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The Flitch Of Bacon jig

Also known as An Taobh Muiceoil, The Flitch O’ Bacon.

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

The Flitch Of Bacon appears in 2 other tune collections.

The Flitch Of Bacon has been added to 4 tune sets.

The Flitch Of Bacon has been added to 18 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: The Flitch Of Bacon
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:E|D2 G B^AB|cAG FGE|D2 G B^AB|cAF G2 E|
DGG BAG|cAG FF/G/A|f2 d fed|cAF G2:|
|:e|dd/e/f gag|fed gdB|def gbg|afd c2 A|
def gbg|fed g2 d|f2 d ff/e/d|cAF G2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Flitch Of Bacon
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:DGG BAB|cAG FGA|DGG BAB|cAF G2 G|
DGG BAB|cAG FGA|fed f2 d|cAF G3:|
|:def gag|fed g2 B|def gag|fed cAF|
def gag|fed g2 d|fed f2 d|cAF G3:|
3
X: 3
T: The Flitch Of Bacon
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
DGG BAB|cAG FGA|DGG BAB|cAF G2 G|
DGG B2 B|cAG FGA|f.e.d f2 d|c.A.F ~G3|
DGG B2 B|cAG FGA|DGG BAB|cAF g2 g|
DGG BAB|c/B/AG FGa|fed f2 d|cAF ~G2 B||
def g2 g|fed gdB|def g2 g|fed cAF|
def g2 g|fed g2 d|fed f2 d|cAF ~G2 g|
.d.e.f g2 g|fed gdB|def g2 g|{f/g/}fed cAF|
def g2 g|fed g2 d|fed f/g/fd|cAF {A/}G3||"end"cAF {a/}g3||
4
X: 4
T: The Flitch Of Bacon
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G|DGG B2 B|cAG FGA|DGG BAB|cAF G2 G|
DGG B2 B|cAG FGa|fed f2 d|cAF G2:|
|:B|def g2 g|fed gdB|def g2 g|fed cAF|
def g2 g|fed g2 d|fed f2 d|cAF G2:|

Six comments

“The Flitch of Bacon” ~ the history bits first - O’Neill, 1903

X: 2
T: Flitch of Bacon, The
B: “O’Neill’s Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies”, 1903, page 194, tune #1039
B: “O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems”, 1907, page 55, tune #249
S: Fielding
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: GMaj
|: DGG BAB | cAG FGA | DGG BAB | cAF G2 G |
DGG BAB | cAG FGA | fed f2 d | cAF G2 z :|
|: def gag | fed g2 B | def gag | fed cAF |
def gag | fed g2 d | fed f2 d | cAF G2 z :|

“The Flitch of Bacon” ~ some of what John McGuire / Maguire does with it

John’s whistle playing is of the staccato style, with lots of tonguing, and nicely done, but I’m not going to notate all the variations on that, just some where it can be emphasized a little, as with the dot ( . ) for staccato. He uses some classic styles, tonguing every note of a group of 3, or the 2nd and 3rd, and many other variations with and without tonguing. What I’ve given below tries to make use of several variations in his playing, as with the closing G at the end of the four bar phrases, he can roll them long and short:

~ G3 | & ~G2 G |

Or not:
G3 | & G2 G |

He also likes jumping octaves, here too:

G2 g | & going to a lead note: ~G B ||

& finishing it all high:

g3 |]

As said, this is just some bits of his thrown in to the basic melody as he plays it…

X: 3
T: Flitch O’ Bacon, The
S: John McGuire / Maguire (senior), on a D whistle
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: GMaj
DGG BAB | cAG FGA | DGG BAB | cAF G2 G |
DGG B2 B | cAG FGA | f.e.d f2 d | c.A.F ~G3 |
DGG B2 B | cAG FGA | DGG BAB | cAF g2 g |
DGG BAB | c/B/AG FGa | fed f2 d | cAF ~G2 B ||
def g2 g | fed gdB | def g2 g | fed cAF |
def g2 g | fed g2 d | fed f2 d | cAF ~G2 g |
.d.e.f g2 g | fed gdB | def g2 g | {f/g/}fed cAF |
def g2 g | fed g2 d | fed f/g/fd | cAF {A/}G3 |]

ending ~ | cAF g3 |]

& going to a lead note: ~G2 B || - or - G2 B ||

I’d forgotten the ‘2’ previously…

X: 4
T: Flitch O’ Bacon, The
S: John McGuire / Maguire (senior), on a D whistle
N: simplified
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: GMaj
|: G |\
DGG B2 B | cAG FGA | DGG BAB | cAF G2 G |
DGG B2 B | cAG FGa | fed f2 d | cAF G2 :|
|: B |\
def g2 g | fed gdB | def g2 g | fed cAF |
def g2 g | fed g2 d | fed f2 d | cAF G2 :|

B2 B

|: G |\
DGG B2 B | cAG FGA | DGG B2 B | cAF G2 G |
DGG B2 B | cAG FGa | fed f2 d | cAF G2 :|

The use of the B2 B can also be in the 3rd bar, or all can be as given previously - BAB or B^AB, the latter being how I tend to play it…

Thanks!

Nice tune, fits to the pipes, too!