I’m learning some tunes off the Lunasa albums, and one set in particular: Dr. Gilbert/Devils of Dublin/Black Pat.
Unfortunately Dr. Gilbert, being a fiddle tune, doesn’t translate to the whistle, using a lot of notes below D that can’t really be changed without losing the feel of the tune.
Please could anyone suggest some alternatives, that would fit well before Devils of Dublin?
I used to play a closely elated version of the tune from Donegal, called ‘the Dispute at the Crossroads’. This would suit the whistle well.
Hi Peter,
I think it’s the very same tune! I’d heard of that name, but when I did a search, I get back to Dr. Gilbert’s. Do you have a link to a whistle friendly version?
thanks, Martin
One of the local whistlers here does a fine version of Dr Gilbert’s on whistle, just by shoving the octaves around a bit. (Don’t know how she does it, it sounds like crap when I try it.)
Peter Horan (and I believe Michael Coleman before him) plays “Boys of the Lough” before “Devils of Dublin”. And Carmel Gunning plays “Pigeon on the Gate” before it.
Martin, it’s very similar, not dipping down to the low string though. Johnny Doherty had it, Paddy Glackin recorded it [as did I he said embarrassed, that project is best forgotten]
I don’t have an ABC as far as I know but have it written down, I will e-mail you a scan.
On 2003-01-14 09:50, colomon wrote:
One of the local whistlers here does a fine version of Dr Gilbert’s on whistle, just by shoving the octaves around a bit.
Right, that’s what I do too. On the flute, I just play the notes below low D up an octave. On the whistle, it sounds a little better to pop whole phrases up, rather than the offending notes.
Here’s the tune as Henrick Norbeck has it on his site:
X:80
T:Doctor Gilbert’s
R:reel
Z:id:hn-reel-80
M:C|
K:Edor
eBBA ~B3c|dBA=c BAGF|EDB,D G2FG|EDB,E DB,A,2|
B,EED EDB,D|GEED EFGA|(3Bcd ed Bdgb|afdf efgf:|
|:eB~B2 gB~B2|defg afdf|g2bg fgaf|edef edBd|
afdf edBc|dBAF AFDF|EG=cA Bdgb|afdf efgf:|
You could play the 1st part like this:
eBBA ~B3c|dBA=c BAGF|EDBd g2fg|edBe dbA2|
BEED EDBD|GEED EFGA|(3Bcd ed Bdgb|afdf efgf:|
Simple enough, and it sounds cool with other musicians because you’re still playing the same notes as the fiddles. I almost never premeditate these kinds of transformations; mostly I just keep the tune in my head and let 'er rip.