Key signature: Dminor
Submitted on September 9th 2001 by scottythefiddler.
This tune has been added to 87 tunebooks.
Also known as Seanamhac Tube Station, Seanamhach Tube Station, The Seanamhach Tubestation.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Seanamhac Tube Station, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmin
|:GFD D2F|GAc d3|dcA cAF|GFD C3|GFD D2F|GAc d3|dcA cAF|G3 G3:|
|d3 dcA|c3 cAc|dcA cAF|GFD C3|d3 dcA|c3 cAc|dcA cAF|G3 G3|
d3 dcA|c3 cAc|dcA cAF|GFD C3|GFD D2F GAc d3|dcA cAF|G3 G3||
The (composer's village's name here) Tube Station
I learned this tune from a county Sligo fiddler, named Phillip Cullen. He told me that he learned it from the composer, back in Sligo.
The tune is unique in that it takes only 2 fingers to play it. It uses a gapped scale (pentatonic) which makes it difficult to determine the precise tonality of the tune. Is it G-major, G-Dorian, or G-Aeolian? Impossible to tell with only five notes of the scale used in the tune. It definitely sounds modal to me.
The title, as given here is incomplete. The tune was named after a small village, with an Irish name, which I have yet to learn to spell. The reference to the tube station in the title is a little of the composer's humour, due to the fact that such a small village would not have a subway station.
# Posted on September 9th 2001 by scottythefiddler
Scales & Modes
Cool tune! Hmm, since it's based on the F Major pentatonic scale, which is basically in C Major, but it starts on G, it could theoretically be - G-Lydian? Then again, being based on F Major would make it G-Dorian, which is much more commonly used. Too much theory for me!
# Posted on September 10th 2001 by JeffK627
The (???) Tube Station
Are there really tube stations in Irish villages?
# Posted on September 10th 2001 by granama
The Tube Station
It sounds more like D-Dorian or D-Mixolydian to me, although the G at the end of each part makes it questionable.
What the heck? - It's a good tune.
# Posted on September 10th 2001 by granama
Scales and Modes
I do beg your pardon. It couldn't possibly be D-Mixolydian, as it has a C-natural (DMix would have a C#). Incidentally, JEFFK627, for the very same reason it couldn't be G-Lydian.
I could go on - but I won't.
# Posted on September 10th 2001 by granama
Are there really tube stations in Irish villages?
Phillip, the fiddler who showed the tune to me, said that there aren't any subways in all of Ireland, but I am not sure if was teasing me, or simply sharing a fact. The title is just a little tongue-in- cheek humour.
# Posted on September 10th 2001 by scottythefiddler
Down the tubes...
Irish Tunes.net has the name of the village as Seanamhac and the composer a chap called John Carty.
You can find pots of gold and little people wearing funny hats at almost any subway station in Ireland-I thought everyone knew that!
I can tell you that there are n't any trains in Donegal though.There used to be.But not anymore.
Dave
# Posted on September 13th 2001 by biggus dave
Seanamhac Tube Station
This tune, and many other great ones, can be found on John Carty's CD "Yeah! That's All It Is."
# Posted on September 14th 2001 by Jiml
Modes
David, you're absolutely right - G-lydian WOULD have a F#. Personally, I think it's either G-dorian or Q-latvian.
# Posted on September 14th 2001 by JeffK627
i think it's just pentatonic
# Posted on September 14th 2001 by glauber
RE: title
Yes, that is the title.... thanks, Violadave!! How did you find it?
It is funny how a few pints can scramble things. This tune was passed to me in a pub. I wrote Zina and told her the village name was pronounced something like "Nack-a-Wash.
A few days later, I saw Phillip again, and came out with Shon-a-Wok. He couldn't spell the name for me, so I consulted maps on the web, but couldn't find anything that might be pronounced anything like the scrambled phonetics rolling around in my noggin. Thanks for completing the title, and finding the composer. Although, I had the title scrambled, the tune itself isn't.
# Posted on September 14th 2001 by scottythefiddler
Shonawackamashanack
It's all the fault of the ancient Celts. They used to go out on raids to steal all the consonants from their neighbors. That's why "Siobhan" is pronounced "Bill". The Hawaiians did the same thing, except they stole vowels.
# Posted on September 14th 2001 by JeffK627
This tune is on Cathal Hayden's self intitled cd and he acredits it to John Carty.
# Posted on January 4th 2003 by Hayley
Composer
David, just came across your comments here. You could always ask Bart Carty at the White Lion in Streatham - he's John's uncle!
Conán
# Posted on April 4th 2003 by Conán McDonnell
I have heard this tune played by a good few people but Cathal Hayden playing it on the banjo is by far the best. What a great tune.
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by Celtic1234
David, whaddya mean D mixolydian has a C#???
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by Dow
Baar baar
Never mind the chords, bars 13 and 14 are missing their conjoining barline. (posh word)
# Posted on July 7th 2003 by geoffwright
Allan Henderson plays this really well on the blazin fiddles magnificant seven album, really sound arrangement but i think he plays a different version?
# Posted on March 23rd 2006 by teuchstar
Who plays it?
