Common slides + sources

My most recent project has been to collect some common session slides together and find out which popular recordings session musicians would have learnt the "classic" sets from. I found that most of the sets came from old Chieftains and Bothy Band sets, rather than the people you associate with slides and polkas like Johnny O’Leary, which I suppose isn’t really surprising when you think about it. Anyway, I was hoping that people here would be able to comment on which of these they hear in their sessions and what others they find are popular. I’m particularly interested to find out where session musicians got the Gmaj version of the Lonesome Road To Dingle.

COMMON SLIDES

SATG 1
Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford: The Star Above The Garter

X: 1
T: The Rathawaun
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
E|F2A AFA BdB AFD|F2E EDE F2D D2E|
F2A AFA BdB AFA|Bcd ecA d3 d2:|
|:e|f2f fed g2e ede|f2f fed a^ga ba=g|
f2f fed g2e ecA|Bcd ecA d3 d2:|

X: 1
T: The Hare In The Corn
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
A|B2B AGA BdB AGA|B2e d2B A3 AGA|
B2B AGA BdB AGA|B2e d2B G3 G2:|
|:d|e2e e2d e2f g3|B2e d2B A3 A2d|
e2e e2d e2f g2A|B2e d2B G3 G2:|


SATG 2
Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford: The Star Above The Garter

X: 1
T: Danny Ab’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
A|B2B cBc d3 d2e|dBG dBG A3 AGA|
B2B cBc d3 d2g|fed cBA G3 G2:|
|:d|g2d Bdg f2e c3|ded c2A ded B2d|
g2d Bdg f2e c2B|ABc def g3 g2:|

X: 1
T: Dan O’Keefe’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Ador
G|A2e e2d BAB d2B|A2e e2d B2G GAB|
A2e e2d BAB d3|BAB d2e B2A A2:|
|:d|e2a a2b a2g e2d|e2a a2b a2g e2f|
g3 gfe dBA G2A|BAB d2e B2A A2:|


SATG 3
Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford: The Star Above The Garter

X: 1
T: The Star Above The Garter
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
d2B BAG A3 ABA|G2E c2B BAG ABc|
d2B BAG A3 ABA|G2E c2E DED D3:|
|:d2e f2a g2e d2B|G2B c2B BAG ABc|
d2e f2a g2e d2B|G2B c2E DED D3:|

X: 1
T: The Lisheen
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
BcB BAB G2B A2G|BcB BAG A2B cBA|
BcB BAB G3 GBd|g2e dBG A2B cBA:|
|:g3 d3 ege d3|gfg aga bab afd|
g3 d3 ege d3|gfg aga bgf g3:|


Chieftains Set
The Chieftains: Boil The Breakfast Early

X: 1
T: The Cuil Aodha
T: Connie Walsh’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K:D Major
d2c|Bcd Bcd c2B A2A|Bcd e2f g3 f2g|
agf gfe f2d A2A|Bcd e2c d3:|
|:f2g|agf gfe f2d A2A|Bcd e2f g3 f2g|
agf gfe f2d A2A|Bcd e2c d3:|

X: 1
T: Pretty Girl, The
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
dcB|A2F ABd e2d BdB|ABA GFG A3 ABd|
efe dBd e2d B2e|fgf efe d3:|
|:d2e|f2d dcd edB ABd|f2d d2f a3 bag|
f2d dcd edB ABd|fef gec d3:|


Chieftains Set
Chieftains 3

X: 1
T: John Kelly’s
T: Captain Jinks
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
e|f2A ABA B2A ded|c2B BAB g3 f2e|
f2A ABA B2A ded|cdc cBc d3 d2:|
|:f|g2g gfe f2f fed|B2e efe d2B BAB|
|g2g gfe f2f fed|B2e efa b3 a2:|

X: 1
T: Merrily Kiss The Quaker (slide version)
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
D|GAB DED c2A BGE|GAB DED A2B AGE|
GAB DED c2A BGE|GAB DED G3 G2:|
|:D|G2B d3 edB d2B|G2B d2B A3 AGE|
G2B d3 edB d2B|GAB DED G3 G2:|
|:D|G2B d2d edB g2e|dBA GBd e2f g2g|
ged BAB d2B AGE|GAB DED G3 G2:|

