I Will If I Can jig

Let me guess - from the New England Fiddler’s Repertoire ?

Kenny, you’re dead right. I tried to post that info just now but nothing got through.
trevor

This is a common tune in Northumberland as well as in Scotland, but it’s usually played in G and goes by a different name.
I think it’s a nice little tune. The following setting is from the playing of Will Atkinson:

T: The Hexham Races
K: Gmaj
|:GBd gdB|ded d2B|GBd gdB|ABA AdB|
GBd gdB|def gfe|dcB cBA|1 GAG GdB:|2 GAG Gef||
|:g2d edB|ded def|g2d edB|ABA Aef|
g2d edB|def gfe|dcB cBA|1 GAG Gef:|2 GAG GdB||

…is called “I Will If I Can” https://thesession.org/tunes/1595.

I like to play this tune as a marchy jig in D on the fiddle, with the G string tuned up to A as a drone. I put a run from the open A up to the D on a single bowstroke at the start of the second part, to add to the Scottish flavour.

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|: D |
GBd gdB | ded d2 c | ~B3 BAG | FAA AFD |
GBd gdB | def g2 f | edc BcA | BGG G2 :|
|: d |
g2 d edB | ded def | g2 d edB | ABA ABd |
g2 d edB | def g2 f | edc BcA | BGF G2 :|

Source: #1595 ~ duplication
Submitted on April 16th 2003 by tufbo
https://thesession.org/members/4928

This is another one that had lyrics put to it. I’d love to see them all again. My memory is not so good on this one…

Dunno ‘c’. Tell you what though, I don’t like the Irish version of this tune. The original’s much better!

The Kenmure title is from Burns and there are lyrics, but nothing containing the phrase “I Will If I Can”.

It has lyrics on the Irish side of things and the verses and phrases finish “I Will if I Can”…

My bias is with the Irish take on it, how I’d first come by it, but differing from the ways given here… So give us the Burns lyrics already, and if I can come up with the Irish ~ well ~ “I will if I can”…

Well I’ve always just assumed that the orig. Scottish title came from this: http://www.scotsindependent.org/features/singasang/kenmure.htm, but that’s my assumption. I’ve never heard it sung - I was just going by the title…

“New England Fiddler’s Repertoire”
~ a colleciton compiled by Randy Miller and Jack Perron:

https://www.fiddlecasebooks.com/
https://www.fiddlecasebooks.com/store/c2/Books.html

From Tracin’

X:1
T:Clogher Cross
S:Tracin’
M:6/8
L:1/8
R:jig
K:Dmix
D |:GBd gdB|~d3 d2c|~B3 BAG|FAA AFD|
GBd gdB|def ~g3|edc BcA|1 AGF G2D:|2 AGF G af|
|:g2d edB|~d3 def|g2d edB|ABA Aaf|
g2d edB|Gaf ~g3|edc BcA|1 AGF G af:|2 AGF G2 z|

This one has been recorded by the Kilfenora Ceili Band under the above title in both the keys of G and A.

It’s in O‘Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland #207 as ’I Will if I Can‘ and cross-indexed under ’Up and Away’. In Music of Ireland it’s #992 as follows:

X:992
T:I Will If I Can
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
D|GBd gdB|d3/2e/2d d2B|GBd gdB|A3/2B/2A A2D|
GBd gdB|def {a}gfg|edB {d}cBA|GAG G2:|
|:d|g2d {f}edB|d3/2e/2d def|g2d {f}edB|A3/2B/2A A2d|
g2d {f}edB|def gfe|dcB {d}cBA|G3/2A/2G G2:|

I think this should be close to the “I Will if I Can” as played by John Wynne and John McEvoy on their CD -- gerat music indeed.

K:Amaj
|:A2B c2B|Ace faf|ecA BAF|B3 BcB|
|A2B c2B|Ace faf|ecA BAB|1 cAG AcB:|2 cAG A2B||
|:cAA eAA|fec eAA|Ace aec|~B3 BAB|
|cAA eAA|fec eAA|Ace aed|cdB A2B|
|c2d e2e|~f3 ecA|Ace aec|~B3 BAB|
|cAA eAA|fec eAA|Ace aed|cdB Acd|
|:~a3 fec|~e3 ece|~a3 fec|~B3 Bce|
|~a3 fec|ece a2f|efe dcB|1 cAG Ace:|2 cAA AcB||

X: 1
T: I Will If I Can
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|:D|G(3Bcd gdB | edd d2B | G(3Bcd gdB | BAA A2D |
G(3Bcd gdB | def g3 | edB cBA | BGF G2d ||
|:g2d edB | edd def | g2d edB | BAA ABd |
g2d edB | def g3 | edB cBA | BGF G3 ||

Rough transcription of this tune I found being played by Paul Ruane of Leeds now living in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He is a seriously good fiddle player.

X:1
T: Hexham Races
L:1/8
M:6/8
R: Jig
K:A
Ace fec | efe ecB | Ace fec | fec ~B3 |
Ace fec | efg ~a3 |1 efa fec | BcB ~A3 :|2 fec fec | ~B3 ~A3 |
aee fec | fec efg | aee fec | fec ~B3 |
aee ~f3 | efg ~a3 | ~a3 fec |1 BcB Ace :|2 ~B3 A3 ||

Source:~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFpOmRAycu0 (first tune)

play video

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol (UK).

Traditional Northumbrian Tune

It’s a very widespread tune and there are several settings here on the session.org. See

Kenmuir’s On and Away https://thesession.org/tunes/1248
The Kinnegad Slashers https://thesession.org/tunes/1258
The Cat that Ate the Candle https://thesession.org/tunes/1258

…and if you get rid of the “\” at the end of each line it should look a bit better.

The Boys from the West setting is from the Francis Roche ‘Collection of Irish Airs, Marches and Dance Tunes’ vol. 1. (1912).

A more flute friendly version