I normally play Bruach Na Carraige Baine with two sharps (D?), but I would like to try a duet with someone who prefers a different key (G). I can transpose most of the tune, apart from the lowest B’s. Jumping up to the first accessible B seems a bit extreme. What would be a good intermediate pitch that fits with the tune?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Here is the transposed tune as ABC:
X:2
T:Bruach Na Carraige Baine
M:3/4
L:1/8
R:waltz
Q:1/4=60
K:Gmaj
GA |:B4AB|Gd-d2dB|A3B/2A/2GE|DB-B2BA|
G4AE|DB,-B,3D|E6|1E4 GA:|2 E4 DE||
G3A/2G/2EF|GA-A3B|de-e2ed|B4BA|
G3A/2G/2EF|GA-A3B|e6|d4dB|
c4c2|Bd-d2dB|A3B/2A/2GE|DB-B2BA|
G4AE|DB,-B,3D|E6|E4||
That B jump comes up fairly often, Phill. In this case, it seems OK to me if it’s done gently*. Legato, and pull your breath back a bit. Otherwise, I’d just stay on the D if your playing partner carries the low B, note.
After all, notice that the same D-B jump occurs in the actual melody, two bars before each of the folded jumps.
Of course, for key of G you can play your D setting on a G whistle. Or transpose it to C fingering on an A whistle. That actually falls nicely under the fingers, and the one F-nat (B part, measure 9) is easily handled.
Thank you MTGuru. It is a lovely tune, and one of my two favourites to play.
I will try as you suggest, maybe trying folding up the notes after the jump.
C fingering on an A whistle? I was wondering about that. I have not tried F natural on my bass A whistle, but the holes are big enough to make it easy.
How easy is it swapping between different fingerings for a given tune - that would be a total of three different for one tune. Am I going to confuse myself? How do others cope?
Meanwhile I have tried C fingering on the bass A - it works reasonably well, XXXXDO seems very easy with such big holes. I have not yet made my mind up which whistle to choose for this - my low Ds are better quality than the bass A .
Of course, now I am earning a little I could treat myself to some more tube to make a bass G whistle body… (but don’t tell feadoggie I said that).
I played with that and like it. Does it fit in harmonically with whatever else is likely to be played at this point? If so then it certainly adds a variation to use at least once, and with a long D, a folded up B I have all the occurrences covered.
Depends. If you’re playing with another
melody player who will be playing the B,
then sure.
If you’re playing with some chording
accompaniment, then might depend on
what chord that person is using in that
measure. Let’s say it fits with the chord
that I would expect in that measure.
Actually, I slammed some chords in there
to check, and this would probably be better
with the chords I would expect (just change
the E to an F at the beginning of the run):
X:2
T:Bruach Na Carraige Baine
M:3/4
L:1/8
R:waltz
K:G
GA |:"G"B4AB|"Bm"Gd-d2dB|"Am"A3B/2A/2GE|"G"DB-B2BA|
"Em"G4AE|"Bm"D2FGFD|"Em"E4-ED|1E4 GA:|2 E4 DE||
"G"G3A/2G/2EF|"Em"GA-A3B|"Bm"de-e2ed|B4BA|
"Em"G3A/2G/2EF|"Am"GA-A3B|"Em"e6|"Bm"d4dB|
"Am"c4c2|"Bm"Bd-d2dB|"C"A3B/2A/2GE|"D"DB-B2BA|
"G"G4AE|"D"DB,-B,3D|"Em"E6|E4||
Most kind of you Fearfaoin. I appreciate that you took the time to do that. I am not well enough versed in music to work things out for myself.
Primarily I want to play along with a fiddler, but who knows who else will join in and what they will play . Hopefully I will be sat next to said fiddler, and the accordion will be way over the other side…
I like to decorated “little run” mentioned, but if you want to keep the rhythms you can substitute an F# for the B and that will fit with the two likely chords for that measure.
.