X: 1
T: Dennis Murphy’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
B|A2D FED F2A A2f|gfe f2d e2d Bcd|
A2D FED F2A A2f|a2f efe d3 d2:|
|:A|d2e f2f gfe f3|gfe f2d e2d BAB|
d2e f2f gfe f2g|a2f efe d3 d2:|


Chieftains Set
Chieftains 4

X: 1
T: The Star Above The Garter
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
d2B BAG A3 ABA|G2E c2B BAG ABc|
d2B BAG A3 ABA|G2E c2E DED D3:|
|:d2e f2a g2e d2B|G2B c2B BAG ABc|
d2e f2a g2e d2B|G2B c2E DED D3:|

X: 1
T: The Weaver’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
g|fed B2d A2d F2B|A2F D2F E3 E2g|
fed B2d A2d F2B|A2F EFE D3 D2:|
|:e|fdf a3 baf a3|fdf a2f g3 f2e|
1 fdf a3 baf a3|fdf a2f d3 d2:|
2 faf efe ded BdB|ABA GFE D3 D2||


Chieftains Set
Chieftains 7

X: 1
T: The Old Favourite
T: The Kilfenora
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
B2B BAB dBA G2B|ded d2B ded B2A|
B2B BAB dBA G2B|1 ded cBA G3 G2:|2 ded cBA G3 GBd||
|:gag fgf efe d2B|ded d2B ded B2d|
gag fgf efe d2B|1 ded cBA G3 GBd:|2 dge dge dge dBA||

X: 1
T: Mary Willie’s
T: The Cat Rambles To The Child’s Saucepan
T: The Glountane
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
A|d2e f2e dcd B3|g2A cBA e2A cBA|
d2e f2e dcd B3|g2A cBA d3 d2:|
|:A|d2e f2a baf a2f|e2A cBA e2A cBA|
d2e f2a baf a2f|e2A cBA d3 d2:|


BB1
The Bothy Band: Old Hag, You Have Killed Me

X: 1
T: Rosie Finn’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
G2B d2g b2g d2B|cBc agf gfe dBA|
G2B d2g b2g d2B|cBc agf g3 g3:|
|:g2b c’2b a2e efg|f2a abg f2d def|
g2b c’2b a2e efg|faf def g3 g3:|

X: 1
T: Over the Water to Charlie
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
GBd eBd efg dBd|GBd eBd e2f g3|
GBd eBd efg dBd|bag agf e2f g3:|
|:bag agf efg dBd|bag agf e2a a3|
bag agf efg dBd|G3 dBd e2f g3:|


BB2
The Bothy Band: Out Of The Wind Into The Sun

X: 1
T: The Priest
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
g|edB d2B d2B d2g|edB d2B c2A A2g|
edB d2B BAB g3|BAB gfg B2G G2:|
|:f|gag fgf g2e e2d|eaa aga b2e e2f|
gag fgf g2e e2d|BAB gfg B2G G2:|

X: 1
T: Mary Willie’s
T: The Cat Rambles To The Child’s Saucepan
T: The Glountane
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
A|d2e f2e dcd B3|g2A cBA e2A cBA|
d2e f2e dcd B3|g2A cBA d3 d2:|
|:A|d2e f2a baf a2f|e2A cBA e2A cBA|
d2e f2a baf a2f|e2A cBA d3 d2:|

X: 1
T: This Is My Love, Do You Like Her?
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Ador
A2A AGE c2B c2d|efe ede g3 g2e|
def g2e dBA G2A|1 Bde dBG A2B c2B:|2 Bde dBG A3 ABd||
|:eaa age dgg gfg|eaa agf g2b a2g|
eaf g2e dBA G2A|1 Bde dBG A3 ABd:|2 Bde dBG A2B c2B||


Jackie Daly’s Set 1
Jackie Daly: Music From Sliabh Luachra

X: 1
T: Terry Teahan’s Favourite
T: Murphy’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Edor
efe B2A GFE B2E|FED A2D d2D A2B|
efe B2A GFE B2E|FED F2A F2E E3:|
B2e ede f2a afa|baf a2f e2d B2A|
B2e ede f2a afa|baf a2f e3 e2d|
B2e ede f2a afa|baf a2f e2d Bcd|
fgf f2e f2e B2A|FED F2A F2E E3||

