Da Aald Hill Grinnd jig

I came across this first in Aly Bain’s ‘50 Fiddle Solos’ book - it’s also in the Walshaw (huge) abc list of tunes

http://www.walshaw.plus.com/abc/index/wwabc.html

The only recording I’ve come across is by Jenna Reid

As you may guess by the tune’s spelling/title and with Aly B and Jenna Reid both being Shetlanders, it’s a Shetland jig!

I like the lift given by the change to Dmaj in the B part - you can really slide up on the E string (fiddle) to that F# in bar B2

This can also be found as “The Nut” in ‘Kerr’s Collection of Reels & Strathspeys’ my copy of this was bought for 3/6pence (that is 3 shillings & 6 pence old money) looks like I’m showing me age here.
This version varies very slightly
T: the Nut
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: G
G>AG GcB | BAG G2e | edc BAG | BAA A2D | G>AG GcB | Bed dgf | e2G FGA | AGG G :||
fg || A>BA Afd | cAB A2A | ABA AFD | FEE EFG | A>BA Afd | cAB A2A | Bcd edc | ded d :||
Actually that is my notation as having just checked, ‘Kerr’s’ is just very slightly different again. But only a few notes at the end of the ‘A’ & ‘B’ musics.

perhaps from shetland but has all the hallmarks of the heavy duty marches and polkas (this tune is easily converted -back?- into one) from mittleuropa that were popular in the 19th c
Can you hear the tubas pumping in the background?

well…at least in the second part
like a quietened, distant voice…

For a quick snippet of Da aald hill grinnd, click on track 9 here to hear Aly Bain doin’ the business
http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/0553/details.html
— it just manages to get the key change in before the fade out!

There’s a nice recording of old Willie Hunter playing this here

http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/81386/6