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The Rambling Pitchfork jig

Also known as An Píce Ar Fán, Baxter’s, Clar-claigean An Moncaí, Clár-Cloigeann An Moncaí, The Fisherman’s Widow, The Monkey’s Forehead, Ramblin’ Pitchfork, Roland’s Return, Roland’s U-Turn, The Rollicking Dandy.

There are 117 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Sporting Pitchfork (lots of times), Paddy McMahon’s (lots of times), Jackson’s Morning Brush (a few times) and The Black Rogue (a few times).

The Rambling Pitchfork has been added to 902 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Seven settings

X: 1
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
F2F AFF|dFF AFF|G2G ABc|ded cAG|
FEF AFF|dFF AFF|GFG BAG|FDD D3:|
d2e fed|ecA ABc|dcd fed|faf gfe|
d2e fed|ecA BAF|GFG BAG|FDD D3:|
X: 2
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Fmaj
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2G A2B | d2d cAG|
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|: ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2G A2B | d2d cAG |
|[1 ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|[2 fef gfg | afd cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | g2g gec |
| d2e fed | ede A2=B | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | afa def |
| afd gec| fed cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
# Added by Grack .
X: 3
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
F3 AFF | dFF AFD | GFG ABc | ded cAG |
FAF AFF | dFF AFD | GFG BAB | AFD D2 :|
d2 e fed | ecA AFA | dcd efg | faf gfe |
[1 dcd fed | ecA AGF | GFG BAB | AFD D2 :|
[2 a2 f gfe | fed ecA | GFG BAB | AFD D2 |]
X: 4
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
F2F AFF|dFF AFD|GFG ABc|ded cBA|
F2F AFF|dFF AFD|GFG BAG|AFD [1D2E:| [2DFA||
dcd fed|ecA ABc|dcd efg|aba gfe|
dcd fed|ecA AGF|GFG BAG|AFD [1DFA:|[2D2E|]
X: 5
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
AG|~F3 AFF | cFF AFD | ~G3 ABc | ded ^cAG |FEF AFF | cFF AFE |DGG BAG | AFD D2E |
FDD ADD | cBc AFD |GFG ABc | fed cAG | ~F3 AFF | cFF AFD | ~G3 BAG | AFD DED |
|d2e fed | e^cA ABA | d^cd efg | faf gfe | d2e fdd | e^cA ABA | ~G3 BAG | AFD D2A |
d2e fdd | e^cA ABA | d^cd fed | faf g2g | a2f g2e | fed cAF | ~G3 BAG | AFD D2E |
X: 6
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
AG|F3 AFF | cFF AFD | G3 AB^c | ded ^cAG |
FEF AFF | cFF AFD |DGG BAG | AFD D2E |
FDD ADD | cBc AFD |GFG AB^c | ded ^cAG |
F3 AFF | cFF AFD | G3 BAG | AFD D2 ||
|d2e fed | e^cA ABA | d^cd efg | faf gfe |
d2e fdd | e^cA ABA | G3 BAG | AFD D2A |
d2e fdd | e^cA ABA | d^cd fed | faf g3 |
a2f g2e | fed cAF | G3 BAG | AFD D2E ||
# Added by JACKB .
X: 7
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
F2G AFA | dcA AGF |1 G3 ABc | ded cAG :|2 GFG ABG | AFD D3||
d2e f2d | dcA ABc | d2e f2g | afd dcA |
[1 d2e f2d | ecA AGF | GFG ABG | AFD D3 :|
[2 afa geg | fed cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||

Fourteen comments

Here’s a lovely tune that sounds nice when it’s played with a "lilting" feeling.

The setting of the tune here includes a few slight variations on the melody. Compare the first four bars to the next four. Some of the longer notes have been replaced with triplets.

To give this tune a nice lilt, try sliding up to the long notes. This works especially well on the opening F in the first part, and the opening D of the second part.

If you’re playing the fiddle or banjo, keep your finger on the F for the first few bars, and use cross bowing/picking. This is a technique that is more often used in reels, "The Mountain Road" for example.

Roland’s U-Turn

Here’s a different setting of the tune called "Roland’s U-Turn". I transcribed it from the "Late In the Night" CD , live at O’Conner’s in Doolin. It’s a really nice version…has some extra flare…

X: 1
T: Roland’s U-Turn
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
Q: 1/8 = 400
R: jig
K: Fmaj
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2G A2B | d2d cAG|
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|: ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2G A2B | d2d cAG |
|[1 ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|[2 fef gfg | afd cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | g2g gec |
| d2e fed | ede A2=B | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | afa def |
| afd gec| fed cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||

Posted by .

Scottish pipes version (w flattened c)

to be heard on one of BattlefieldBand’s albums (‘wae’s me… ’ or ‘there is a buzz’ perhaps)

“The Rambling Pitchfork” ~ courtesy of Michael Dunn, Irish fiddler, Lancashire

X: 3
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: D Major
|: E |\
F3 AFF | dFF AFD | GFG ABc | ded cAG |
FAF AFF | dFF AFD | GFG BAB | AFD D2 :|
|: A |\
d2 e fed | ecA AFA | dcd efg | faf gfe |
[1 dcd fed | ecA AGF | GFG BAB | AFD D2 :|
[2 a2 f gfe | fed ecA | GFG BAB | AFD D2 |]

Michael Dunn is likely the current longest serving and oldest Irish fiddler in Lancashire, a great character, good craic…

Anyone know where this tune is called "The flat skulled monkey"? I’m not disputing it as a name, I always love to see the Gaelic originals (or translations) for tunes, it’s just a very unusual one.

“Roland’s Return” ~ minor relatives

Key signature: d minor
Submitted on August 2nd 2008 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/8777

& a different take ~

"Roland’s Return"
Key signature: F Major (d minor)
Submitted on April 6th 2007 by joesmith.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7046

For another comparison to these see "Roland’s U-Turn" above…

I heard a longer version of this song that actually starts in E dorian with irish bagpipes playing a D drone…

Mary Custy’s setting of Rambling Pitchfork

Setting 4 is from Mary Custy and Stephen Flaherty’s CD "After 10:30". They play it in C, but I’ve put it in D. Mary has a more standard setting in the sheet music and ABC on her teaching website, but you can hear her recording of it on the same page: http://www.marycustymusicschool.com/#!blog/c1hby . The first jig in the set is the Caherlistrane jig thesession.org/tunes/3006 .

Rambling Pitchfork

X:5 from Johnny Doran’s piping.

Dance Music of Ireland #163

O’Neill’s DMI has the Rambling Pitchfork in a slightly different setting in DMaj under the name of "The Fisherman’s Widow"

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