X: 1
T: Going to the Well for Water
T: The Kaiser
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
A2f A2f A2f fed|B2g B2g B2g gfe|
cdc BcB Ace a2f|1 gfe cde d3 dcB:|2 gfe cde d3 d2e||
|:fgf fed efe edc|ded dcB cdc cBA|
GBB GBB FAA FAA|1 EDE e2d cBc d2e:|2 EDE e2d cBc d2e||


Jackie Daly’s Set 2
Jackie Daly: Music From Sliabh Luachra

X: 1
T: The Lonesome Road To Dingle
T: Trip To The Jack’s
T: The Brosna
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Amaj
E2A A2B cBc e2c|B2E GFE B2E GFE|
E2A A2B cBc e2c|1 B2E GFE A3 A3:|
|:a2g fga g2f e2c|d2c B2c d2e f2g|
a2g fga g2f e2c|d2B G2B A3 A3:|

X: 1
T: Where’s The Cat?
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Amaj
EFE A2E F2E A3|EFE A2c B2A F2E|
EFE A2E F2E A3|cec d2c B2A F2E:|
|:cBc e2c BAF d3|cBc e2c B2A F2E|
cBc e2c BAF d3|faf e2c B2A F2E:|


Jackie Daly’s Set 3
Jackie Daly & Seamus Creagh

X: 1
T: Johnny Mickey’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
FGF F2E D3 D2E|FGF F2D E3 E2F|
GFG B2G FEF A2F|EDE F2E D3 D3:|
|:ABd A2F A3 A2F|ABd A2F G3 G2F|
GFG B2G FEF A2F|EDE F2E D3 D3:|

X: 1
T: Pádraig O’Keeffe’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
FEF A2F E3 E2F|G3 GFE F3 F2A|
d2e f2d cBc e2c|1 B3 BcB A3 A2G:|2 B3 BcB A3 A2f||
|:e3 ede f3 fec|d3 dcB c3 c2A|
d2e f2d cBc e2c|1 B3 BcB A3 A2f:|2 B3 BcB A3 A2G||


Random slides
(From early Chieftains)

X: 1
T: The Dingle Regatta
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Gmaj
d^cd e2d BAB d2B|A2A AGA B2A G3|
d^cd e2d BAB d2B|A2A B2A G3 G3:|
|:d3 def g3 gfg|a3 aga b2a gfe|
d3 def g3 gfg|a2g f2e def g3:|
|:gbg dgd BdB G3|ABc DEF G2B d3|
gbg dgd|BdB G3|ABc DEF G3 G3:|


(From Chieftains 3)

X: 1
T: The Road to Lisdoonvarna
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Edor
E2B B2A B2c d3|F2A ABA D2E FED|
E2B B2A B2c d3|cdc B2A B2E E3:|
|:e2f gfe d2B Bcd|c2A ABc d2B B3|
e2f gfe d2B Bcd|cdc B2A B2E E3:|


(From The Chieftains: Bonaparte’s Retreat)

X: 1
T: Ask My Father
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmix
F2D DED A2G F2D|ABA B2G A3 A2G|
F2D DED A2G F2D|1 G2B A2F G3 A2G:|2 G2B A2F G3 G2g||
f2d d2e f2d cAG|ABA B2G A3 A2g|
f2d d2e f2d c2A|G2B A2F G3 G2g|
f2d d2e f2d cAG|ABA B2G A3 A2g|
f2d d2e f2g a2g|f2d c2A G3 A2G||


(From De Danann’s 1st album)

X: 1
T: Cathleen Hehir’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: Dmaj
dcd e2d c2E EFG|BcB A2G F2D DFA|
dcd e2d c2E EFG|ABA GFE D3 D3:|
|:DFA d2d c2B G3|ABA G2E B2A F3|
DFA d2d c2B G2F|EFG ABc d3 d3:|
|:d2c d2e f2d A3|fgf fed c2d ecA|
d2c d2e f2d A2F|EFG ABc d3 d3:|
|:a2f f2d Adf agf|g2e e2c Ace gfg|
a2f f2d Adf agf|gec ABc d3 d3:|


(From The Bothy Band: Old Hag, You Have Killed Me)

