Paddy’s polka

I got this from a session recording but presumably whoever was playing it got it from Josephine Marsh. It’s pentatonic - no Fs or Bs - so Dmix, Ddor and Dmin are equally valid as keys. I arbitrarily chose Dmix. There’s a #2 which I’ll post at a later date.

Unfortunately, the title doesn’t link to Josephine Marsh’s recording of this, presumably because the track on her album is called "Paddy’s Polkas". Jeremy, is there a good way to link a pair off (singular) tune titles (eg. Paddy’s Polka #1 and Paddy’s Polka #2) to a single (plural) recording track title (Paddy’s Polkas)?

Gary, It might be more useful for the database if you edited the track listing itself so that it lists #1 and #2 separately, Alan Ng style. I know that’s not how it appears on the inlay, but it doesn’t matter if an inlay is written shorthand, whereas for musos who want to learn and document the tunes I think it makes more sense to separate them.

Oops! I forgot that I was the one who entered that disc! Looks like Jeremy must have made the change for me, from "Paddy’s Polkas" to simply "Paddy’s".

Haha, too much bongade :-)

Actually, I’d argue for keeping the 2 tunes discrete, as in, #1 and #2, as opposed to Paddy’s full stop, so that the ‘nother names section picks up on it. But then I’m just a Virtual Tune God with obsessive Compulsive Wotsit Disorder hee hee hee :-)

Here’s a link to #2 https://thesession.org/tunes/3228

Well, I listened to the many west kerry’s on this site, and not a one of them are the one I know. Does anyone know its other names? I love how well it flows into Égans.

>disclaimer: I can’t read music, so this is probably massively incorrect but when played in ABC it sounds close (although the ‘agf’ bits in the b part sound a little too sharp for my liking but that’s just ABC for you<

X: 1
T: West Kerry
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|:d|eA BA|eA BA|G2 A>Bd2|G2 AB>d2|eA BA|eA BA|G2 A>Bd|B A A:|
|:f|a2 g f|a2 g f|d BGA|B cde|a2 g f|a2 g f|d BgBB|AA:|

Sounds like a version of what I know as "Paddy’s," dubhghaill.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3226

A version of this? ~ Dalaigh’s

http://music.gordfisch.net/tradmusic/pmwiki.php/Tunes/DalaighsPolka

I realize and appreciate your confession, brave of you, that you are not familiar or comfortable with notation. It will come to you if you’ve good ears, can get past any bias or fears, and relax into it over time, but here are some basic problems with your notation, as given ~

M: 2/4
L: 1/8

K: is actually A Dorian, one sharp rather than 2…

A-part 1 - 8
bars 3, 4 & 7 are 3/4

B-part 1 - 8
bar 7 is 5/8
bar 8 with the lead in is 3/8

Sorry, forgot to give the homepage for the link above ~

http://music.gordfisch.net/tradmusic/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage

thanks for the notation advice, but it still is nonsense to me, I have no music theory background and it has never made sense. I don’t think it’s Muiris O Dalaigh’s (or daley’s), and definately not downeys. Just doesn’t sound right. This is the way I’ve heard it, and Lunasa recorded this version on redwood. Listened to Paddy’s and it sounds good my way, so now it will also bear the name ‘the west kerry’
thanks!

This is the "west kerry" on Lunasa’s redwood

Careful renaming the named willy-nilly, but you wouldn’t be the first to do so… :-/

There is more than one tune that bears the association with Dalaigh…

It’s good you’ve given your source, now we may be able to pull out a little bit more for you. First, Lunasa takes liberties, even blends as their spirit moves them. I may have notations from some of their playing here about. I’ll check… Thanks for the further details, appreciated…

Here’s "Paddy’s Polka" fully transposed to the key you’ve given here, no notes changed ~

X: ~
T: Paddy’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: A dorian
|: eA BA | eA BA | G>A Bd- | dG Bd |
eA BA | eA BA | G2 AB/d/ | BA A2 :|
|: ea ag/a/ | ba gd | ea ag/a/ | ba g2 |
ea ag/a/ | ba gd | ed gB | BA A2 :|

& here is an attempt to keep to the notes you’ve given and to make them fit a 2/4 polka, each bar = 2/4 ~

X: ~
T: ~
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: A dorian
|: d |
eA BA | eA BA | G2 AB/d/ | G2 A/B/d |
eA BA | eA BA | G2 AB/d/ | BA A :|
|: f |
a2 gf | a2 gf | dB GA | Bc de |
a2 gf | a2 gf | dB gB/B/ | A2 A :|

