Jenny Picking Cockles reel

This tune has an undeniable rhythm to it. I first heard on a Paddy Glackin release called in full spate. I know that I and many friends have accepted it into the tradition and have played it regularly at sessions. I am not sure of the origin. I found it in the Coles book (printed before WW2 it’s a gem in my collection. cover price was around 50 or 60 cents - I’ll check if you are curious.)

We like to insert this tune to establish a great drive to the music.

Not related to the other Jenny Picking Cockles.

Does anyone know the chord changes to this tune?

Does anyone have the chord changes for Jenny picking cockles?

There aren’t set "chord changes" for any tune. You need to back according to what feels and sounds right. Following the rhythm by emphasizing certain parts of the tune (like a good bodhran player does) is even more important than knowing what chords are at your disposal.

Base yourself on a chord of D. A drone on D could sound nice in the bass for a while. Whenever it goes |GEcE dEcE| you want to go down to C or Am, but don’t just shift chords at the start of the chord and strum blandly and evenly for the bar, try doing something like picking out the ..c..d..c by emphasizing your downstrokes.

Where it goes |GEcE EDD2| at the end of each part, it sounds good to use a chord of G at the end and go C2 G2, making the bass leap by a robust-sounding 4th.

You’re safest using chords of D, C, Am and G in this tune, but if you want to get a bit snazzy in the 2nd part, you could try substituting some Bm for D, and Em for G.

Almost forgot, you’ll need to listen carefully to what the melody player is doing for the B-part of this tune because some people use more C#s than others. You might find that chords of A are more appropriate than Am in that case.

Does anyone have abc’s for Jenny Picking Cockles, as played by De Dannan on Hibernian Rhapsody?
Thanks all
John

X:1
T:Jenny Picking Cockles
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:DMix
D:De Danann
|:AD (3DDD FGAB|CAGE CDEG|AD (3DDD FGAB|~c3 e dcAG|
AD (3DDD FGAB|CAGE CDEG|AD (3DDD FGAB|cAGE D3 G:|
|:Ad~d2 Adfd|ec~c2 Gcec|Ad~d2 Adfd|ed^cd edd^c|
Ad~d2 Adfd|ec~c2 efge|a3 g ed^cd|eaag eddB:|

As far as I know this "Jenny Picking Cockles"is related to Jenny’s Welcome to Charlie"

heard the tune down at the willy clancy and really luved it! its a gd tune!!!!

Hi. This a version based on what I learned last summer with Eamon Cotter in Miltown.

X: 1
T: Jenny Picking Cockles
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
|:Addc AGEF|GEcE dEcE|Addc AGEF|GEcE ED D2
|Addc AGEF|G2AB c2cd|ecdc AGEF|GEcE ED D2:|

|f2 fd e2 ed|cAAB cdeg|f2 fd e2 ed|eaag edd e
|~f2 fd ~e2 ed|cAAB c3 d|eddc AGEF|GEcE ED D2
|f2 fd e2 ed|cAAB cdeg|fedf ed(3Bcd|eaag fdd e
|fafd ~e2 ed|cAAB c3 d|eddc AGEF|GEcE ED D2

Bye.

I first heard this tune recorded with f natural in opening the B part, I was displeased to learn that is not how it is played. Oh, it definitely wasn’t the other Jenny Picking Cockles btw. Maybe I’ll post the Abc

X: 1
T: Jenny Picking Cockles
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: G
|: Addc AGEF | GEcE dEcE | Addc AGEF | GEcE EDD2 |
| Addc AGEF | GEAB c3 d | eddc AGEF |GEcE EDD2 :|
|: =f3 d e3 d | cAAB cdeg | =f3 d e3 d | eaag edd2 |
| =f3 d e3 d | cBAB c3 d | eddc AGEF | GEcE EDD2 :|

This tune is in the Gunn Book (Fermanagh 1865) under the name ‘Johnny Going to France’

Here it is played by Tommie Cunniffe, Mossie Martin & Sean Ward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch#feature=rec-fresh%2Bdiv-f-14&playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=qOK2rgzs8MA&v=H6NOB_KOUN8

play video

the version on the Tulla Céili Band CD sounds as if it’s pitched a tone higher in E (which makes it a bit easier on flute/whistle)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001VGHOGK/ref=dm_dp_trk11?ie=UTF8&qid=1268474258&sr=301-2

Does anyone else play it in that key?

I have never heard the A part played as four bars repeated. Bars six and seven are always played more like the Eammon Cotter version posted by Gilles.tabary above.

Part A here is somewhat similar to the reel Ships are Sailing, usually played in Em rather than D, which also is sometimes called Take Her Out and Air Her. As a result, this tune (Jenny Picking Cockles), in the key of D, has made it into David J. Taylor’s book "Music of Ireland: Where’s the Crack?" (Mallinson, 1997) under the latter title. Can’t keep a good tune down no matter what you call it, it seems.

Setting #5 comes from the playing of Lamond Gillespie and Tommy Maree on "Traditional Irish Music from London." They don’t cite the source of it, but they might have been inspired by the Tulla Ceili Band.

By the way, setting #2 is a version of The New Custom House.

is from the playing of Eric, Hugh and Colm Healy, Noel O’Donoghue and Seán McGrath for a couple c#s in the B part, which is how I myself prefer this tune as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWGQ5NNcaCw

play video

I’m adding a new setting as transcribed from the playing of Michael McGoldrick in this video on Youtube. It seems quite different from the others here and on the duplicate ‘Jenny Picking Cockles’ page, but all the comments on youtube say that’s what he’s playing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnhPivtfUKU

play video

Source: Michael McGoldrick
Transcription: Gian Marco Pietrasanta

Also known as Jenny Eating Tacos, haha.

X: 9

Jesse, can you tell us where you got this setting, and why you posted it?

As played (more or less) by Kevin Burke on Patrick Street’s "No. 2 Patrick Street" album.

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. A great D mix reel. I like to put Ships are Sailing after this for a nice contrast.