The Blackbird

hornpipe

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on September 19th 2003 by gian marco.

This tune has been added to 63 tunebooks.

Also known as The Black Bird, Jackie Daly's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Flick Of The Wrist by Brendan Larrissey
• A Highland Fiddler by Duncan Chisholm, Iain MacFarlane And Bruce MacGregor
• A Touch Of Clare by Kitty Hayes
• A Treasury Of Irish Music 2 by Various Artists
• A Tribute To Andy McGann by Joe Burke, Brian Conway And Felix Dolan
• A Tribute To Michael Coleman by Joe Burke, Andy McGann And Felix Dolan
• An Feochan by Philippe Barnes
• An Tobar Gl�é by Neil Mulligan
• Angelina Carberry And Martin Quinn by Angelina Carberry And Martin Quinn
• At The Feis by John Doonan
• Baker's Well by Baker's Well
• Bandalised by Vin Garbutt
• Between The Showers by Grainne Hambly
• Boxed by Anders Trabjerg
• Call The Tune: Music For The Sets Volume 4 by Various Artists
• Camp House Ballads by Jimmy Crowley
• Celtic Ceili by Various Artists
• Celtic Harp Airs And Dance Tunes by Robin Williamson
• Ceol Cill Na Martra by Connie O'Connell
• Ceolbeg by Ceolbeg
• Claddagh's Choice: An Anthology Of Irish Traditional Music by Various Artists
• Classic Recordings Of The Irish Fiddle Legend by Paddy Reynolds
• Come West Along The Road by Brian O'Connor
• Dance Music Of Ireland by Jerry O'Brien, Joe Derrane And The Irish All Stars
• Dark Of The Moon by Grey Larsen And Paddy League
• De Danann by De Danann
• Dead String Rhythm by Flynn Cohen
• Deborah Quigley With Martin Gould by Deborah Quigley
• Dig With It by Randal Bays, Dave Marshall And Willie Bays
• Drimalost And Beyond CD1 by Danny Meehan
• Drioball Na Fáinleoige by Johnny Connolly
• Dublin Banjos by Sully And John Keenan
• Eavesdropper by Kevin Burke And Jackie Daly
• Far Green Country by John Sherman
• Fermanagh Ceili by Pride Of Erin Ceili Band
• Fiddle And Concertina Player by John Kelly
• Folktrax 154 - The Sligo Fiddler: Michael Coleman by Michael Coleman
• Folktrax-074 Johnny Doherty - The Pedlar's Pack by John Doherty
• Folktrax-170: Neil Boyle, Fairy Fiddler Of Donegal by Neil Boyle
• Fonnsheen by Fiona Davidson
• From Celtic Roots by Polkemmet Grorud Pipe Band
• Give It Shtick by Matt Cranitch
• Golden, Golden by Silly Wizard
• Grove Lane by Joe Derrane
• I Have Waited For Many A Night And Day by Celtic Tradition
• In Safe Hands by Various Artists
• In The Smoke by Various Artists
• Irish Accordion Masters by Joe Derrane And Jerry O'Brien
• Irish Button Accordion by Billy Moran
• Irish Trad Concertina From Beara by Sean O'Dwyer
• Irish Violin by Jackie Roche
• Keeping It Reel by Ian Walsh And Kevin Buckley
• Kevin Burke In Concert by Kevin Burke
• Lasses That Baffle Us by Angus Nicolson Trio
• Leo Rowsome: Classics Of Irish Piping by Leo Rowsome
• Like Magic by Todd Denman And Bill Dennehy
• Live At Lena's by The Lahawns
• Live In The Highlands by Maire Ni Chathasaigh And Chris Newman
• Lovers' Well by Matt And Shannon Heaton
• Masters Of Irish Music by Martin Byrnes
• Masters Of Tradition by Various Artists
• McGlynn's Fancy by Arty McGlynn
• Melodeon by John Gannon
• Memories Of Clare by Bobby Gardiner
• Mo Chairdin by Paul Brock
• Na Fili 3 by Na Fili
• Newtown Bridge by Eileen O'Brien
• Noonday Feast by Joe Shannon And Johnny McGreevy
• Out Of The Wind Into The Sun by The Bothy Band
• Over The Edge by Moher
• Paddy Keenan by Paddy Keenan
• Patrick Kelly From Cree : Fiddle Music by Patrick Kelly
• Pedlar's Pack by John Doherty
• Rags, Reels And Airs by Dave Swarbrick
• Return To Droim by Colm Gannon
• Rock And More Roses by Pat Kilbride
• Short Stories by Grainne Murphy
• Sligo Ceili by Seamus Tansey
• Step Into The Beat: Modern Irish Dance Music by Ellery Klein And Ryan Lacey
• Step This Way by David Lindquist
• Stormy Weather by Beginish
• Swingin' From The Lightbulbs by Josh O Loughlin And Mairtin Quigley
• The Best Of by The Bothy Band
• The Bucks Of Oranmore by Joe Burke
• The Bunch Of Keys: The Complete Recordings Of Johnny Doran by Johnny Doran
• The Celtic Harp by The Chieftains
• The Clare Shout by Bobby Gardiner
• The Classic Recordings Of Michael Coleman by Michael Coleman
• The Coolin': Classic Slow Airs And Laments by Various Artists
• The Dear Little Isle by Inishbofin Ceili Band
• The Donegal Fiddler by Danny O'Donnell
• The Enduring Magic by Michael Coleman
• The Flute Players Of Roscommon Vol 2 by Various Artists
• The Gentlemen Pipers by Various Artists
• The Hidden Note by Jacqueline McCarthy
• The Horse's Tail by Zoe Conway
• The Irish Fiddler by Sean Maguire
• The Lark In The Clear Air by Various Artists
• The Liffey Banks by Tommy Potts
• The Long Hard Road by Tom McElvogue And Paddy Kerr
• The Man From Clare by Micho Russell
• The Master Pipers Volume 1 by Johnny Doran
• The Michael Sexton Ceili Band by The Michael Sexton Ceili Band
• The Music Of Kevin Keegan by Kevin Keegan
• The New Road by Charlie Piggot And Gerry Harrington
• The Red Wellies by The Red Wellies
• The Road To Glenlough by James Byrne
• The Sligo Champion (CD 2) by Michael Gorman
• The Sligo Indians by Tony DeMarco
• The Star Above The Garter by Denis Murphy And Julia Clifford
• The Starry Lane To Monaghan by Fintan Vallely
• The Thorn Tree by Grainne Hambly
• The Wandering Minstrel by Seamus Ennis
• To Hell With The Begrudgers by Seamus Tansey And Jim McKillop
• Traditional Fiddle Music From Donegal by Frank Cassidy
• Traditional Irish Music From County Clare by Micho Russell
• Traditional Irish Sessions by Various Artists
• Traditional Irish Tunes Played On The Tin Whistle (2/2) by Geraldine Cotter
• Traditional Music Of Ireland And The Bucks Of Oranmore by Joe Burke And Charlie Lennon
• Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 1 by Sean Ryan And PJ Moloney
• Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 2 by Sean Ryan And Peter Carberry
• Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh
• Turning The Tune by Charlie Lennon
• Unison by Jack Brennan
• Up And Away by Paul Smyth
• Virtuoso Of The Irish Accordion by John Kimmel
• Where I Am by Brendan Callahan
• Witt's End by Hell On The Nine Mile
• Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 2, Disc 2 by Various Artists
• Yeh, That's All It Is by John Carty

