Tune Req: The Silver Hand

Subject: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 24 Feb 16 - 09:10 AM

Does anyone know where I can find the sheet music, or ABC, for The Silver Hand as performed by Liz Knowles on her Making Time album?

Is this a traditional tune?

Many thanks,
Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 24 Feb 16 - 11:15 AM

I don't know anything about the tune, but you can read about the original Silver Hand here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_of_the_Silver_Hand

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 24 Feb 16 - 12:07 PM

Thanks for the link, Leeneia. Not sure if it has anything to do with the tune but no less interesting for that.

Only reference to the song I can find online is here:

https://www.irishtune.info/tune/5519/

and the earliest date cited is 2010, the year Liz Knowles' album was released.

Does anyone have a link to the composer: John Brennan?

All the best
Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: cnd
Date: 24 Feb 16 - 03:20 PM

This one's called The Silver Vale. I don't know if it's the same thing. https://thesession.org/tunes/644

Here's a link to the Liz Knowles version, but no transcription: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS7cI5ZK_m8

Also, John Brennan seems to be a separate folks song also called "Silver Spire," "The Great Eastern Reel," "John Brennan's (Reel)," and the ever-popular "Untitled" or Gan Ainm.

http://slowplayers.org/2014/05/05/john-brennans-d/

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 25 Feb 16 - 11:57 AM

I've found an image of Liz Knowles' CD, both front and back, and she doesn't give composer's names or say "Trad." on the song titles. She claims a copyright at the bottom of the back, but that could just apply to the arrangements, not the tunes.

So I'm going to assume the song is traditional and public domain. I'm trying to notate it, but it's hard, children, hard.

But, Harry, don't get discouraged. Check back tomorrow and the next day, and perhaps I will have made a MIDI of it. Then, if possible, I can PM you a jpg of the MIDI. Right now i have to go somewhere, but as I say, check back.

But wait - do you happen to have MIDI software?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 25 Feb 16 - 01:27 PM

Hi Leeneia,

Thank you!!!

Yes, I have MIDI software.

https://www.irishtune.info/tune/5519/ says it's by John Brennan but I have no idea where s/he got that from.

All the best
Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 04:48 AM

Ellen Cranitch, on her RTE Radio programme, "Grace Notes" broadcast on 12 Sep 2013, also says that The Silver Hand was composed by John Brennan. The show can be listened to here, Silver Hand is about 39mins in:

http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/grace-notes/programmes/2013/0912/473921-grace-notes-thursday-12-september-2013/

The complete show is well worth a listen.

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 10:51 AM

I've done all I can about making a MIDI. The song goes so fast, and for some reason I can't make the notes stick in my memory very long.

However, it's enough to get a good start. I'll send the MIDI to Joe and he will post it here.

Thanks for the link, Harry, but as an American, I usually find that I can't stream British Isles programs. Either that or they mess with my existing music settings. (grrr!)

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 11:00 AM

I've sent the tune to Joe.

Thanks for bringing up 'The Silver Hand.' It's a good tune, interesting because it's so low and mellow. for me, it evokes a sense of a far-off, little-known time, and that's what the book 'Otto of the Silver Hand' was meant to do.

The highest note is a D, and I admit I'm tired of traditional dance tunes that go squealing up to B.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 11:11 AM

Excellent, Leeneia, I can't wait!

I'm sure your MIDI will give me a headstart - I'm incredibly slow at transcribing by ear.

Shame you can't stream Grace Notes. The website has 100+ shows archived, going back to 2014. I'm slowly ploughing my way through them and it's throwing up some little gems that are completely new to me.

Once again, thank you.

Isn't this site wonderful????

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 09:33 AM

I see that I cannot attach the file to a PM and send it to you, Harry. We'll just have to be patient and wait for Joe to post the MIDI. He's very good about it, and I'm sure will send it when he can.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Stewart
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 02:35 PM

Not having anything better to do, and accepting a challenge
I've transcribed it
here is the midi
the abc
X:1
T:The Silver Hand
Z:John Brennan
L:1/8
Q:1/4=130
M:6/8
I:linebreak $
K:G
EE/D/E EDE | EGG GFE | FF/E/F FED | FGF FED | EE/D/E EDE | EGG GFE | FF/E/F FED | FED E3 ::
EE/D/E BEE | Bdd BAG | ABA AGF | ABA AGF | EE/D/E BEB | Bcc BAG | ABA AGF | GFE FED :|

and the score (pdf

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: gillymor
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 11:16 PM

Thanks for that, Stewart.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 11:49 PM

Yes, thanks. Perhaps you caught subtleties I missed.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 29 Feb 16 - 03:28 AM

Thank you, Stewart.

