The Sligo Maid reel

I just learned this tune from a CD I have by Kevin Burke. What a great tune! Then, as I was listening to a recording of Kevin Crawford tonight, I suddenly realized that he was playing the same tune! It took me a while to recognize it though, they both play it very diferently. It’s really neat to see all the different varitions in tunes.

-Max

I’m wondering how you all play the bars 2 & 6 in the second part. I love this tune but have particular problems with those bars when playing with others.

I learned to play |b~g3 efge| but later started playing like |b2gb abge|. I think some different versions of the tune usually mix well, but I’m really uncomfortable with those bars.

Please inform me. Max? Or anybody else?

I play them as posted.

It’s too short, but you’ll hear Carmel Gunning’s crazy whistle playing of the tune here: http://www.cisl.ie/tradmusic/musicsamples/sligo.mp3

The version that Kevin plays on his CD (and the one I learned) is a little different than what is posted here.

X: 1
T: Sligo Maid, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
|: A2BA Bdef | gedB AGEF | G2BG DGBG | DEGA BddB |
A2BA Bdef | gedB AGEG | AB3 AEGE | DEGA B2AB :|
|: eaag a2ga | ^baggf gedg | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | ^baggf gedg | egg2 edBc | dBgB BAA2 :|

That’s the version I know. I really like the G2BG DGBG in the third bar, rather than G2BG dGBG. I kind of gives it a rolling sound. Kevin Crawford does the second one, I think. Some variations that Kevin Burke threw in for the second time through the A part were:

|: A2BA Bdeg | gedB AGEF | G3B AEE2 | DEGA BddB |
A2BA Bdeg | gedB AGEG | AB3 AEGE | DEGA BAA2 :|

The biggest differences are in bars 3 and 8.

-Max

Oh, something I forgot was that Kevin takes the triplets out of the B part the second time through. I hope I wrote out the ABC right.

-Max

Thanks, it’s very interesting to compare different versions. I’ll do some experiments.

I’ve been doing some experiment on this tune for weeks and invented my own setting of it. Not entirely different from the standard session setting, but I inserted some more interesting bits. I’m sure it works on flute or whistle.

K: Ador
G|A2BA Bdef|gedB AGEF|G2BG dGBG|DEGA BAGB|
A2BA Bdef|gedB AGEG|B2GB ABGE|DEGA BAA:|
z|eaag a2ga|b2gb abge|dggf g3e|dega b2ag|
eaag a2ga|b2gb abge|dg~g2 edBd|efgd BAA:|

Only know the blistering Paddy Killoran version, on ‘From Ballymote to Brooklyn’- what a cracker!- and for me the best track among some very strong contenders.
What is it about this tune?- it even takes being played through ‘Slow Me Down’ and still sounds good.

Strangely, the abc on this post leaves out the triplets in the first, fifth and second last bars, even though they are there on the sheetmusic!

Here they are inserted:

|: A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEF | G2BG dGBG | DEGA BAdB |
A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEG | B3G A2GE | DEGA BAA2:|
|: eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eg (3gfg edBd | edgd BAA2 :|

X:1
T: Sligo Maid
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:A Dorian
|: A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEF | G2BG dGBG | DEGA BAdB |
A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEG | B3G A2GE | DEGA BAA2:|
|: eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eg (3gfg edBd | edgd BAA2 :|

Just updated the key signature..

An interesting version from Donegal fiddler Danny O’Donnell was recorded by the Tap Room Trio on this album: https://thesession.org/recordings/736. I’ve heard it a few times in sessions, and transcribed this from a session recording:

X: 1
T: O’Donnell’s Sligo Maid
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
f|efed ^cdef|gedB AGEF|G2AG BGAG|DEGA BAAf|
efed (3B^cd ef|gedB AGEF|GAAG BGAG|DEGA BAA:|
|:g|eaag a2gf|gabg agef|~g3e ~d2ef|gded (3B^cd eg|
eaag a2gf|gabg agef|gbeg ~d2ef|gded BAA:|

Been debating the choice of chords for this one for a while, I think D G D G A works nicely in the first half then into Am G Am F G for 2nd half (with variations etc of course). The problem I have is that I’m so used to hearing D chords in the first part that Am G Am F G doesn’t sound right to me, thoughts?