Celtic1234, I'm sure Cathal Hayden plays it magnificently, but there is nothing like hearing it straight from the composer, of which I have had the pleasure, I think, on three occasions and each time: wonderful.
# Posted on June 25th 2006 by Brown Creeper
Seanamhac Tube Station
You can listen to the composer play this tune: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/rams/26december.ram (starts around 26:50)
From The Late Session programme listings 2004: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/1014033.html
# Posted on June 25th 2006 by slainte
The Seanamhac Tube Station
Anyone have Altan's setting in ABC?
# Posted on October 28th 2006 by Phantom Button
Button, the first of Slainte's links above is worth a listen! I haven't heard the Altan version yet, but will look for it. You can also hear it on Johnny B. Connolly's Bridgetown CD.
# Posted on October 28th 2006 by Keith Dubinsky
I listened to the composer playing it and transcribed it as best I could, but there are a lot of variations. I have the Bridgetown CD, and it's interesting to hear what he got out of it, but I'm wondering now how Altan treated it.
# Posted on October 29th 2006 by Phantom Button
Seanamhac Tube Station - 3rd part?
A bloke called Tam, a Banjo player from Knoydart, taught me a third part to this tune. I've gone and lost it from my brain. Anyone else know it? It goes up on the E string for a little while before ending pretty much the same. I would very much like to reinstill it into my noodle if anyone could oblige?!
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by Jamie
Upside Down Version
X: 1
T: The Seanamhac Tube Station
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Amin
|: AGE EDE | ABd e3 | edB dBG | AGE D3 |
AGE EDE | ABd e3 | edB dBG |1 A3 AGE :||2 A3 ABd ||
|: e3 edB | d3 dBd | edB dBG | AGE D3 |
e3 edB | d3 age | edB dBG | A3 ABd |
e3 edB | d3 dBd | edB dBG | AGE DE/F/G |
AGE AGE | AGE AGE | edB edB | A3 AB/c/d ||
|: e3 a3 | g2a b2a | age dBe | dBG AB/c/d |
e3 aba | g2a b3 | age dBG | A3 AB/c/d |
e3 a3 | g2a b2a | age dBe | dBG A3 |
AGE EDE | ABd e2a | gea gea | gdB A3 ||
# Posted on January 29th 2007 by JACKB
`Seanamhac Tube Station´
I heard this tune played beautifully by Kevin Burke on `Across the Black River´ and by Johnny O´Connolly + Brian McGrath in an impressive banjo/box duet on `Dreaming Up the Tunes´, an aptly named CD. How do you pronounce the name of the tube station and where is it ?
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by alexweger
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
I'm on and off the tube all the time and never come across it.
I assume it must be in north London somewhere.
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by yhaalhouse
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
I think the tube station name is a joke, if I remember the sleeve notes correctly.
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by Henk Bos
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
http://xrl.us/bhf4e
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by joesmith
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
Seanamhac is in Ireland, and the title is a bit of a joke. The tune was composed by John Carty, who played it beautifully a few weeks ago on one of the Clare FM "Kitchen Sessions."
As Carty explained it, Seanamhac (pronounce the "mh" sort of like a "v") was a small rural center of turf cutting. Every working day morning, trucks would pull into the area and discharge loads of young men to do the work, reminding some wags of an English tube station.
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by alec b
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
I think 'sean a mhac' is an attempt to translate into Irish the old London phrase 'My Old Son' as in 'Gao on moy owl san'
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by iwerzon
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
Wasn't Knock International Airport a joke at one time?
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by nicholas
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
its pronounced 'SHANNAWOCK'
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by Button Box
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
I like Cathal Hayden's version and periodically try to immitate it.
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by millionyears_bc
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
It's in the back of beyond past the middle of nowhere toward the back of Conamara. It seems a lot of lads living in London are from there.
# Posted on March 10th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: `Seanamhac Tube Station´
I love the tune.
Here's John Carty playing it:
]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlLUEaBANNw
# Posted on March 11th 2008 by Anew
Seanamhac Tube Station
Given Mr. Carty's comments in Zina's post above, and the versions of John himself playing his tune (on Yeah, That's All It Is and the youtube clip above), seemed worthwhile to transcribe this anew. Clearly in Gdor.
X: 1
T: Seanamhac Tube Station, The
C: John Carty
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gdor
GFD D2 F|GAc ~d3|dcA cAF|GFD CDF|
~G3 GFD|GAc dce|dce dcA|~G3 G2 A|
GFD D2 F|GAc [d3D3]|dcA ABc|AFD CDF|
~G3 GFD|GAc dce|dce dcA|~G3 GAc||
ded dcA|~c3 A2 c|dcA cAF|GFD C2 A|
[d3D3] dcA|~c3 gfd|dcA cAF|~G3 GAc|
ded dcA|~c3 A2 c|dcA cAF|GFD C3|
GFD GFD|GAc d2 e|dcA cAF|~G3 G2 A||
Optional 3rd part
d3 g3|f2 g a2 f|gfd ~c3|dcA GAc|
~g3 gfd|~f3 fga|gfd cAF|G3 GAc|
d3 g3|f2 g a2 f|gfd ~c3|dcA GFD|
GFD GFD|GAc dce|dce dcA|G2 A B{c}BA||
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by Will CPT