Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: Artful Codger
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 01:14 PM

As I hear it, it's indeed 18/8: 6 beats per measure with a triplet per beat. The six beats are grouped in pairs (stronger/weaker), as if forming a slow waltz with the stronger beats.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 10:46 AM

Jack, the sample wouldn't play.

It certainly won't hurt RTim to listen to a few pieces online and see if they are basically the same tune. It also wouldn't hurt to see some noted websites that supply musical notation.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: Paul Burke
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 12:58 PM

That's a very ordinary version of the tune, just skipping notes here and there. But lacking the rather pointless third part.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 11:37 AM

This is not just a matter of different ornaments - it's a recomposition in a very different metre. Listen to the sample.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 11:34 AM

What I meant was, it's not worth it struggling to WRITE DOWN all the ornaments somebody used. If a player wants to listen and imitate, it's far easier.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 11:33 AM

Sounds like alternate bars of 12/8 and 6/8. Odd, but I don't think it would be hard to work out, given a bit more.

The Romanian "Papuselele" dance has a somewhat similar rhythm (ABC in the Nine Note Tune Book on my website).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 11:26 AM

This is a well-known tune, Tim. The site 'JC's Tune Finder' says it has it 104 times.

You asked for Grey Larsen's version. In my experience, a person can spend hours trying to figure out the particular ornaments that a certain person did to a tune. It's not worth it.

You can find sheet music at TheSession.org

Enter the name in the search box, then click on the first entry in the results. That will bring up some new tabs, including one called Sheet Music. Click that tab, and behold, there it is.

Let us know if that works for you.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: RTim
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 10:15 AM

It is only a brief demo:

http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Road-Dublin-Drops-Brandy/dp/B001275L0Y

My wife's longsword team is thinking of using the tune for a dance.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 09:51 AM

It's usually in 9/8 - I've never seen anything from Western Europe notated in 18/8.

Got a link to where we can hear that version for free?

There are lots of scores for the usual 9/8 version on the web.

Subject: Tune Req: The Rocky Road to Dublin
From: RTim
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 09:40 AM

Can anyone provide the Musical Notation for the County Galway melodeon player Michael J. Kennedy's version of "The Rocky Road to Dublin"?
It is as played by Grey Larson on his CD with Andre Marchand called Les Marionettes?
It is a slip jig in the unusual 18/8 time.

Thank - Tim Radford