The North Star jig

By Brian Finnegan

There are 5 recordings of this tune.

The North Star has been added to 44 tune sets.

The North Star has been added to 290 tunebooks.

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Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2D G B/c/d|cBG dBG|~E3 dBG|F2d cde|
G2D G B/c/d|cBG dBG|EGd ~F2d|1 ~G3 dBA:|2 ~G3 GAB||
G2F G2d|ABF G2D|EFG Adc-|cBG ADB|
G2F G2d|ABF G2D|EFG ADF|G2B DAD|
G2F G2d|ABF G2D|EFG Adc-|cBG ADB|
G2F G2d|dcB G2D|EFG ADF|G2z dBA||
# Added by tufbo .
2
X: 2
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G2D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|E3 dBG|F2d cde|
G2D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|EGd F2d|1 G3 dBA:|2 G3 GAB||
|:G2F G2d|ABF G2D|EFG Adc-|cBG ADB|
G2F G2d|ABF G2D|EFG ADF|G2B DAD|
G2F G2d|ABF G2D|EFG Adc-|cBG ADB|
G2F G2d|dcB G2D|EFG ADF|G2z dBA||
# Added by JACKB .
3
X: 3
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2 D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|DEd dBG|F2 d cde|
G2 D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|EGd F2 d|1 G3 dBA:|2 G3 z2 B||
G2 F GDD|ABF G2 D|EFG ADc|cBG AEB|
G2 F GDD|ABF G2 D|EFG ADF|GDB DAD|
G2 F GDD|ABF G2 D|EFG Adc-|cBG AEB|
G2 F G2 d|dcB G2 D|EFG ABF|G2 z dBA|
4
X: 4
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:~G3 G2d|cBG dBG|E2d dBG|F2d cde|
~G3 G2d|cBG dBG|EGd FAd|~G3 G2F:|
|:~G3 GDD|ABF GED|EFG A2c|cBG A2B|
~G3 GDD|ABF GED|EFG AGF|~G3 G2F:|
5
X: 5
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:"G"G2D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|"D"E3 dBG|F2d cde|
"G"G2D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|"D"EGd F2d|1 "G"G3 dBA:|2 "G"G3 GAB||
|:"Em"G2F G2d|ABF G2D|"D"EFG Adc-|cBG ADB|
"Em"G2F G2d|ABF G2D|"D"EFG ADF|"G"G2B DAD|
"Em"G2F G2d|ABF G2D|"D"EFG Adc-|cBG ADB|
"Em"G2F G2d|dcB G2D|"D"EFG ADF|"G"G2z dBA||
6
X: 6
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:"G"G2D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|"C"E3 dBG|"C(D)"F2d cde|
"G"G2D GB/c/d|cBG dBG|"D(C)"EGd F2d|1 "D"G3 dBA:|2 "G"G3 GAB||
"Em"G2F G2d|ABF G2D|"B"EFG Adc-|"B(D)"cBG ADB|
"Em"G2F G2d|ABF G2D|"D"EFG ADF|"G"G2B DAD|
"Em"G2F G2d|ABF G2D|"B"EFG Adc-|"B(D)"cBG ADB|
"Em"G2F G2d|dcB G2D|"D"EFG ADF|"G(D)"G2z dBA||
7
X: 7
T: The North Star
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:d2A d f/g/a|gfd afd|B2a afd|c2a age|
d2A d f/g/a|gfd afd|Baa caa|1 ~d3 afe:|2 ~d3 dAB||
d2c dAA|efc d2A|Bcd eAg-|gfd eAf|
d2c dAA|efc d2A|Bcd eAc|dAf AeA|
d2c dAA|efc d2A|Bcd eag-|gfd eAf|
d2c ~d3|agf d2A|Baa caa|~d3 afe||
|:BGc GdG|BGc GdG|cAd AeA|cAe ddc|
BGc GdG|BGc GdG|1 cAd AeA|cAf eed:|2 cAc dcd|ede fga||

Fourteen comments

Flook Key

what is Flook’s original key??

I think Brian played it on an F Whistle which would put it in Bb.

Posted by .

Isn’t it just a half note higher?

Yes, just a half note higher. Brian played it on an Eb whistle. So the key becomes G sharp major.
I wonder why Flook needs to play in weird keys all the time.

Unorthodox keys / jig vs. waltz

Amongst other things, horns like F/C/Bb, classical violinists like Eb, Dmin or Gmin, singers often like A, etc. In short, things sit differently on different instruments and shifting to ‘unorthodox’ keys allows for ‘effects’ that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. Depending on if or how they were ‘schooled’, it might just be a little different sense of comradery?

On another note, am I the only one, or is this kind of like a jig with a waltz as the turn. Really a good tune, but that struck me the first time through. Maybe it’ll sound different if I pick up the tempo? (I’m pretty slow at sight-reading and wouldn’t suprise me if I’m dragging!)

Any thoughts?

I think the thing about all the weird keys could be in part because, of course, they sound pretty awesome a lot of the time, and also because Sarah Allen is usually playing an alto flute, or maybe, they just don’t want anybody to be able to play along with their albums… not that you can very easily anyways with the way Brian Plays…

I heard that Brian just likes the sound of the whistle he uses for this track - everyone else just has to keep up!

That seems like a more likely idea- There’s lots of stuff that Brian plays on his Eb whistle.

The North Star, X:4

From the playing of Celtic Crossroads.

First tune in their set titled “The Jigs”, on their album “The Unique Irish Music Experience”. Not to be confused with the first tune on their YouTube video “The Jigs”.