Hardiman The Fiddler slip jig

This is pleasant little slip jig that I find fun to play over and over.

The second part has a slight variation at the end so it’s not quite the same thing played twice.

Alan Kelly also plays this on his Mosaic CD after the Wingflapper Track 2. But he transfoms the tune in his arrangment by using very dissonant chords in the second part, really emphasisng the C natural presence through D7 chords and stuff. Very different but not appealable to all.

We used to play it in London over 25 years ago. Now I play it in a set with The Swaggering Jig and Moll Roe in front, in Australia. Lots of rolls and very lively - Guarranteed to get feet tapping.

Look again…….it’s in Dmix! Muahahahaha!

o’neill’s lists this as having a c# in it… that is a typo! it is a c natural, as posted here.

East Galway version: https://thesession.org/tunes/4046

If this tune is in Dmix, then it has a strong LOCRIAN (all you medieval monks shake with fear!) flavour to it!
Surprise! It has that eerie (dark!) Locrian flavour to it, resting or lingering on the F’s as it does…
(If you like your F’s strong go and have a listen at the Humours of Derrykissane (not yet on this site?) or see what you make of the ‘subverted’ version of the Humours of Westport, which, I think, this slip jig leads nicely into…)

it definitely is in Dmix. Anything else might be a nice idea if you just play the root note to it, but it all allows no accompaniment with triads. Gmaj is no option either since it doesn´t provide the possibility of bringing in the root triad in sensible measures. And the way all the c´s refer to the d´s or a´s hints at modal myxolydian thinking.

X: 2
T: Hardiman The Fiddler
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Ador
|: ~A2 G FDE F2 G | ABA A^GA cA=G |
A2 G FDE ~F2 G | Ad/c/d ded cAG :|
Ad/c/d d2 e ~f3 | Ad/c/d ded cAG |
Ad/c/d d2 e ~f2 g | agf gg/e/d c2 G |
Add d2 e f3 | Ad/d/d ded cAG |
dcA B/c/de f2 g | a2 f g>ed cAG |]

D mix is the obvious tonal center, although one can certainly back it with any chords they like. Thats the great thing about music, if it sounds good, play it. It would be a helpful change to have it say “Key:” on the details page instead of“Key Signature“ since many keys share the same key signature. I, for one would much rather know what key a tune is in than to know what the key signature is. Also, many songs on this site appear to be miscatagorized as to key. This might help eliminate some of the confusion.

Second tune here by Ronan Browne & Peadar O’Loughlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efEL_wjadyc&feature=related

play video

Somehow, the name + the repetitive melody suggest a repetitive action, as in the 6/8 jig Tolladh an Leathair ‘Boring the Leather’ https://thesession.org/tunes/1496 whose melody is similar in many ways.

… would be nice in ceolachan’s version if one is so inclined:

X: 2
T: Hardiman The Fiddler
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Ador
|: ~A2 G FDE F2 G | ABA A^GA cA=G |
A2 G FDE ~F2 G | Ad/^c/d ded =cAG :|
Ad/^c/d d2 e ~f3 | Ad/^c/d ded =cAG |
Ad/^c/d d2 e ~f2 g | agf gg/e/d c2 G |
Add d2 e f3 | Ad/d/d ded cAG |
dcA B/^c/de f2 g | a2 f g>ed cAG |]

‘Hardiman The Fiddler’ is thought to have been named in honour of James Hardiman, first librarian of Queen’s College in Galway and author of Irish Minstrelsy, Or Bardic Remains, published in 1831.

Second tune here by Planxty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyE3Mye-eks

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QmlY0vuDh4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

play video

(Thanks to clarebannerman)

BTW as published here the “tonality” is A, and the “modality” is mixolydian.

I just noticed someone had already posted the YouTube link I just posted. Sorry for the repeat.

Dorian, not mixolydin.

No, it’s D mixolydian.

This version entitled “Heart of a Loaf” is transcribed from the fiddle manuscript of Francis Reynolds of Gaigue, Ballinamuck, Co. Longford and was written c.1885. The parts are in reverse order to the standard version and a note higher.

its in D mix, the root note is D, loads of C naturals but always resolves back to D. A dorian? I think not.
just to confuse the issue, listen to Browne and O’Loughlan on the youtube clip and they’re playing it in B -
never heard of pipes pitched in B before. Either yer man with the fiddle does some very tricky fingerwork or
he’s re-tuned it……………

This version entitled “Pottien [Poitín] Whiskey” is transcribed from the Stephen Grier MS (c.1883) from County Leitrim.

That X:6 is usually called the Whistling Thief, it’s also the melody of a song. Never really noticed that it’s much like Hardiman’s tune, only in a minor key, or G instead of D.

Yes, maybe more similar to The Swaggering Rake, which basically is HTF in E minor… https://thesession.org/tunes/12374 (And add Pottien Whiskey / The Whistling Thief as alternative names there?)

BTW, you might want to remove the redundant headers. And give Pottien Whiskey and Poitín Whiskey as separate names, because this way it’s like impossible to find with the search function.

Here it is on the pipes played by Chris McMullan—the second tune in this set (the first is Moll Rua):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSAkBjck-4M

play video

I really do wonder if this tune and “Tolladh an Leathair” are cognate…

This tune popped into my head today. I played it, and I could not remember the title. I searched for it here, specifying slip jigs in D mix, and was surprised to NOT find it. Finally found it by typing in the abcs to the first bar.

A Dorian????

Is there any way to edit the key signature? If so, many thanks!

https://youtu.be/NvEvgZMsPuQ

play video

To help me remember it. I put in some lyrics - to Jeremy’s version:

Hardiman was a fiddler; Hardiman played the violin.
He could play either of them, tossing and cutting a-slip-jiggin’. (REPEAT the above)

Bow’d up and down the 4 strings, 1, 2, 3, 4 he would play them all!
Bounce up and down the 4 strings, playing the notes here D, C, and G.
Hardiman was a fiddler. He lov’d to play the notes fast and free.
Dancing about with his fiddle, ev’ry spare moment that there could be.

I apologize to Hardiman…