Seriously? You want to play the first part in D major - the way the tune is written out here? Seriously? I don’t mean to be rude but that would sound awful.

Firstly the tune is in A dorian (or almost) and so you should generally be thinking about chords that you would find in a scale of G but starting on the A note. The whole scale would be:

Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim, G, Am

To start off the tune, because it has that C# in the bar I would suggest playing an A (no 3rd) chord so that it doesn’t clash with the melody. An Am would be too heavy. You can hold that for 2 bars and then go into a G or maybe an Em for a bar and then the 4th bar play a D chord. That can repeat for the next 4 bars.

In the second part would be fairly similar. You would not want to play an F chord anywhere in the tune. It is in Adorian not Aminor and the tune therefore has F#s in it (lots of them) rather than Fnats.

I hope that makes sense but please, for the sake of the people you are playing with, do not play the tune in D major. Certainly switching from D major to A minor between the parts will not sound right to you as the tune itself does not switch keys.

From 1972, the second tune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN-KmQWxhk0

play video

Anyone attempt to transcribe the John Carty version of Sligo Maid? I’m working on it, but much easier to just listen to his playing of it and enjoy it than torture myself trying to figure it all out…

Had to do it. Here’s my interpretation of Carty’s interpretation:

X: 1
T: Sligo Maid, The
S: John Carty
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
D3F | E3G FABA |dBAF EDB,E |D2ED D2ED |A,B,DE F2F2|
E3G F3A|dBAF EDB,E|DF3 EB,3| A,B,DE FEED|
GAFA E3A |dBAF EDB,E |D2ED D2ED |A,B,DE F2F2|
E3G F3A|dBcA BAFB|AF3 EB,3| A,B,DE FE3|
BeeB e2de|faec dBAd|Bd3 d3B|ABde f2ed|
B(3eee e2de|faec dBA2|Bd3 B3d | AFDE FE3|
BeeB e2de|faec dBAd|Bd3 d3B|ABde f2af|
fgfg e2de|faec dBAd|dBAd BAFB| AFDE FE3|]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ51lETK6gc

play video

I was hoping someone may be able to point me in the right direction as to which version Foster and Allen plays this. I am in LOVE with it but simply can’t figure this one out without hitting mental blocks in my head and quickly giving up so I can enjoy this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtHsMuTcnHE

play video

Most play this with a “C#” or just leave the “C” out altogether. The “feel” of the tune seems to be dorian and not mixolydian and the “Cnat” in the version posted here doesn’t seem to clash with the “Am” chord.

This is just a flute version in Edor for those that wish to be about it.

Paddy Killoran :
https://youtu.be/HqxeoVPvLqc

play video

From Donegal fiddler Johnny Doherty on “The Floating Bow”; a rather different version from the conventional one, and one of my favourites.

This is my interpretation of a Saémus Ennis recording from 1955 of this tune played after The Bucks of Oranmore.

This tune sent me on a bit of a journey as I initially learnt it online, but when practicing along to other recordings couldn’t decide which version to learn. I eventually found a recording of Zoë Conway playing it in homage to Séamus Ennis, I loved her version (especially as it was dropped down a tone) and played along as written here (probably not exactly what she was playing, but close enough) but that lead me to the old recording of Séamus Ennis. Now I can’t decide on which one I should learn. I think this is a Lockdown quandary as if you have other musicians to play with you generally decide on a version, but I must say I’m stuck here for now somewhere between both versions.

Here is my go on Paddy Killoran’s version. He plays a few variations each time, but you get 4 times around the tune in the recording, so I’ve put this together to get a flavour of what he does. This tune has been a bit of an obsession with me and this is my final go at it, I promise. Now which version do I choose?

A little different.