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Little Jack’s jig

Also known as Jack MacDonald’s, Little Jack MacDonald’s.

There are 5 recordings of this tune.

Little Jack’s has been added to 1 tune set.

Little Jack's has been added to 11 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: Little Jack's
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:A|GFG B2 A|GBd e2 d|g2 e d2 G|F<AG FED|
GG/G/G E2 D|GBd dB/c/d|gdg b2 a|g3 g2:|
|:e|dBd gbg|ece a2 g|f<af def|g<bg d2 e|
dB/c/d g2 f|ec/d/e a2 g|fed c'2 f|g3- g2:|
2
X: 2
T: Little Jack's
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:D|
GFG A2 F|GBd d^cd|g2 e d2 G|FAG AFD|
GFG AGF|GBd d^cd|gdg b2 a|g3 g2:|
|:e|
dBd g2 f|ece a2 g|faf d2 a|gbg d2 e|
dBd g2 d|ece a2 e|fed c’fa|g3 g2:|
3
X: 3
T: Little Jack's
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|GFG AGF|GBd def|g2 e d2 G|FAG FED|
GFG AGF|GBd def|gfg dba|g2g2:|
dBd gbg|ece a2 g|faf def|gfg bgd|
dBd gbg|ece a2 g|faf def|g2g2:|

Three comments

"Little Jack’s" ~ attributed to Ontario fiddler "Little" Jack MacDonald

~ but not necessarily as a composition of his. I’d like to know more… Also, there are a few ways with this tune, as it has travelled and been handled by many different musicians. I’ve worked in some of those in the transcription given, for example, bars 1 & 5 of the A-part, which can be mirrors or each other, options being ~
| GFG B2 A | ~ or ~ | GFG E2 D | ~ or ~ | GG/G/G B2 A | ~ or ~ | GG/G/G E2 D | ~ or
~ see the following for more possibilities, simplified ~

K: G Major
|: D |
GFG A2 F | GBd d^cd | g2 e d2 G | FAG AFD |
GFG AGF | GBd d^cd | gdg b2 a | g3 g2 :|
|: e |
dBd g2 f | ece a2 g | faf d2 a | gbg d2 e |
dBd g2 d | ece a2 e | fed c’fa | g3 g2 :|

Re: Little Jack’s

I’ve read that this was the first tune composed by Joan Macdonald (later Boes, of The Sweetness of Mary fame) when she was twelve (in 1942 or so) .