The Rose In The Gap (hornpipe) on The Session

Actually a March

I think the structure most resembles a Hornpipe, but play it straighter thatn a Hornpipe. I learned this off of the new Donal O’Connor and John McSherry album "Tripswitch."

I haven’t heard the "Tripswitch" album but feel that bars 3 & 4 (in the ‘B’ music) could be: | fedB BdAF | A2D2 D2Bd |
I certainly feel more comfortable playing it that way. Bar 3 would then have a nice melodic link with bar 5. there would also be a chord structure relationship with 3 & 4 in the ‘A’ music and also bar 4 in the ‘C’ music. Nice steady tempo’d march though.

Thanks for this tune. Good tune on a great album.

Hetty - the bars in question actually go (I think):

│fedB 3Bcd AF │A2 D2D2 Bd │

That triplet on the first of these two bars (bar 3) also repeats on bar 5 at the appropriate place - that is all ornamentation of course though and subject to personal choice. On the CD for example the tune doesn’t have the lead in notes at he start of the tune at all. After a long guitar beating intro it just starts smack on the B of the first bar.

The last bar of each part is also │A2D2D2 │ rather than │B2E2E2 │ and the second part doesn’t repeat.

The pattern is therefore AABCC and on the CD they play it through twice before going into tune 2.

I hope this helps.

Thanks again by the way Unseen - good job. I requested the tune so thanks for posting it. I doubt I could have worked it out myself. Didn’t mean to pick holes.

What is a transcription without a few kinks? I am at school and can’t play in my dorm which means, A) learn a tune from remebering how it goes, or B) bringing my computer up to the practice rooms. A, is easier and that is what I chose and is why I made some mistakes. The lead notes have to be there otherwise the tune doesn’t fit the bar lines, but yes they do have that Guitar intro. On a side note, anyone know the origins of the tune? I can’t look it up as my actual CD is at my house.

The sleeve notes say:

‘"Rose in the Gap" was recorded by La Lugh on Brighid’s Kiss (LUGCD961) and is taken from the Donnellan Collection of Oriel Songs and Dances. Donal learned "Old Dudeen" from the playing of his father Gerry O’Connor and recorded the tune with him on his solo album Journeyman (LUGCD962).

This version of "The First Month In Spring" was picked up from the Scottish band Daimh.’

Incidentally, whilst we are on the subject the version of The First Month In Spring here on the CD is very different from the one on this site. I have put a note on the comments for that tune too but if anyone has a transcription for that version it would be fantastic. Daimh changed it and transposed it into C so it could fit on the pipes!! - Yes into C to fit on the Scottish Pipes!!!! At First Light have copied them and the version is outstanding.

If I happen to learn it I will post the ABCs there, but I hate learning reels when played that fast. I love to listen, but I never like to play that fast. Must have been a C set of pipes, or is it in Cminor which would fit on Highland Pipes?

No they are normal Scottish Border Pipes in A. It was moved to C so t would fit in the range of the instrument. The notes in the tune must make that allowable. There are lots of pipe tunes in A minor. C is just the relative major of that and in this case it works. And it is C major.

Thanks for the clarifications Alistair. It’s good to discover that ones instincts can turn out to be right. would you clarify bar 7 of the ‘C’ music then as being | fedB 3Bcd AF | A2D2 D2 | .
I can then correct my copy although I am quite happy leaving those last two bars as transcribed here as that would finish the tune on an ‘Eminor’ ready to start again on an ‘Eminor’

Yes sure - why not!

I thought I already had

My apologise Alistair but I culd not see a reference directly to bar 7, however I will take your comment as being a confirmation. Thanks again.

This tune is played nicely by "At First Light" on one of the Geantrai DVDs, recorded at The Duke of York in Belfast. Played on uillean pipes and fiddle, guitar, bodhran. I love it. Sounds like a march to me. Followed by Old Dundeen.

Rose in the Gap transcription

A great tune. This is what I hear in the first round played on the pipes (In some instances the fiddle plays a slightly different note, however):

X:1
T:The Rose In The Gap
C:John McSherry
D:Tripswitch
Z:transcription Johannes Schiefner (jschiefner@gmx.net)
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:march
K:Edor
B3c B2 AF|.B2~E2E2 FA| ~B3cB2AF|.A2~D2D2FA|
B3cB2 AF|AF ABd3e|fedc .B/.c/d AF|1.A2~D2D2FA:|2.A2~D2D2de||
fedc .B/.c/d AF|.B2E2E2de|fedc .B/.c/d AF|.A2D2D2de|
fedc .B/.c/d AF|AF ABd3e|fedc .B/.c/d AF| .A2~D2D2~B||
e3g f2 (e/f/g)|f2e2e2~B2|eB eg f2 (e/f/g)|f2d2d2~B2|
eBeg f2ec|dAdef3e|dcBA .B/.c/d AF|1.A2~D2D2~B2:|2.A2~D2D2FA|]

Regards
Johannes Schiefner