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The Fickle Lad jig

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

The Fickle Lad has been added to 1 tune set.

The Fickle Lad has been added to 8 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: The Fickle Lad
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:GAB GAB|ABc AB^c|def gfg|bgb a2B|
GAB GAB|ABc AB^c|def gfg|1 baf g2G:|2 baf g2a||
b3 g3|aba a2b|c'3 f3|gag g2a|
b3 g3|aba a2b|c'3 f3|gag gfe|
|:~d3 BGB|~d3 BGB|d2B g2d|b2a gfe|
~c3 AFA|~c3AFA|1 cdc cBA|GFB GFB:|
[2cdc cBA|GAB GAB|ABc AB^c|def gfg baf g2G||
2
X: 2
T: The Fickle Lad
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G,A,B, G,A,B,|A,B,C A,B,C|DEF GFG|AGF G3|
G,A,B, G,A,B,|A,B,C A,B,C|DEG AGA|BAG AFD:|
G,A,B, G,A,B,|A,B,C A,B,C|DEF GFG|AGF G2A|
|:BcB GAB|ABA A2B|cdc F2G|1 AGF G2A:|2 AGF GFE||
|:DED B,CB,|DED B,CB,|DED DGA|BAG FED|CDC A,B,A,|CDC A,B,A,|
CDC CB,A,|1 G,A,B, G,A,B,:|2 G,A,B, G,A,B,|A,B,C A,B,C|DEF GFG|AGF G3||

Six comments

The Fickle Lad

A nice tune from James Byrne’s “The Road to Glenlough” album. Byrne’s precise fiddling means the transcriber’s job is very easy! One thing about this tune is that the third part ends with a reprise of bars 5-8 of the first part. Then the whole first part is played only once before moving on to the second. Is this perhaps not just a jig but a set dance?

Re: The Fickle Lad

This tune is also known as “garcon volange” and was published in Kerr’s (First volume). It’s a quadrille tune, known in many countries. A Donegal friend once told me that the first part would be played one more time each time through; something to do with the dance that was done. Another good version is on the first La Lugh album, where it is called Aunt Lizzie’s, after Gerry (O‘ Connor, fiddle)’s grand-aunt, who “transcribed it as the first part of the New Lancer’s Quadrilles,” a local dance.
Thank you, Daniel, for transcribing so much of James Byrne’s music. He was a great and, to me, a particularly important fiddler, for the tunes he played and for his really special style of playing.

The Fickle Lad, X:2

This is the setting that is in my head since quite long time. I absolutely love this tune, it is one of my all time favourites from the Irish Traditional Music repertoire.

About 12 years ago or so I felt in love of this tune. I heard it in a session in Galway city. The session was run by Paul Bradley (fiddle) and Declan Corey (mandolin) and the pub was Tig Coili. That day they had a special guest: Aidan Ó Donnell (fiddle). I recorded some of the tune and one of them was this one. I lost the recording long time ago but I played this tune many times, I used to love playing it with the fiddle.

Not sure if over the years I changed the tune in my head, I would love to know if this is really the version they were playing.

Re: The Fickle Lad

It makes sense to me because I love English tunes. I see that the English one you are saying doesn’t have the “crooked” thing of the parts

Re: The Fickle Lad

When Sally Sloane played the Trip to Cottingham/Fickle Lad she described it as a ‘set tune’ and she played the B part just once - as played by James Byrne.

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