Ornette’s Trip To Belfast reel

Not entirely sure about the key… but ne’er mind. Not really a tune written for the fiddle… it’s third position or nothing, unless you’ve got a lower range fiddle!

Great tune. I would put it in Dmajor and start on a B. Aidan O’Rourke taught us this tune last year at Beauly

makes perfect sence, played on a F-whistle, Dmaj fingering sounds like Fmaj (relative Bmin). so transferred to D-flute, the same fingering makes Dmaj.

Here’s a transcription off the video at Kerry whistles of John McSherry and Mike McGoldrick playing this tune. I’ve noted it here in Bm, which gives the fingering McSherry and McGoldrick are using on F whistles (and also makes the tunes more fiddle- and session-friendly).

Alan Ng’s site credits Donald Shaw as the composer.

X: 1
T: Ornette’s Trip to Belfast
C: Donald Shaw
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bm
~B3c dcBc|~A3F BAFE|D2 F/E/D F~A3|ABde fedc|
~B3c dcBc|~A3F BAFE|DA F/E/D F~A3|1 ABde d2 dc:|2 ABde d3e||
f2 af fbaf|afef d~B3|f2 af fbaf| afef d2 B/c/d|
fgfd BedB|~A3G FGAF|DA F/E/D F~A3|1 ABde dbag:|2 ABde f2 ed||

Just so you know Tize, it’s possible to tune your fiddle down 🙂

Once transcribed for the flute/fiddle, the key is more likely D and not Bm.

was taught this by mcgoldrick in tubbercurry and he starts it on B3c dcbc etc.

R =]

Obviously, the tune is in D. Of course, on “At First Light”, the Mc’s play on an F tenor whistle, but the fingering is the D fingering (on a D whistle). So, it is a very playable tune in D on the current Irish instruments. Let’s not be troubled by exotic instruments !