Sliabh Geal GCua hornpipe

I’m sure someone will be screaming soon about the key, the timing, or the type, but I don’t know any of these. All my other entries have similarily been critized. I can’t read music (which I’m sure is not uncommon) and so I don’t understand timing. when this is put into abc it sounds right, thats all I know.

If you’re unsure and your slopping around in quicksand, it might be a wise thing to yell for help instead of thrashing about and sinking deeper and deeper in the shight, don’t yuh think just maybe? :-/

No offense dubhghaill, and I’m not screaming, but you’re right. This slow air is rather a mess, too. If you admit you don’t know what you’re doing, why keep posting tunes? If you need assistance, indicating the source of your setting would be helpful. Cheers.

It sounds nice in D on the flute, but I believe it’s not the original key.

Always the gentleman Hiro…

This grand melody is identifiable for what it is in this transcription… Ears are the better judge, if you can chase up any of several recordings. ‘Airs’ will always present a problem for anyone, even for the most expert and experienced…that and there isn’t a specific category for them here ~ their arriving in all shapes, styles and sizes…

Maybe I’m a bit limited in my understanding but I’m automatically suspicious of the rendering of any ‘traditional’ tune that has nineteen bars.

Pierce

According to the notes of Solas’ first album, this song was written in 1890 by Pádraig O Maillé, who was an exile working in the coal mines of Wales.

I’m with ceolachan on his most recent comment. I’ve heard this Air many times and therefore was fine with the transcription. I suspect my ear may have played more of a role in my reading of the tune, but like was mentioned, that’s probably while there’s no category for Airs on this site. Difficult to transcribe and therefore play unless you’ve heard it before.

Watch this: http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/senior_fiddle_aidan_oneill

An almost note for note plagiarism of Tomás Ó Canainn, in his slow airs book, except for a few errors. Of course, Ó Canainn uses phrase markings, which are vital to understand his transcriptions.
Unfortunately, the markings cannot be put in, but here are the correct notes:

X: 1
T: Sliabh geal gCua
R: Slow Air
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
S:Tomás Ó Canainn: Traditional Slow Airs of Ireland.
K: Dmaj
f>g | a3 g (f>age) | f3 e (dcA>B) | =c2 d4 (fe) | (d>cAF) G2 (FG) |
(Add>e) f2 (f>g) | a3 g (f>age) | f3 e (dcA>B) | =c2 d4 (fe) | (d>cAF) G2 (FG) |
(Add>c) d3 A | (d>ef>g) a a2 a | (a>bag/f/) g a2 g | (f>ge>c) d e2 d |
(cAA>A) A2 (fg) | a3 g (f>age) | f3 e (dcA>B) | =c2 d4 (fe) | (d>cAF) G2 (FG) |(Add>c) d4||


Info on Pádraig Ó Miléadha, along with the words, here:

http://www.ballinagree.freeservers.com/mileadha.html

Interesting if he had written those words in 1890, as he would have been 13. According to the link, he wrote them in Wales, and he didn’t get there until 1903.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3AHoy0_UkA

play video

Came across this clip amongst others. Forgive the fact that Sean goes a little out of pitch near the start ( may be a recording problem, don’t know) I’m listening to it being sung and played by various people before I decide how I want to play it AND before I attempt to write it down.

X: 1
T: Sliabh Geal gCua
M: 4/2
L: 1/4
R: Barndance
K: G
B>c || d>c B>d c>A B2- | [1/2] B>A | [4/2] G>F D>E =F>E/F/ G2- | [2/2] G2 B>A |
[4/2] G>F D>B, C>D/C/ B,C |1 D<G G>A B2-B2 | [1/2] B>c :||2 D<G G>F G2-GD ||
G>A B>c d2-d>d | d>e d>c/B/ c>B/c/ d2- | [1/2] d>c | [4/2] B>c A>F G>F/G/ A>F |
G>F D>D D2-D2 | [1/2] B>c | [4/2] d>c B>d c>A B2- | [1/2] B>A | [4/2] G>F D>E =F>E/F/ G2- |
[2/2] G2 B>A | [4/2] G>F D>B, C>D/C/ B,C | D<G G>F G2-G ||

Transposed from a recording by Lunasa. CD ‘In Good Company’. I hope you all find it as true to the recording as possible. The default midi speed on my Soft ware (Finale) is very close to the speed that Lunasa play it. Mine is just a smidgeon faster but it certainly gave me the right feel. I feel that 4/2 is by far a better time signature than 4/4 for transposing and gives me a good base for any development along the lines of Aidan O’Neill or Sean Mac Craith (as on the youtube clip I submitted a while ago.) It reads slower and hopefully helps the viewer to find a better speed. I’m playing it on a B/C/C# box.
It seems I cannot submit this in 4/2 so best to scan it and put it into;
http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html

Sorry folks. As many will have already realised ‘In Good Company’ was recorded by Kevin Crawford NOT Lunasa as I previously stated. My source was misleading. I was given a CD with a selection of recordings of both Kevin’s & Lunasa tunes.

As a slow air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edHfVWpsb4A

play video