, County Clare by The Russell Family
• The Sanctuary Sessions by Various Artists
• The Totally Traditional Tin Whistle Tape by Various Artists
• The Wynd You Know by Ronan Browne
• With Every Breath by John Wynne
• Wooden Flute Obsession Disk 1 by Various Artists

X: 1
T: Blackhaired Lass, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
AB|:cBAB cdec|d2 gd BGGB|cBAB cdec|dfec A2 AB:|
|cdef g2 ge|f2 fd gfed|cdef ~g3e|fdec A2 AB|
|cdef gfeg|~f3d g2 fg|(3agf ge fdec|dfec A2 AB|

Blackhaired Lass

After recommending this to Caroline as a minor key reel good for sessions, I realized it wasn't in the tune section on this site yet. So here it is, in a fairly simple setting. You can put triplets on most of the quarter notes throughout the tune to spice it up a little. See O'Neill's for the same minor setting with too much ornamentation.

I've also heard this tune played with c sharps throughout, with no other changes, to place it squarely in D major--like learning two tunes in one. This is how it's shown in Breathnach's volume 1, and The Northern Fiddler hasit transcribed from Johnny Doherty in a decidedly Donegal setting, also in D major.

# Posted on August 15th 2001 by Will CPT

The same name

sorry for my english. Iknow to play a slip jig whit the same name, but the tune is totally different. I submitted this tune here but is a slip jig.

# Posted on December 2nd 2001 by keko

just listening to some tape of seamus ennis and i realised that after some spiel about a little girl and a leprechaun or an odd little man he plays this tune once through on whistle calling it the smokey house and warning people not to play it in presence of the aforementioned little girl or she'll run a mile
anyone else call it the smokey house i wonder

# Posted on July 13th 2003 by timo

Seamus ennis

That little story can also be found in Carson's "Last Night's Fun". Stories are fun. When I get the book back I can post the whole thing. Unless you (ed) want to write it down from the tape.

# Posted on July 13th 2003 by Pontus Adefjord

This is the tune on Altans' CD Blackwater, instead of the one that you'd hop too through the recordings bit.

FYI.

# Posted on August 6th 2004 by Pádraig

Eeeeee, that story was confusing, I just listened to it! But that's cool! I love stories wheeeee!!!

# Posted on August 18th 2004 by fiddlinviolinin

I prefer this in Amix.

# Posted on October 1st 2004 by Dow

Blackhaired Lass

Quite nice! Nice on the whistle, probabley on the fiddle too! Cool! From NiamhB

# Posted on November 5th 2006 by NiamhB

Ornamentation

I agree that the O'Niell's version is too heavy on ornamentation. Maybe grace notes and what not are easier to play on the fiddle, which the book was written for, than on the mandolin, especially when, like me, you don't really know how to play. Great tune, thanks for this version.

# Posted on February 9th 2008 by scapino