Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 1644 (Rambling Pitchfork)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Double jig32AABBD Major
Transcription of first 2 bars of Rambling Pitchfork
 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 MBP (details in the Discography below).

Where do you get the tune titles?
Titles given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Rambling Pitchfork, The / Rambling Pitchfork / The Fisherman's Widow / Roland's Return / The Friendly Neighbour / Baxter's Big (for 2nd figure of Taille Mhara Jig Set on MISD 7; 1st in set The Ravine on KCB 6) (also in D Minor) (as single jig: Lambert's Jig)
What do the "track#tune" codes mean?

cd 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. They are listed in order of when they were recorded.

Year
Recorded		 Track
#Tune		 [Album code] Artist. Title. Primary musicians (instruments). Album details
and contents
19212.9#2[MC] Michael Coleman. Michael Coleman 1891-1945. Michael Coleman (fiddle).View album details
1926#1[WW 1] various. The Wheels of the World. Early Irish-American Music. Classic Recordings from the 1920s and 1930s. Vol. 1. View album details
193119#2[IDM 1] various. Irish Dance Music. View album details
~1947A.2#2[JDrn] Johnny Doran. The Bunch of Keys. Johnny Doran (pipes).View album details
197121(1:57)#3[TPtts] Tommy Potts. The Liffey Banks. Tommy Potts (fiddle).View album details
~19758#2[PK 1] Paddy Keenan. Paddy Keenan. Paddy Keenan (pipes, whistle, low whistle).View album details
19774#2[MBP] Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples. Matt Molloy. Paul Brady. Tommy Peoples. Matt Molloy (flute), Paul Brady (guitar, vocals), Tommy Peoples (fiddle).View album details
~19789#2[Dbl] Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan. Doublin'. Paddy Glackin (fiddle, viola), Paddy Keenan (pipes).View album details
~199611#2[JK 3] James Kelly. Traditional Irish Music. James Kelly (fiddle).View album details
~1996B.2#3[MISD 7] Donncha Lynch Trio. The Magic of Irish Set Dancing. Vol. 7. Donncha Lynch (accordion), Aogán Lynch (concertina), Donncha Lynch Jr. (guitar).View album details
200213#3[DLB] Donncha Lynch Band. Timmy 'the Brit' McCarthy's Set Dances of Cork and Kerry. Donncha Lynch (accordion), Aogan Lynch (concertina), Ronan Lynch (fiddle), Donncha Lynch, Jr. (guitar).View album details
~200210#1[KCB 6] The Kilfenora Céilí Band. Live in Lisdoonvarna. Anne Rynne (fiddle), Conor McCarthy (accordion), Garry Shannon (flute), Tim Collins (concertina), Sheila Garry (fiddle), Fintan McMahon (piano), Anne Marie McCormack (fiddle), John Lynch (banjo), Sean Griffin (drums), Anthony Quigney (flute).View album details
20037#1[CSmth] Chris Smith with Roger Landes and Randal Bays. Coyotebanjo. Chris Smith (banjo, mandola, mandolin, field organ), Roger Landes (bouzouki), Randal Bays (fiddle).View album details
~20046#2[OMcD] Oisín Mac Diarmada. Ar an bhFidil. Oisín Mac Diarmada (fiddle, whistle).View album details
~200511#1[InTndm] Kevin Burke and Ged Foley. In Tandem. Kevin Burke (fiddle), Ged Foley (guitar, vocals).View album details
~20086#4[TDeM] Tony DeMarco. The Sligo Indians. Tony DeMarco (fiddle).View album details

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 #931 in [1850] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. [available]
As tune #163 in [1001] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. The Dance Music of Ireland. 1001 Gems. [available]
As tune #92 in volume 1 of [R] Francis Roche. The Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music. 3 vols. [available]
As tune #22 in [A] Hugh McDermott. Allan's "Irish Fiddler." [available]
On page 43 of [Krsn] Miles Krassen. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. New and Revised. [available]
As jig #7 in [MM] Martin Mulvihill. First Collection of Traditional Irish Music.
On page 56 of [Cr] Matt Cranitch. The Irish Fiddle Book. [available]
In [L] Alan's private loose music.
As tune #45 in [DM 2] Dave Mallinson. 100 Enduring Irish Session Tunes. [available]
On page 106 of [M] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. 3rd Edition.
In [FMH] Tom Hastings. The Feis Musicians Handbook [sic].
As jig #25 in [Ng] Alan Ng. Alan Ng's Transcriptions. [available]
On page 176 of [M2] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. Millennium Edition.
As jig #108 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. [available]
In [LM] L[arry]. E. McCullough. ? [available]

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): 1903
Please cite your source when you use information from this document.
© 2000–2008 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
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