Various sources give various melodies for Star of the County Down. Which one is more common or does it depend on the setting?
It always depends. But I think you should play it as you like it the most (unless it´s the most hated version by people around, of course 
).
You can check my soundclick site - under Star of the County down I did two of the more common versions I think.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=745454
it is a beautiful song when played slow, and sounds like a nice slow air, but i really like to play it fast too, it is real fun when you play it fast also. the actual song is usually played at a faster tempo, at least all the ones that i have heard. but when there is no words it is usually played slow. i have always learned to start it on the key of G as the first note. i start on the lower octave, then go to a higher octave throughout the song. i hope that helps.
I’ve always liked Bela Fleck’s take on it (off the inspired album “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo”). Not at all trad, though, as you might guess.
Other than that, I’ve always thought it’s more fun as a song than a as a tune. I usually do it at quick reel tempo, though I’ve heard it as a waltz and that’s nice too.
Tom
Neat as a waltz, too.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E5K92mCfv1w
That’s the chieftains w/ Van Morrison, and it’s the melody i’ve heard most often.
ooh, and this is a band from Serbia, the Orthodox Celts, doing a pretty good job. Tolerable whistling. Nice bass-baritone vocal. Same tune wiki page.
So far, all the youtube versions use the same melody.
s1m0n,
I agree and think the Orthodox Celts did a good job. Thanks for the link, I enjoyed it very much and will look for more of their work.
That Orthodox Celt clip is truly one of the more enjoyable music videos I’ve seen for a long time. I don’t think I’d care for their CD’s, but the video was entertaining. I like the lead singer’s antics, the cute fiddle player, mighty fine bodhran playing, the rather surreal Irish music with eastern european accents…Good fun.
“That’s a gem of the Ireland’s crown…”
Tom
At about 1.20 or so (the instrumental break) there’s a few seconds of what might be a balkan instrument that’s been fascinating me–it’s a five string tenor guitar-like instrument–three single courses and one (the highest) double. Dunno the official tuning, but I suspect it would work in fifths like a tenor guitar
It seems to me that this would work well as yet another variation in the four course family of cboms, mandoids, tenor banjo/guitar, etc.
Maybe I used the term various tunes when I should have said different timing (waltz, reel) and assorted third lines and different choruses instead. I had watched several whistle players on YouTube play this song and some were different (pick-up notes, octave of third or fith line, etc.). Then I looked at the melody lines of some print-outs I had and discovered different time signatures (waltz, reel). For a comparison of pick-up notes, key position, whatever…compare (on YouTube) Tau playing in what appears to be b-minor position with Ryan Duns e-minor (?) rendition. For written music compare Wandering Whistler with http://sniff.numachi.com with The Session. Those differences led me to believe that there might be even more.
Anyway, a special thanks to Pyroh for his uncommonly well played two common versions. And also, thanks to WyoBadger’s think outside the box suggestion of Bela Fleck’s take of it on “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo”.
I was playing with a friend of mine in Philadelphia in his row home. He knew Star as a waltz and I knew it as a fast song. We played it first as the waltz and then right into the song and it seemed to work fine. When we were done the phone rang. It was his next door neighbor, an old woman from Ireland, who just wanted to know if that was The Star of the County Down we had just played. It was a pretty funny moment. She checked in with us from time to time.
The Irish version is in 4/4 time, the Old Time version is a waltz.
Hi
I noticed the cute fiddle player too… She’d be welcome to come and play with me any time. Oh, to have a cute fiddle player to call my own… 
And the key of the two YouTube clips were just perfect for playing along on the low A whistle I built today. I’m still tweaking it, but I have to say a Low A is a mighty fine key for a whistle to be in! None of the problems of a low D (finger stretch and big air requirement) and still a nice reedy low whistle sound. This one is made from an aluminium bathroom curtain rail.
Everyone should have a Low A
Regards,
Owen Morgan
Yacht Magic
Anchored in the lagoon, St Maarten
My new blog.
Click here for my latest reported position. (Use the satellite view.)
Have to agree on the clips…wow. I like them. Something different.
While competing in a fiddle competition yesterday, I heard another contestant play this tune as an air, and then as a jig. It sounds great in 6/8 time. Try it, you’ll like it.
I’ve seen the bass player from the Violent Femmes play this as a jig on the low whistle at a concert in Limerick a few years ago - one of the best versions of it i’ve ever heard
It’s a very flexible tune, and one that a lot of people play in different ways. I’ve heard it as a slow air, a waltz, a reel, and a jig, in several different keys. It’s just one of those simple tunes that everybody learns early on, and spends time playing around with.
Play it the way the people you are playing with play it.
Only play it the way you like the most if you’re playing alone, or everyone is looking to you for answers about how it “should” be played.
My 2c.