Smash The Windows jig

This one is pretty straightforward right up until the very end, where it gets a bit tricky with that ascending phrase up to B.

Smash The Windows is a single jig, which means it has more of the feel of a slide, although it isn’t in 12/8.

Now, I’ve shown the second part here with some C naturals. That’s the way I like to play the tune and I like the way it takes on a more modal feel. But I think the tune is normally played with regular C sharps.

To make your Windows computer play "Smash the Windows" when it crashes, see this thread: https://thesession.org/discussions/648
Thanks to ZinaLee!

By the way, this is a fun tune, regardless of the name. I learned it with C sharps — it’s a very perky, happy little major-key jig that way. I’ll have to try it with C naturals. Also, I learned it with the B part essentially the same both times through — corresponding to the second time through as shown here.

Sarah

Well the title says it all, What are your favourite tunes to play with "Smash the Windows" (I like the tune, but it sounds a bit bald on it’s own!

Off the top of my head (album is at home), I have a recording with this set:

Smash the Windows
Coleraine
Haste to the Wedding

Album is for hammer dulcimer (Bill Spence). This was the recording that made me immediately want to learn Smash the Windows. Coleraine is a minor key tune which works well in between the other two.

How about Bash the Linux and Destroy the Macintosh?
My, I’m a funny guy. Ahahaha!

Not forgetting Linux and various Mainframe operateing systems I hope, Ha Ha. Right now I would agree with smash the windows becas I have spent 2 Hours Repairing damage done by a worm virus🙂

This isn’t ITM related, but it seemed vaguely on-subject for the odd direction this post has taken, and anyway, it’s hilarious: Recently one of my friends, a computer wizard, paid me a visit. As we were talking I mentioned that I had recently installed Windows on my PC, I told him how happy I was with this operating system and showed him the Windows CD. Too my astonishment and distress he threw it into my micro-wave oven and turned it on. I was upset because the CD had become precious to me, but he said: ‘Do not worry, it is unharmed.’ After a few minutes he took the CD out, gave it to me and said: ‘Take a close look at it.’ To my surprise the CD was quite cold and it seemed to have become thicker and heavier than before. At first I could not see anything, but on the inner edge of the central hole I saw an inscription, in lines finer than anything I have ever seen before. The inscription shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth:

4F6E65204F5320746F2072756C65207468656D20616C6C2C204F6E65204F5320746F
2066696E64207468656D2C0D0A4F6E65204F5320746F206272696E67207468656D20
616C6C20616E6420696E20746865206461726B6E6573732062696E64207468656D

‘I cannot read the fiery letters,’ I said.
‘No,’ he said, ‘but I can. The letters are Hex, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Microsoft, which I shall not utter here. But in common English this is what it says:’
One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Hilarious? It’s true isn’t it?

Francis McPeake includes this tune in his ‘Pocket Tin Whistle Tutor.’

Francie published a bigger version of the tutor which was actually entitled "Smash the Windows"

Or as we would have it "Smeish the Windys".

Is this not usually played as a hop jig - similar to the "Off She Goes" one used ad-infinitum at dancing feiseanna?

I thought hop jigs were more 9/8ish and singles and slides were more 12/8ish?! *groan* Have I totally got that backward?

Off She Goes is quite popular for single jig comp at the feisianna, yes, at least in the States. As is this one.

I posted a nameless slide with a bit similar first part: https://thesession.org/tunes/4024

Here is a different version of the tune, I think from c.1808.

|: D | A,2D F2A | d2f ecA | B2d G2B | A2B AFD |
A,2D F2A |d2f ecA | faf gec | d3 d2 :|
|: f/g/ | a2f d2A | A2a agf | g2e c2A | A2g gfe |
f2d g2e | a2f b2g | faf gec | d3 d2 :|

Says this is a Double Jig… But I’m so confused on the whole single jig, double jig, slide, 6/8 or 12/8 what do I know.

I suppose I’m a couple of years late with this comment, but my favorite set with this tune is

Smash the Windows
Saddle the Pony
Off She Goes

I like it when my tune titles tell a story…

Dinna smeish them windies! For if you do, that awful ceili dancing jig will leak its poisonous sound all over toun!

Jerry’s Beaver Hat AKA The Yank’s Return
https://thesession.org/tunes/319

I really love the set I play this tune in. It starts out with ‘Smashing the Windows’, then goes into an unnamed jig (which is very similar to the first), and then changed pace with a reel, ‘Mountain Road’. going from the jig into the reel sounds pretty awesome, I think. If anyone would like a recording of it, let me know… I’ve been meaning to get around to it anyways!

The transcript on this site has a C natural in the B part of Smash the Windows & I’ve heard it played both ways (and both ways have their charms…).

I’m wondering which is more common in people’s experiences & if I am kicking off the tune in a session, is there an expectation/custom of which way it will get played?

Thanks!

I hear C natural at the start of the B part and C# at the end.

Well, as given in the sheet music (if you’re a dot-reader) on this site, it’s a C natural, which I never heard before, and I’ve been playing the tune for more years than I care to remember. However, I really like the twist that C natural gives to the tune, so I’m going to adopt it in future. As for kicking a tune off in a session, surely it’s polite to follow the tune the way you play it, regardless of what others habitually do? If you like it with a C natural, I should steamroller the other players until you get your way! I would, but then I have the advantage of age, if nothing else.

I hadn’t really thought about this. I believe I’ve always played C#.

