Lucy Farr’s jig

Shock & Horror!!!

This tune has recently become popular at my local session. It’s my favourite jig at the moment. It’s incredibly easy to learn - in fact I think I picked it up after hearing it a couple of times through, and now it’s stuck in my head. I think it’s a bit of an obscure tune actually. I’ve googled the abc and trawled through all the tune indexes looking for alternative names, but haven’t been able to find a single other transcription of it on the net. The tune was given to me as "Lucy Farr’s". If you play Stan Chapman’s, you’ll notice that the A-part is quite similar. I prefer this tune though, and I think flute players will find it rather tasty. The first couple of bars are also reminiscent of The Blarney Pilgrim, but again, this one wins hands down for me anyway. Does anyone else here play it?

Hey ‘c’ give me a chance - I only posted it about 3 mins ago ;-p

https://thesession.org/discussions/4801

https://thesession.org/discussions/4830

I think I know why I like this tune. It’s because it’s pentatonic with no F#s or Cs, and I think that its simplicity makes it all the more powerful. I also love tunes in G that go below the octave to the low D like that. Those last couple of bars in the B-part sound incredibly beautiful, particularly on the flute.

Ceolachan, I stand by what I said about tune comments and cut & pastes! The grumpy moaning git that I am.

No, but I’ll give it a go. I’ve heard a number of things by Lucy Farr, but this one isn’t ringing any bells, though a bar or two do suggest other things, like the A-part relationship you’ve caught. I’ll see if I’ve notated anything from Lucy Farr’s playing that relates to this and if I have, or if in the look I find any alternative - I will return with it… I do find I keep wanting to play it differently than this, but that doesn’t tell me much…

- Oh yeah!
- another grumpy moaning git…

I have the tune from a good source. You’re not mixing it up with Stan Chapman’s are you? They are quite similar…

LOL — you two.

PS For whoever is about to write something to the effect of "isn’t this in Dmix?", my answer is no, it’s in Gmaj.

Zina learn this tune!

PS For whoever is about to write something to the effect of "isn’t this in G?", my answer is no, it’s in Dmix.

Just play what sounds right but don’t ask me!

I find that both work, but G sounds better if you make it 3rd inversion and put a D in the bass, otherwise it ruins the whole "unfinished" modal sound of the tune.

This tune is so easy to spoil with guitar backing. To be honest, it’s nice just on its own, but you can make it work if you’re careful. I use these and play quite a bit of it in bare 5ths:

K:Dmix
|:Dsus4 / |D / |C / |G Am|
Dsus4 / |D / |C G|D / :|
K:Ador
|:Am / |C / |G / |D / |
Am / |Em / |C G|D / :|

HA HA HA HA! If you google the abc it says "Did you mean to search for ‘DEAD DOG’?" It’s comforting to know that the human brain still beats computers on common sense, despite all the scary films about computers that take over the world and destroy the human race.

Have I made enough comments for you yet ceolachan? I’ve stated my source, talked about why I like the tune, compared it to other tunes, and even suggested some chords. Can I go now? 🙂

2nd inversion, ooh I’m forgetting all my theory, my music teacher at school would be most displeased hehe.

This one rings a bell, though the title "Lucy Farr’s" doesn’t and I can’t put another name to it.

From a rather perforated memory….

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
DED DEG|ABG ABd|egd edB|BAG AGE|
DED DEG|ABG ABd|egd BGE|1 GED D2E:|2 GED D2g||
|:~a3 aba|~g3 edB|deg edB|deg deg|
~a3 aba|~g3 edB|ged BGE|1 DED D2g:|2 DED D2E||

Hey, Dow, damn your a master of the tirade, at least as bad as me. Any - isn’t this tune in D minor?

;-P

way

LOL, think of it in D minor if that sounds right to you!
Will can you remember where you got the tune from?

I’d be lying if I said it was either Kevin Burke or Liz Carroll because it just as well could’ve come off almost any player on some ancient Thistle and Shamrock radio show.

Maybe "perforated" is too generous a term—the holes are larger than the surface area.

Really good tune Dow.

Thanks for posting it. I’ve been looking for a tune to put with Liting Banshee and Up in the air. I think I’ve just found it.

Cheers.

As you’re in a commenting mood, Dow, git on over here …

https://thesession.org/tunes/3855

… and finish your homework. Who was the fish in question? Is my hypothesis correct? Why the G#s? Inquiring minds need to know.

Hetty, I took the liberty of storing your transcription in case it got deleted by Jeremy. It did, so I’m posting it again here:

K:Dmix
|:D3 DEG|ABA ABd|e2d d2B|B2A AGE|
D3 DEG|ABA ABd|e2d BAG|(3EFE D D3:|
|:a3 aba|g2e ede|dBd edB|d3 d3|
eaa aba|g2e ede|ged BAG|(3EFE D D3:|

…transcribed from a recording produce in 1975 by Leader Records on which Lucy Farr is playing with Paul Gross and Michael Plunkett (fiddles) and Reg Hall on piano, forming a band called ‘The Rakes’.

Mark: Master o’ da Tunes Section!

Okay, have now listened to the thing — great, another jig that starts like another jig… ;) I’m teasing you, Mark, it’s quite a nice tune, isn’t it?

& a bit about Lucy herself:

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/farr.htm

version on John Skelton and Keiran O’hare’s ‘Double Barrelled’ as Lucy Farrs 1&2. What’s #2?

I have the following as Lucy Farr’s no. 2
https://thesession.org/tunes/2654
Both tunes are on an LP entitled ‘The Rakes’
recording produce in 1975 by Leader Records on which Lucy Farr is playing with Paul Gross and Michael Plunkett (fiddles) and Reg Hall on piano.

I transcribed this Amajor version from the last track on Cúig’s album "Prospect" where it is played at a lively pace (sounds like a slide and definitely works that way!).

Just want to confirm this was composed by Lucy Farr. There is no alternative title, she never named it, or the jig she composed to go after it (Lucy Farr’s #2).

Ballinakill flute player Sean Moloney informs that Lucy Farr called this tune "The Shoemaker."

See: http://www.seanmoloney.com/lucyfarrs.html

Thanks for the useful additional info there lads

If you’re looking for the Lucy Farr’s played by Martin Hayes this isn’t it. That’s the Barndance, 2nd var.