On the sessions, there are 2 different versions of this tune. One is in Adorian, and one is in Gmajor. Which is the more commonly played version? Thanks, here is a link to both of them:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1807 Gmajor
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7228 Adorian
Of those two the first is a bit of an odd one. There are two different versions widely played, the second one and another one that Seamus Ennis had. Different enough to have them both I think. The first one is more the Johnny Doran approach, I think it originated with Martin Rochford, he played it anyway and likely got it off Doran. People like Mary Bergin, Paddy Keenan (and myself for that matter although I have always played the Ennis version more) got it off Martin and so it spread.
The tune is in A dorian, even though the key signature might look like G major to folks who just think in Ionian and Aeolian modes (commonly known as major and minor scales). But this tune isn’t a mere major or minor tune. See, it’s not really about scales, per se … it’s about intervals between notes. In this case, the tune is centered around A but uses one sharp, an F, which means it has a raised 6th interval – making it an A minor with a raised sixth, aka an A dorian. In other words, if you were to start on A and play an A minor scale while raising the F to F sharp, bango, there’s your dorian “scale” and the “scale” this tune is written in.
But since you have only one sharp, it “looks” like G! However, if someone was to play G chords against it the result would most likely be not the desired one. Even A minor wouldn’t be quite right …
Wikipedia has a pretty elegant explanation (much more than mine) here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_mode
Anyway, if you look at both versions, they both are centered around the same notes (both basically start EAAG A), so fear not, you’d be OK with either.
HOWEVER, the first setting is much closer to what we play around here; we got ours from an old tape of Paddy O’Brien (Nenagh), who plays it in a set between The Girl Who Broke My Heart and Captain Kelly.
That second setting is a wild-looking beast!
Thanks for the advice Peter and Cathy, I found it very helpful and useful. You wouldn’t happen to know the link where I can get the Ennis version, do you Peter? Thanks.
The Ennis book or his recordings? I think the version in O’Neill’s is pretty close.
Just a link with that certain version with it if there is one.
I put up a clip with both versions here, sort of.
That should do it.
Great!! 
Thank you very much Peter!
Thanks so much, Peter! So nice.
For what it’s worth, I got the tune from Jack Coen, and his setting’s closest to the first one you’ve got there…
I was given 2 settings for this and tell you the truth I haven’t played the 2nd one in a long time, need to review it. Here in abcs - (note this is not a transcr. of Peter’s! its just what I have here at home.)
X:463
T:Rainy Day, the
S:Mike Rafferty
B:O’Neill DMI no. 473
M:C|
Z:Lesl
K:Ador
AG|:EAAG ~A3B|c2dB cBAc|BGGF ~G3z|(3Bcd ef gdBG|
EAAG ~A3B|cz AB cdef|g2af gedB|1 GBdB BAAG:|2 GBdB BAA2||
|:eaag eaag|edef gbag|egfa ~g3a|bz af gedz|
eaag eaag|edef gz af|gedB GABd|gedB BAA2:||
“2nd setting:”
|:eAAG A2z A|(3Bcd ed gedc|BGGF G2DG|~G2[Dd]B eBdA|
EAAG A2z A|c2AB cdef|g2af gedB|1 GBdB BAAG:|2 GBdB BAA2||
|:eaag eaag|edef gbag|egfa ~g3a|bz af gedz|
eaag eaag|edef gz af|gedB GABd|gedB BAA2:||
Thanks for that Lesl.
Just remembered that my all-time favorite YouTube clip is a version of the Rainy Day, played by Tim Collins. (Poor video quality, good sound.)
I really liked that. Tim is such a cool and nice guy, I was fortunate to be able to hang out with him for a night in Ennis.