There are no C (of any kind) in the A section, so key or mode is not established when you come to the B section. Using the C natural makes the piece sound D mixolydian. Using C# makes it sound D major. Using C naturals first and C# at the end of the phrase (BFR’s "like") makes it sound like it wanders into D mixolydian and back to D major.

Leaving aside the issue of whether that sort of description is totally correct of this kind of music, and just considering the result of the three approaches it seems to me that any one could work. I’m certain one can find many examples of all three approaches in the various tunes.

I kind of like BFRs approach. I may just try that on some folks this summer and see what kind of comments I get….

Thanks for all the input - I actually learned this tune years ago, with the C#, but played it with contra type folks. Seeing it published here w/the C natural made me wonder whether us contra folks were playing a bastardized version, but I guess not, it sounds like the C# is much more customary w/ITM folks as well.

That isn’t to say the C natural isn’t interesting - I like bfrs approach as well.

Play the C nat at one point in the tune, and C sharp in another, just to mess with the heads of those who like to pidegeonhole these tunes into one mode or another! 😉

Maybe C# for "Smash the Windows" but Cnat for "Roaring Jelly"? 😉

Speaking as an expert on the matter, I’d say C♯, then throw in the C♮ and some jazzy chords later on 😉

Another possibility, vastly entertaining for the pigeonholers, is to play a trick note (i.e. a note between C-nat and C#) instead of the C-nat or C#. Of course, this option isn’t available to the fixed pitch instruments.

Just added a Nice 3 Part Version, that John Doonan plays on his Album Flute for the Feis. He plays it in a Set with Off she goes (like jabbott mentioned above 4 years ago).

B: "Dances of Donegal", collected by Grace Orpen, D.M. Wilkie, London, 1931
The first few pages of this book, and its first tune & dance:
"The Fairy Dance" - https://thesession.org/tunes/424

ITMA: Irish Traditional Music Archive/Taisce Cheol DÚchais Éireann
http://www.itma.ie/
Grace Orpen’s Local Donegal Dances, 1931
http://www.itma.ie/digitallibrary/print-collection/donegal-dances-1931
"Dances of Donegal" collected and edited by Grace Orpen, 1931
Click on ‘32 Pages’ to view them, with Grace Orpen’s ‘Figures’/illustrations…
http://www.itma.ie/digitallibrary/book/dances-of-donegal

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
page 20 - music notation / page 21 - dance description
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dance: The Irish National or "Petticoat Swish"
Tune: Smash the Windows (6/8)

Four Dancers: 2 Men and 2 Women

Steps - - - - - - - - - Description - - - - - - - - - Bars (& see ITMA link for figures/illustrations 2 & 3)

- - - Introduction. - - - 8

(* BODY)

1 - - - Advance and retire. Repeat. - - - 8

2 - - - "Passing Through."
* - - 1st man and 1st woman advance through (divide = 1st M ACW/1st W CW) the opposite couple and retire backwards to place.

Fig. 2. - - - 4
* - - 2st man advances round 2nd man, while 1st woman advances round 2nd woman ("cross through" = 1st M CW/1st W ACW) and retire backward to place. The woman passes through in font of the man. Fig. 3. - - - 4

- - - 2nd couple repeat the step. - - - 8

- - - This step (* - - 2) should be kept smooth and continuous, all using a gliding walking step and keeping close to each other. The couple not passing through moving slightly to let the other pass, so keeping the movement continuous. (* - see ‘NOTES’ below.)

3 - - - Partners swing. - - - 8

(* FIGURES)

4 - - - As Strasperry Reel step 3. - - - 8
= - - Follow round to the left and back to the right.

5 - - - As Strasperry Reel step 4. - - - 8
= - - 1st man goes ove to 2nd woman, while 2nd man goes over to 1st woman. They join in waltz grip and all dance four slipping steps (old style 7-step = step-tog = 2) in direction of man’s right shoulder, then turn and dance four slipping steps (old style 7-step = step-tog = 2) obliquely across set in direction of man’s left shoulder.
- - - Swing back to original positions completing the tirangle. (‘house’) Fig. 2

6 - - - As Strasperry Reel step 5. - - - 8
= - - Partners link left arms and turn once. (4)
- - - Dance in place. (4)

7 - - - As Strasperry Reel step 6. - - - 8
= - - Women cross over, passing right shoulders. (1)
- - - Men cross over, passing right shoulders. (1)
- - - All dance in place. (2)
- - - Repeat. (4)

- - - Repeat whole dance.

Fig. I - O = man / X = woman

2nd couple
X-O

O-X
1st couple
_________
music-stage


<[ NOTES: * No one is inactive in such moves, while one couple is either dividing or crossing through the opposite couple, that opposite couple ‘MOVES’, first separating to allow space for that couple passing through, then slightly forward as they pass behind, and then coming back together again, moving in, as the circling couple passes on the outside while backing up to home. The first move can also be described as a ‘mirrored do-sa-do’.

* Body & Figures: Another possibilty with this, and not uncommon for the times, and the 1800s.

There could be another title mixup here, as this title is also associated with a 3-hand highland fling that was also danced in the area, to 4/4 highland flings. ]>

http://errantelbows.podbean.com/e/smash-the-windows-for-int-uilleann-piping-day/

Nice steady pace. Seems to be about 20 cents flat of A440.

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. A few variations in this setting so I’ve added it here.