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Ffidl Ffadl polka

Also known as Ffidl-ffadl, Fiddle Faddle, Fidl Fadl, Fidle Faddle, Fidle Fadle, Lasses Gar Your Tails Toddle, Lasses Gar Your Tails Todle, Lasses Make Your Tails Toddle, Lasses Make Your Tails Todle, Little Wot Ye Wha’s Coming, Tail Toddle, The Tail Toddle, Tail Todle, Tail Toodle, Tail Tottle, Tails Toddle.

There are 20 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with Jock Wilson’s Ball (a few times) and Sleepy Maggie (a few times).

Ffidl Ffadl has been added to 35 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Six settings

X: 1
T: Ffidl Ffadl
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G3/2A/ BG |cB cA |G3/2A/ BG |FA FD |
G3/2A/ BG |cB cA |Bd c/B/A/G/ |FA FD :|
|:Ec c3/2G/ |Ec GE |F/A/d d3/2A/ |Fd AF |
Ec c3/2G/ |Ec GE |Bd c/B/A/G/ |FA FD :|
X: 2
T: Ffidl Ffadl
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|: G>A BG | c>B cA | GG/A/ BG | FA FD |
G>A BG | cc/B/ cA | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|
|: Ec c2 | Ec GE | Fd d2 | Fd AF |
E/G/c c>G | Ec GE | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|
X: 3
T: Ffidl Ffadl
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: d/d/d fd | g2 ec | d/d/d fd | e2 cA |
d/d/d fd | ge ge | e/f/g f/g/a | e2 cA :|
g2dB | Bg dB | g2dB |Ae cA |
{g2dB | Bg dB | e/f/g f/g/a | e2 cA :|}
X: 4
T: Ffidl Ffadl
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|: G>A BG | cB cA | G>A BG | FA FD |
G>A BG | cB cA | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|
|: Ec cG | Ec GE | Fd d>A | Fd AF |
E/G/c cG | Ec GE | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|
X: 5
T: Ffidl Ffadl
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: d>e fe/d/ | gf ge | de fd | ce cA |
dd/e/ fd | g/a/g/f/ gf/e/ | fa g/f/e/d/ | ce c/B/A :|
|: Bg g>d | Bg d/c/B/d/ | ca a>e | ca e/d/c/A/ |
Bg g>d | B/d/g dc/B/ | ca g/f/e/d/ | ce cA :|
X: 6
T: Ffidl Ffadl
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
M: 2/2
|: G/G/G BG c2 GE | G/G/G BG A2 FD | G/G/G BG cA BG | A/B/c B/c/d A2 FD :|
|: c2 GE Ec GE | c2 GE DAFD | c2 GE Ec GE | A/B/c/A/ B/c/d/B/ A2 FD :|
|: G/G/G BG cA BG | G/G/G BG ADFD | G/G/G BG cA BG | A/B/c/A/ B/c/d/B/ A2 FD :|
|: c2 Ec Ec GE | c2 E/c/B/c/ DA FE/D/ | c2 Ec Ec GE | A/B/c/A/ B/c/d/B/ A2 FD :|

Eight comments

Ffidl ffadl

A Welsh polka popular round these parts.

“Ffidl-Ffadl”

K: G Major
|: G>A BG | c>B cA | GG/A/ BG | FA FD |
G>A BG | cc/B/ cA | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|
|: Ec c2 | Ec GE | Fd d2 | Fd AF |
E/G/c c>G | Ec GE | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|

K: D Major
|: d>e fe/d/ | gf ge | de fd | ce cA |
dd/e/ fd | g/a/g/f/ gf/e/ | fa g/f/e/d/ | ce c/B/A :|
Bg g>d | Bg d/c/B/d/ | ca a>e | ca e/d/c/A/ |
Bg g>d | B/d/g dc/B/ | ca g/f/e/d/ | ce cA :|

& it works well in A Major too…

The recording made by Huw Roberts on this recording https://thesession.org/recordings/display/2243 is quite a diferent version, although clearly related. You can listen to part of it here: http://www.fflach.co.uk/cms/fflachaudio/ffidil/08.mp3 . Here’s a transcription (The last line, in brackets, is a guess - I haven’t got round to buying the CD yet, so I’m relying on the free sample linked to above, which doesn’t quite reach the end of the tune):

K: D Major
L:1/8
M:2/4
|: d/d/d fd | g2 ec | d/d/d fd | e2 cA |
d/d/d fd | ge ge | e/f/g f/g/a | e2 cA :|
g2dB | Bg dB | g2dB |Ae cA |
{g2dB | Bg dB | e/f/g f/g/a | e2 cA :|}

The interesting thing is, this recording reveals it to be a close relative of this tune: https://thesession.org/tunes/1484 . I would never have made this connection from the version posted by Conway.

Perhaps the vague similarity in the sound of the titles is no co-incidence.

“Ffidl-Ffadl” /”Fiddle Faddle” ~ rescued duplication & notes

Submitted on October 25th 2009 by Mario Folena.
~ /tunes/9981

X: 4
T: Fiddle Faddle
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: (G>A)BG cBcA | (G>A)BG FAFD |
G>ABG cBcA | Bd c/B/A/G/ FAFD :|
|: (Ec)(cG) (Ec)(GE) | Fdd>A FdAF |
(E/G/c)cG EcGE | Bd c/2B/2A/2G/2 FAFD :|

Source: MUSICAL AND POETICAL RELICKS OF THE WELSH BARDS …etc. by Edward Jones - 1794. Page 153
Original indication: "A Dance"
M: C|

# Posted on October 25th 2009 by Mario Folena

With a few corrections and (slurs) removed ~ ‘c’

X: 4
T: Ffidl-Ffadl
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: G>A BG | cB cA | G>A BG | FA FD |
G>A BG | cB cA | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|
|: Ec cG | Ec GE | Fd d>A | Fd AF |
E/G/c cG | Ec GE | Bd c/B/A/G/ | FA FD :|

Notes next ~

Fidl Fadl

A great tune. Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the correct spelling is Fidl Fadl ( at least in native welsh.) When I Iived in the North of Wales some years ago, this was a session favourite, and probably still is. There is also a Scottish tune called ‘Tail Toddle’, which is very similar, even the name sounds similar…

# Posted on October 25th 2009 by marka

Fidl Fadl

There is a Scottish tune called Tail Toddle (a reel) submitted here some years ago: https://thesession.org/tunes/1484
There is an informative discussion of the name in the comments.
Track 9 of Spiro’s album "Pole Star" is based on a tune "Lassies Make Your Tails Toddle". Spiro arrange most of their material from North Country folk tunes, although tunes from other parts of the British Isles are by no means excluded.

# Posted on October 26th 2009 by lazyhound

See under Tail Toddle for better info, and a better version from Aird in the comments there than the main posting which is sketchy.

The Spiro version is based on William Dixon’s version (Northumberland 1733).

Although the Gows did print their version with the comment ‘Supposed Welsh’ the earliest version I know is in George Skene’s ms (Aberdeenshire 1717) and there are dozens of other Scottish and Northumbrian tune as well as song versions, celebrating the activity which leads to our arising.

# Posted on October 26th 2009 by Matt Seattle

Ffidl Ffadl

Goes well with Mogi Laddyr following it , if your playing Ffidl Ffadl in the key of ‘D’, or proceeded by Mopsi Don if playing in ‘G’.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5570
Ff in Welsh =F in English
F in Welsh = V in English. think about the plural of ‘leaf’.

# Posted on November 1st 2009 by Abram Wood

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