Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID#1583 (Pinch of Snuff)
| Rhythm ? | Bars | 8-bar phrase structure | Mode ? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reel | 48 | ABCDEF | D Major |
about these two bars
These two bars are the start of my transcription of how this tune was played – the first time through – on the recording KB Cap (details in the Discography below).
Titles given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Pinch of Snuff, The / The Humours of Swanlinbar / The Wise Maid (popular and simplified version of #1290. The difference is defined here as this version's focus on key changes between otherwise repetitive parts)
Discography
Here are all recordings of this tune considering only the indexed recordings. I have discovered by careful listening that these sources are in fact musically the same tune, regardless of the tune titles they use, key changes, retuning, etc.
| Year Recorded |
Track #Tune? |
[Album code] Artist. Title. Primary musicians (instruments). |
|---|---|---|
| ~1978 | 8(2:55)#3 | [KB Cap] Kevin Burke. If the Cap Fits. Kevin Burke (fiddle). |
| ~1997 | 16#1 | [CBt] various. Celtic Beat. Traditional Music from Ireland. Neil Martin (pipes, whistle), Davy Maguire (flute, whistle), Brian McAteer (fiddle), Breandan O'Hare (flute, whistle), Jason O'Rourke (concertina), John McSherry (pipes), Ray Gallen (bodhrán). |
| 2000 | 16#2 | [ACB 1] The Abbey Céilí Band. Bruach an tSuláin. Ger Murphy (accordion), Andrew O'Connell (fiddle), Liam Forde (banjo), Micheál Creedon (bass, keyboards). |
Bibliography
Here are all transcriptions of this tune under any title whatsoever – considering only the indexed books – listed in chronological order. I have discovered by careful comparison that these are very similar to this tune as played on the recordings listed above.
| As tune #37 in [DM 1] Dave Mallinson. 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes. |
| On page 85 of [M2] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. Millennium Edition. |
| As reel #112 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. |
| As tune #230 in [FT] Randy Miller. The Fiddler's Throne. |
If you are considering using the above transcriptions to help you learn this tune, I invite you to check these practical Tips for Learning Irish Traditional Music. See also: So why do you bother indexing books and abc?
Year of the oldest source for this tune, considering the recordings and transcriptions listed above (note that I concentrate on sources after 1900): 1978