{"id":1950,"date":"2019-03-31T11:05:58","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T17:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplymandolin.com\/?p=1950"},"modified":"2023-01-28T10:41:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T16:41:34","slug":"boys-of-blue-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplymandolin.com\/flekd\/boys-of-blue-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"Boys of Blue Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Young boy with fiddle.<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“The Boys of Blue Hill”<\/strong> is an old Irish hornpipe. I like playing hornpipes, but I’ve always found the form a little difficult to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some are written with an even tempo and sound like a slow reel, others are written with dotted notes throughout, and are played with a bit of a ‘lilt’<\/strong>. Hornpipes are sometimes in 4\/4 time, and sometimes in 2\/4 time (as well as other time signatures). If you look at the music notation, it’s not unusual to find the same tune written in different time signatures.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I first learned this particular tune from the “Foin Seisiun 1”<\/strong> album. I’ve learned a huge number of jigs, reels and hornpipes off those albums. But, “The Boys of Blue Hill” was played with an uneven tempo, and it seemed to be in 4\/4 time. I felt this was confirmed when I later found it in The Fiddler’s Fake Book<\/strong> (in 4\/4 time). However, its in O’neil’s Music of Ireland<\/strong> with a 2\/4 time sig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I guess it just depends on the day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newsletter<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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As a result, the style seems to be very open to interpretation and variation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For myself, I find the best thing to do is listen to multiple versions <\/strong>of any tune. Then, if I hear something in particular that catches my ear (a certain passage or musical phrase), I may incorporate that into my version – or into a different tune.<\/strong> Also, I find the ‘feel of a tune’, or at least the way I play it, can change with my mood on any given day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, after having said all that, sometimes you just go with whats already there…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Tune<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The following version of “The Boys of Blue Hill” is based on the arrangement in O’neil’s Music of Ireland<\/strong>. As a matter of fact, its pretty much lifted right off of page 316 (with a few minor changes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its in the key of D major, set to a 2\/4 time signature.  The A-part is played twice, then the B-part is played twice before repeating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to “Boys of Blue Hill” for mandolin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n