X: 1
T: The Old Hag At The Kiln
T: Dinny Delaney’s
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A2D DED A2G E2G|A2D DED G2A GED|
A2D DED c2d e2d|dcA AGE G2A GED:|
|:dcA AGE c3 ABc|dcA AGE G2A GED|
dcA AGE c2d e2d|dcA AGE G2A GED:|
|:A2D DED A2B G2B|A2B G2A E2E GED|
A2D DED c2d e2d|dcA AGE G2A GED:|
|:dcA AGE c3 ABc|dcA AGE G2A GED|
dcA AGE c2d e2d|dcA AGE G2A GED:|

You’ve neglected a couple of key sources:

Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master - Padraig o’Keeffe
Music from Sliabh Luachra - Denis Murphy
Ceol as Sliabh Luachra - Julia and Billy Clifford
Paddy Cronin’s 1949 recordings for Seamus Ennis

All of them are primary sources for a lot of well-known slides, especially the o’Keeffe album.

—DtM

Dan O’Keefe’s gets played a lot in Brissie sessions, in a set with Cock O’The North and The Hundred Pipers. Gotta love that change up to G for the last tune.

Funnily enough I was just saying at a party a couple of weeks ago that we don’t play enough slides….now I’ve got 31 to have a go at. Cheers Dow!

Go raibh míle míle maith agat Dow. It’s true we don’t play half enough slides and now we have no excuse! I’ve always thought that slides have more than their fair share of great melodies and this post proves the point.

Wow, Dow - that must be the Session’s longest post?

We are rather partial to Road to Lisdoonvarna (see above)followed by Toormore slide

https://thesession.org/tunes/110

Thanks for that Dow. From your list we play Star Above the Garter followed by Denis Murphy’s and Dingle Regatta sometimes followed by Merrily Kissed the Quaker.
You’ve doubled up on Star Above the Garter and Mary Willie’s but the abc is identical, is that just gremlins or do both groups play them the same?
I’ve realised how few slides I know so now I’ve loads to try, many thanks.

Thanks Dan the Man - that’s the sort of help I was after. Sure those recordings you mention are good sources for slides, but do you think they are also sources for common *sets* of slides?

Lurcherjohn, the abc is just generic to show what tune is meant by the name. I could have just got away with a coupla bars for each I suppose. They’re not meant to be exact transcriptions of what’s played on the recording.

For both Going to the Well for Water and Hag at the Kiln, I’ve been taught to play these both as jigs (and my teacher is from southern Ireland, where they play a lot of slides)—-does anyone else play them that way? The Comhaltas site also has the first tune as a jig—-
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/going_to_the_well/

Good point there. There are a few like that that sometimes get played as jigs, e.g. Merrily Kissed the Quaker’s Wife and The Old Favourite (Club Ceili). There are others too, but I can’t think of them. Oh, there’s a jig version of Ask My Father, called Old Hag, You Have Killed Me. Basically the same tune but more notes in and a different rhythm.

Hare In The Corn gets played as a jig too. Actually I prefer it like that.

Sorry, I meant the Rathawaun. I get the 2 mixed up.

Now that I think about it, I doubt I would be able to play them as slides if I tried. It would be interesting to find a tune like that where there is a recording of it played as a jig and as a slide, for comparison…but I’m probably way off on a hypothetical here…

Yeah, it can be difficult when you’ve got used to playing it a certain way and that’s how you hear it in your head.

Go here for a similar list of polka sets: https://thesession.org/discussions/16944.

Wow Dow, kudos to you and thanks for this (and the polka thread).

Kennedy - the truth is that some slides are more ‘slidey’ than others 😉 Some slides go pretty well together, and I have harder time mixing and matching slides into sets than I would other kinds of tunes. The speed with which they can be (and are) played seems to vary wildly.

It is an excellent exercise to try practising the same tune back to back as a slide and then as a jig and back again. The Star Above the Garter is a good one for this. The Humours of Lisheen is actually a great jig that is well suited to be played as a slide (even though you wouldn’t normally hear it played that way).

All of this assumes that you have a good grip on being able to play Sliebh Luachra slide rhythm. It’s all in the emphASis. The slides on Jackie Daly’s solo recording are great for getting the feel of it…the rhythm is almost over-emphasized.