And, thank you, Leeneia.

Your help is most appreciated.

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 02:12 AM

Link to leeneia's MIDI posted here and in her message, above.

---

Click to play

---

I can't test it on my Chromebook. Does it work?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 03:40 AM

Thanks Joe, it works perfectly.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 10:30 AM

that's funny. It plays when I open Mudcat with good old Internet Explorer, but it doesn't play when I use Google Chrome. And yet Joe is using a Chromebook.

Well, now I know.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: leeneia
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 10:45 AM

I listened to my MIDI above. I think I didn't put in the repeats. The tune can't be that short. It's the usual - play the first 8 measures, then repeat. Play the second 8 measures and repeat. Then do it all again, with variations and new ornaments until it's time to stop.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Stewart
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 11:37 PM

the midi that Joe posted has only the B part, it doesn't include the A part. Nor does it include the "rolls" (ornamentation). Also each time Liz plays a repeat she varies the tune slightly - I just transcribed the tune as the first time she played each part.

Here's how I went about transcribing the tune

I played an audio recording of the tune from here - Liz Knowles' Page"

I used the "Video Download Helper" app from Firefox browser to download the mp3 file

I played the mp3 file in Windows Media Player, pull down the "play" menu, select "play speed" and "slow". This will slow the speed down and makes it easier to transcribe.

I listened to each phrase several times to get it in my head. Then I used "Noteworthy Composer" program to write down the score. I did this several times until I could confirm each note.

Noteworthy Composer will convert the nwc file to a midi. To get the abc file is a little complicated - I just recently figured this out.

Easy ABC will import a nwc file - but only an earlier version - so if you have the latest version of Noteworthy Composer, you will have to save - "Export..." - the file as a nwc 1.75 file and then Easy ABC will produce the abc file from that.

Most of the time I don't need to slow down tunes in order to transcribe, but this tune was a little too fast for me to get accurately. The conversion of the nwc file to an abc file is something I've struggled with for some time - there used to be a program that worked with Windows XP to do this, but it no longer works with later versions of Windows, and it's no longer available.

This is just my little tutorial on how to transcribe tunes by listening to them. At least it's what I do. Back in the pre-computer dark ages, people who were really good at this would listen and jot down numbers for the notes (do re me... or 1 2 3...) on the fly. Sometimes I can do this with a simple tune, but it takes a lot of practice. Then you assign the note values and bar marks, etc.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 02:57 AM

Thanks for this Stewart.

I suspect that the original jig, if and when I can find it, will be a much simpler beast than the one Liz Knowles plays if her rendition of Factory Smoke is anything to go by - the paper version I have doesn't have all those triplets, for one thing.

All the best,
Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 12:46 PM

You're right, Stewart. I got mixed up and sent Joe only a preliminary form. Well, heck.

Joe is on vacation, as you can see from his 'wildflower' thread. We'll let the public go with your version.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 13 Apr 16 - 02:37 AM

I've had a message from Liz Knowles telling me that this was written by John Brennan, a fiddler from Philadelphia.

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 18 Jan 17 - 08:53 AM

I have found John Brennan's original tune and here it is in ABC:

X:1
T:The Silver Hand
C: John Brennan
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
E2>E2DB, | G2>G2FE | F2>F2ED | FAF FED | E2>E2DB, |
G2>G2FE | F2>F2ED | FED E2D :||: E2>B2EE |
dEE BAG | ABA AGF | ABA AGF | E2>B2EE |
cEE BAG | ABA AGF | GFE FED :|



I'm a bit of a novice with ABC so hope this works!

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 09:05 PM

Hi Eveyone, i did not realize there was some interest in my tune, The Silver Hand". I met Liz Knowles way back in the late 1980's in Philly and Nova scotia and i played it for her way back then. She loved it for some reason and has made it her tune and it is so wonderful to listen to and relax your mind. Hope this clears that up, best,jjb

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Silver Hand
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 29 Dec 17 - 02:36 AM

Hi John,

Thanks for dropping by.

I love this tune and play it regularly (strictly amateur!) and it has given me much pleasure.

Thank you
Harry