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A Tune For Frankie jig

By Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh

There are 6 recordings of this tune.

A Tune For Frankie has been added to 2 tune sets.

A Tune For Frankie has been added to 125 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: A Tune For Frankie
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmix
|:D2G FDC|~A,3 ~F3|~A,3 ~C3|~A,3 G,A,G,|G,>A,B,/C/|
D2G FDC|~A,3 ~F3|~A,3 CA,C|A,CA, G,A,G,|G,>A,B,/C/:|
|:DGA _Bdc|BGE FED|~F3 GFG|Add d3|
DGA _Bdc|BGE FED|FCA, DCA,|G,A,G, G,>A,B,/C/:|
2
X: 2
T: A Tune For Frankie
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmix
|:D2 G FED|A,3 F3|A,3 CA,C A,CA,|G,A,G, G,A,C|
D2 G FED|A,3 F3|A,3 CA,C FCA,|G,3 G,GF:|
DGA _Bdc|BGD FED|F3 G3|Add d3|
DGA _Bdc|BGD FED|FCA, DCA,|G,A,G G,3||
DGA _Bdc|BGD FED|F3 G3|Add d3|
dcA _B2G|AFD DCD|C2F A,CA,|G,3 G,3||

Thirteen comments

A tune for Frankie

Source: Altan
Composer: Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh
Transcription: g.m.p.

This tune is dedicated to the late Frankie Kennedy.

I love this tune. To me it communicates an intriguing mix of intense melancholy and robust optimism. GM I feel sure that there’s a bar of 9/8 at the end of each phrase in the A part, or maybe the whole of the A part could be transcribed in 9/8 or something. Variations on the last few bars are:
~A,3 CA,C FCA, G,A,G, G,A,/B,/C and
~A,3 FCA, DCA, G,A,G, G,A,/B,/C

God that sounded poncy when I read it back to myself, “intriguing mix of intense melancholy and robust optimism” indeed. Maybe I should go away and come back again in a week or two.

and i thought vogon poetry was bad!

i thought that the A3 F3 bar was played twice. It fits but it’s been ages since i’ve listened to that tune.

This transcription works

I love this jig, and found this transcription which works really quite well… slip jig for the first part - 6 bars of 9/8 = 2 bars of 27/8…

R: jig
Z: Transcribed by Alan Ng, agng@students.wisc.edu
M:27/8
Q:3/8=90
K:GDor
D2G FDC ~A,3 ~F3 ~A,3 ~C3 ~A,3 G,A,G, G,(3A,B,C|\
D2G FDC ~A,3 ~F3 ~A,3 CA,C (3A,B,CA, G,A,G, G,(3A,B,C:|*
M:6/8
E:14
DGA Bdc| =BGE FED|1 ~F3 ~G3| Add d3:|2 FCA, DCA,| G,A,G, G,3:|**

Slight corretion…

Sorry - M:6/8 E:14 in the above transcription have no reason to be there. How did they get in? Did you insert them? Remove them, and the tune is complete.

New Time Sig

Well, I heard this tune years ago by Altan and must say it hooks you right away - melencholy, optimism are all there to my ears. Am working up a DADGAD guitar arrangement in same key (capo 5) and was looking at other transcriptions when I came across 27/8 time sig. I don’t know if someone is pulling a leg or being serious. I almost fell over laughing; a mix of 6/8, 9/8 - ok - but a slush bucket of 27 eight notes to a bar ? That made my day!
Bob

Re: A Tune For Frankie

A friend saw my post on the 27/8 time. I went back to look at it. To my knowledge a jig is 6/8, a slip jig- 9/8. If someone is thinking this tune through as 27/8 time, I think someone is confusing phrasing for time sig. My CDN$ 0.02 worth.

A Tune For Frankie, X:2

Apologies, I had to add it again once I figured out how to put the tune on several lines…this is my first attempt using the ABC system, and it seems once the tune is up, you can’t delete or edit it. I haven’t figured out ornaments yet either but version 1 has them in the right place.

Re: A Tune For Frankie

lovely video Saskia, never seen it before - some of my all time favorite musos playing together.

Re: A Tune For Frankie

I just found the Altan Recording of this when searching YouTube, and I have fallen in love with it. Yes, there is definitely a 9/8 measure at the end of each line in the A part. I definitely have to learn this, but I already have a learn to playlist that’s so long it will take me years to get through all of it. It seems I’ll have to prioritize. This tune is absolutely wonderful.