Note ~ West Kerry, as is also true for "The West Kerry Set", is famous for polkas, lots of them, and way back when a good lot of them were nameless, ‘gan ainm’…

X: ~
T: Paddy’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: A dorian
|: eA BA | eA BA | G>A Bd- | dG Bd |
eA BA | eA BA | G2 AB/d/ | BA A2 :|
|: ea ag/a/ | ba gd | ea ag/a/ | ba g2 |
ea ag/a/ | ba gd | ed gB | BA A2 :|

Nope, no luck so far. However, I have a collection of West Kerry music and will check that for something closer to your notes than either of the two previous options… Sorry I haven’t that Lunasa recording or I’d do a transcription for you and add it here…

No again, but I haven’t given up… That was a whole slew of West Kerry polkas, mostly ‘gan ainm’, but nothing with these notes in either key… "Paddy’s" remains the closest approximation, though your notes for the second part seem familiar to me.

Oops! ~ bar 7 = | G>A Bd | ~ for it to be ‘exact’…

This is the version (A Dorian) of "West Kerry" I’ve heard, being ‘Paddy’s’ thrown (transposed) from D to A. This is the version which Lúnasa plays on their Redwood album, for those of us who like to play along.

# Posted on July 22nd 2007 by dubhghaill

Discussion: West Kerry Polka
# Posted on July 22nd 2007 by dubhghaill
~ /discussions/14536

"Paddy’s Polka" ~ Also known as "Paddy’s #1", "Paddy’s Polka #1", "Polca Chorcha Dhuibhne", "West Kerry", "The West Kerry"…
Key signature: D Dorian
Submitted on June 29th 2004 by Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3226/comments

yes you’re right ceolachan the 2nd bit for paddy’s doesn’t seem to play right with the tune I have in my head

Looks like it’s staying https://thesession.org/tunes/7527

If the 2nd bit doesn’t seem right, then why did you transcribe that version in the tunes section?

I’m still looking Dubh, too bad I haven’t got the recording. I’ve gone through a slew of West Kerry polkas but no luck, not yet anyway… I had a kick finding a load of related eA / AD polkas though, and variations…

As has happened elsewhere, and with all the visitors and come-from-awayers touring and settling in there, a lot of borrowing and cross fertilization has taken place over time. Loads of Sliabh Luachra versions have been taken up, and some tunes have had offspring, like and A-part from here and a B-part from there, or 2 or 4 measures worth, etc…

Here’s another attempt to make sense of your notes, this time making some changes to your transcription, but minor ones, the A-part obviously being influenced from the other members of the melody family I’m familiar with. Dow, see if this is familiar to you at all, though I know polkas are not a large percentage of your repertoire ~

X: ~
T: ~
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: A dorian
|: B/d/ |
eA BA | eA BA | G>A Bd | GA B/c/d |
eA BA | eA A2 | G>A Bd | BA A :|
|: f/g/ |
a2 gf | a2 gf | dB G>A | Bc d/e/f/g/ |
ab/a/ gf | a2 a/g/f | d/c/B gB | BA A :|

What’d I tell yuh? ~ this is the other option, that it is moved into the ‘comments’… :-D

The reel in this ~ and this has been bothering me for years, but this air also exists as a reel. I keep forgetting to shake it out and make the link. What is that reel?

Found this at The Fiddler’s Companion:

One of two polkas recorded by Josephine Marsh as “Paddy’s Polkas,” learned from her father in East Clare. JM CD001, Josephine Marsh.

There’s no 6th tone in the tune (c or c#) so I listed the key a E minor.

In Newfoundland this one is known as "Paddy’s Jig". There’s plenty of recordings of it from the island. One of my favourites is on Weaving the Wind by Ed Kavanagh. He plays the harp, with a few other instrumentalists coming in part way through the track.

A Newfoundland variation. There’s more available, places for trills, triplets, and a few B-rolls. Usually played pretty quickly on the island, in which case it’s better for whistle/flute players to drop some of the numerous pick-up notes for breathes.

Second tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WVK1XXMNdo

play video

The Newfoundland variant also works in Amin.

Transposing to this key also reveals the similarities to another Newfoundland single/polka. See: Shootin’ the Bull, https://thesession.org/tunes/2559#setting33339.