X: 1
T: Blackbird, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Ador
|:AB|c3B AGAd|edeB G2 E2|G2ge dBAB|G2E2 E2:|
|:(3BcB|efga b2ag|agab (3gag e2|efga b2ag|(3fgf e2 e2ga|
babg a^gae|d^cdB gabz|(3BcB AG AcBA|G2E2 E2:|

Source: Kevin Burke : "In Concert"
Transcription : g.m.p.
Notes: Play it slow and enjoy it!


The Norbeck version:
T:Blackbird, The
R:hornpipe
Z:id:hn-hornpipe-50
M:C|
K:Ador
AB|cBcB AGAe|edec G2 (3DEF|G2ge dBAB|G2E2 E2:|
|:zB|efga b2ag|agab g2ed|efga b2ag|f2e2 efga|
b2bg a2ae|d^cdB gab2|B2AG AcBA|G2E2 E2:|

# Posted on September 19th 2003 by gian marco

I love this tune.

# Posted on September 19th 2003 by gian marco

BTW, this is NOT, in case you're here looking for the traditional set dance for an Irish stepdancer, the correct version of Blackbird for that dance.

# Posted on September 20th 2003 by Zina Lee

Great tune, you can also play the 'd' notes in the first line sharp. I also first this tune played by Kevin Burke, but on his album with Jackie Daly, 'Eavesdropper.'

# Posted on September 4th 2005 by smw

Arty McGlynn does a very striking version of this on his first recording "McGlynn's Fancy", which we recently found on CD. I think this might be 1980 or thereabouts and he learnt it off Jackie Daly. Lovely stuff.

# Posted on February 22nd 2009 by the wounded hussar

This tune is notated in O'Neill's "Irish Minstrels and Musicians;" according to whom it was taken from an earlier source, Paul Alday's "A Pocket Volume of Airs, Duets, Songs, Marches, etc., vol. 1," published in Dublin sometime around 1800-1803. The setting differs just slightly from the way Jackie Daly and Kevin Burke play it.

O'Neill's book is out of copyright and one can download it from Google books!

# Posted on October 19th 2010 by patrick cavanagh

This tune is totally different from "The Blackbird" http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1104 and not so often heard or recorded. I suspect most of the artists listed in the detail section here recorded the commoner '/1104 ' hornpipe/set dance tune.

# Posted on November 23rd 2010 by birlibirdie

The Structure

The Blackbird had 7 1/2 measures in the first part & 15 in the second. An interesting recording of this is by John Kimmel where he makes the first part have 8 measures by holding the last note of the 1/2 measure

# Posted on April 22nd 2011 by thestonecrusher