The Dusty Miller slip jig

I originally learned this tune in A but I’ve transcribed it here in the more popular key of G. Still, don’t be surprised at sessions if someone starts playing this tune a whole tone higher than you. In the key of A, this tune has an even brighter, up-beat sound.

I believe this is actually a single-jig or slide.

No, I’m pretty sure it’s a slip jig. I can’t see how it could be played in anything other than 9/8 time.

It’s a hop jig.

are there any words to it?

I also know it in A, it does sound brighter.

M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Amaj
|:c2e e2B cBA|F2B B2c dcB|c2e e2B cBA|E2A A2B cBA:|
|:c2e f2g aga|b2B B2c dcB|c2e f2g a2b|a2f e2d cBA:|

God I’m sick of these tunes in the same time sig with the same name !! It’s different if it’s a Paddy Fahy’s or Ed Reavy’s, named after the composer. I mean there are so many it don’t matter.

Hasn’t someone got a ’ The Ballykissangel’ or "James Sharkey’s" et al for this one ?

Here’s the 3/2 hornpipe version (from the manuscript "John of the Greeny Cheshire Way")

M:3/2
L:1/8
K:G
B3 c d2 B2 A2 G2 | F2 A2 A2 B2 c2 A2 |
B3 c d2 B2 A2 G2 | D2 G2 G2 B2 A2 G2 :|
B2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 | a2 A2 A2 c2 B2 A2 |
B2 c2 d2 e2 f2 a2 | g2 G2 G2 B2 A2 G2 :|

Chris

The tune is a slip jig 9/8 sig: and is from O’Neill’s 1001 gems of Dance Music of Ireland. It’s a nice tune to play in G then lift it to A. It is also an excellent tune to play for a dancer dancing a ‘Slip Jig’ . Somehow they seem to relate to it.

I learned this piece as a reel.

Where’s the third part I’ve heard so many times? The Comhaltas members who have heard me play it say it’s rather pretty…

You play a 3rd part, well, where is it, and where did you get it?? For the umpteenth time I’ve gone searching for a third part in collections, 3/2, 9/8 ~ and even 6/8, and all are just two parts in total, not one showed a 3rd part. So, you’ve had my interest and it is holding, let’s see your third part, with something about its origins… I’d love to give it a try, or any other 3rd part someone might have out there? 😏

The ONeill collections and Bremner’s Collections of 1757 ~ just 2 parts…
However, more to follow ~ 😉

X: ~
T: The Dusty Miller
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: G Major
|: B2 d d2 A B2 G | E2 A A2 B c2 A | B2 d d2 A B2 G | D2 G G2 A B2 G :|
|: B2 d e2 f g3 | a2 A A2 B c2 A | B2 d e2 f g2 a | g2 e d2 c B2 G :|
|: B3 B2 A G2 A | E2 A A2 B c2 A | B3 B2 A G2 A | D2 G G2 A B2 G :|

X: ~
T: The Dusty Miller
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: A Major
|: c2 e e2 B cBA | F2 B B2 c dcB | c2 e e2 B cBA | E2 A A2 B cBA :|
|: c2 e f2 g aga | b2 B B2 c dcB | c2 e f2 g a2 b | a2 f e2 d cBA :|
|: c3 c2 B AGA | F2 B B2 c dcB | c3 c2 B AGA | E2 A A2 B cBA :|

No, I as yet haven’t found a clue as to where I got that particular 3rd part. What’s given was pulled out of memory. I haven’t yet gone fishing through my own notes… 😏

Does this bear any resemblance to what you know and play Vonnie? ~ or anyone else?

I don’t remember where I first heard this tune at least 30 years ago, but it always had the three parts as far as I can remember. It probably is quite the same as your abc version in G. Years ago I took a copy for my "little black book" (actually a tome) that’s listed as #60 from JC’s Tunefinder. If you can’t find it there e-mail me again and maybe I can send you the dots.

Actually I just peeked over at JC’s and found it as version #160 submitted by marlboro college’s mahoney as an RR tune. Does that mean Richard Robinson’s version in computereez? Anyway, that’s the version I have saved in my notebook.

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/info/RRTuneBk/
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/info/RRTuneBk/gettune/00000948.html

X: 6 (311)
T: The Dusty Miller
M: 9/8
O: Ireland
R: Slip Jig
Z: Richard Robinson
K: G
|: B2 d c2 A B2 G | E2 A A2 B cBA | B2 d cBA G2 F | D2 G G2 A B2 G :|
|: B2 d def g3 | a2 A A2 B cBA | B2 d e2 f gfe | d2 B G2 A B2 G :|
|: D3 G2 A BAG | E3 A2 B cBA | B2 d cBA G2 F | D2 G G2 A B2 G :|

& as 3/2, a triple hornpipe in G, 2-parts:

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/info/RRTuneBk/gettune/000002f0.html
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/info/RRTuneBk/gettune/000004e6.html

Aside from the Chieftain’s Dusty Miller on Water From The Well, this is the only other Dusty Miller I’ve ever heard:

X:1
T:The Dusty Miller
L:1/8
M:9/8
R:Slip Jig
K:G Major
Z:EW
S:Seamus Ennis
|: B2c d2B A2G | F2G A2B c2A | B2c d2B A2G | D2G B2A G3 :|
|: Bcd e2f g2z | B2d g2e dBA | B2d e2f g2z | D2G B2A G3 :|

John McSherry and Donal o’ Connor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj4NIzIYQgc

play video

I’ve always thought this was a lovely slip jig; this is the setting I learned some years ago at a slow session.

Following up on 2 posts from 10 years ago:

1) Yes, it was used as the tune for Robert Burns’ poem of 1788, so it can have words, as asked by birlibirdie
(And the O’Neill dates are contemporary with Robt Burns)

Hey, the dusty Miller,
And his dusty coat,
He will win a shilling,
Or he spend a groat:
Dusty was the coat,
Dusty was the colour,
Dusty was the kiss
That I gat frae the Miller.

Hey, the dusty Miller,
And his dusty sack;
Leeze me on the calling
Fills the dusty peck:
Fills the dusty peck,
Brings the dusty siller;
I wad gie my coatie
For the dusty Miller.

And 2) it is usually sung in 3/2 hornpipe timing, as mentioned by spindizzy. Recorded by Jock R Tamson’s Bairns, Sinsheen and others.

Trish - "And the O’Neill dates are contemporary with Robt Burns…"

No they’re not! Admittedly, ceolachan’s wording was a little awkward. It should read, "[It’s in] the O’Neill collections [of 1903 and 1907] and Bremner’s Collections of 1757…"

Isn’t this just another version of the Rusty Gulley?

https://thesession.org/tunes/1208

As to which came first … don’t even go there! 😉

Cheers,
Dick

Both Dusty Miller and Rusty Gully get played at English tune sessions in Sussex: the versions I’ve picked up are in the tune library at www.rudemex.co.uk. The A parts are very similar (with slightly different phrasing, perhaps) but the B parts are distinct.