The Rambling Pitchfork

jig

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 635 tunebooks.

Also known as An Píce Ar Fán, Baxter's, Clar-claigean An Moncaí, Clár-Cloigeann An Moncaí, The Monkey's Forehead, Ramblin' Pitchfork, Rambling Pitchfork, Roland's U-Turn, Rollicking Dandy, The Rollicking Dandy.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

1891-1945 Disc 2 by Michael Coleman
A Dance Visit To Ireland by McCusker Brothers Ceilidhe Band
An Ghaoth Anair (The West Wind) by Na Fili
And So The Story Goes... by Sean Tyrrell, Kevin Glackin And Ronan Browne
Ar An Bhfidil by Oisin MacDiarmada
Auld Springs Gies Nae Price by Cathal McConnell And Duncan Wood
Bandalised by Vin Garbutt
BBC Recordings by Richard O'Mealy
BEO! by Jean-Michel Veillon And Yvon Riou
Champions Of Ireland Concertina by Denise Shiel
Classic Ceili Bands by Various Artists
Close To The Bone by Robbie O'Connell
Cnoc Bui by Conal Ó'Gráda
Collection Of Jigs And Reels by Shaskeen
Dawn by Andrew MacNamara
Doublin' by Paddy Glackin And Paddy Keenan
Farewell To Ireland CD 2 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
Father And Son Of Scotland by Jimmy Shand Jnr
Fifty-Odd Years by Jimmy Power
Foinn Seisiun 1 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
Folktrax 154 - The Sligo Fiddler: Michael Coleman by Michael Coleman
Fortune Favours The Merry by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
Grianan by Grianan MTC
Her Mantle So Green by Margaret Barry And Michael Gorman
Hidden Fermanagh Vol.2 by Various Artists
Humours Of Lissadell by Seamus And Manus McGuire
In Tandem by Kevin Burke And Ged Foley
In Your Ear by Seamus Egan
Ireland's Best Session Tunes CD 2 by Waltons Recording
Irish Pennywhistle Taught By Cathal McConnell by Cathal McConnell
Irish Popular Dances by Various Artists
Irish Traditional Music And Song by Shaskeen
Kitty Lie Over by Mick O'Brien And Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
Late... In The Night by Christy Barry, Conor McCarthy, Cyril O'Donoghue
Live At The Crane by Dusty Banjos
Live At Trinity Hall by Trinity Hall Session Players
Live In Lisdoonvarna by The Kilfenora Ceili Band
Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples by Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples
Melodeon by John Gannon
Mixing The Punch by Paddy O'Brien
Mountain Air by Brendyn Montgomery And Mike Considine
Music From French Newfoundland by Ron Felix, Ivan White, Ron And Gerry Formanger, Ed Doucette
On A Different Note by Michael Flatley
On A Rock In The Middle Of The Ocean by Various Artists
Paddy Keenan by Paddy Keenan
Piper's Choice Volume 1 by Various Artists
Piper's Dance by Ballycastle
Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume II by Various Artists
Set Dancing Downunder by The Coast Ceili Band
Seven Years Of Listening by Mick O'Brien And Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
Special Instrumental - Le Fiddle Irlandais Par Ted Furey by Ted Furey
Sunday After Mass by Denis O Connor And Con Moynihan
Super Tonic by Elixir
Swingin' From The Lightbulbs by Josh O Loughlin And Mairtin Quigley
Tampa Session Sets, Vol. 1 by Clan Tampa
The Art Of Traditional Fiddle Playing by Matt Cranitch
The Best Ever Traditional Irish Pub Session Volume Two by Various Artists
The Blue-eyed Rascal by Siún
The Box I Left Behind Me by Sean Quinn
The Bunch Of Keys: The Complete Recordings Of Johnny Doran by Johnny Doran
The Coleman Country Ceili Band by The Coleman Country Ceili Band
The Floating Bowhand by Jim McKillop
The Frost Is All Over by Paul McGrattan
The Heather Breeze by Heathery Breeze Ceili Band
The Initiation by Charlene Adzima
The Liffey Banks by Tommy Potts
The Master Pipers Volume 1 by Johnny Doran
The McDonaghs Of Ballinafad And Friends by Larry And Michael Joe McDonagh
The Music Makers: Celebrating 35 Years Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
The Silver Spire by Karen Tweed
The Sligo Indians by Tony DeMarco
The Sound Of Coleman Country by Various Artists
The Wheels Of The World, Early Irish American Music, Vol. 1 by Various Artists
The Whirlwind by Paddy Glackin And Robbie Hannan
The Wind That Shakes The Barley by Jim McKillop And Mary Mulholland
Traditional Irish Music by James Kelly
Traditional Irish Music by William Sullivan
Traditional Irish Music (traditional Music Session From Belfast) by Various Artists
Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 2 by Sean Ryan And Peter Carberry
Tripping Down The Stairs by Spiral Seisiún
Up And Coming - Ó Ghlúin Go Glúin by Oisín And Conal Hernon
Wae's Me For Prince Charlie by Battlefield Band
Where Old Ghosts Meet by Aidan Crossey
Wire Work by Joel McDermott
Y Bwced Perffaith: The Perfect Bucket by Aberjaber
Young Irish Musicians Weekend Vol. 1 by James Kelly, Paddy O'Brien, Tommy Martin, Daithi Sproule, Fintan Vallely

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Here's a lovely tune that sounds nice when it's played with a "lilting" feeling.

The setting of the tune here includes a few slight variations on the melody. Compare the first four bars to the next four. Some of the longer notes have been replaced with triplets.

To give this tune a nice lilt, try sliding up to the long notes. This works especially well on the opening F in the first part, and the opening D of the second part.

If you're playing the fiddle or banjo, keep your finger on the F for the first few bars, and use cross bowing/picking. This is a technique that is more often used in reels, "The Mountain Road" for example.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

"The Rambling Pitchfork"

Key signature: D minor & 4-part
Submitted on January 1st 2004 by Christopher Reynolds.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/2329

# Posted on December 15th 2005 by ceolachan

Roland's U-Turn

Here's a different setting of the tune called "Roland's U-Turn". I transcribed it from the "Late In the Night" CD , live at O'Conner's in Doolin. It's a really nice version...has some extra flare...

X: 1
T: Roland's U-Turn
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
Q: 1/8 = 400
R: jig
K: Fmaj
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2G A2B | d2d cAG|
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|: ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2G A2B | d2d cAG |
|[1 ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|[2 fef gfg | afd cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | g2g gec |
| d2e fed | ede A2=B | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | afa def |
| afd gec| fed cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||

# Posted on May 5th 2006 by Grack

Scottish pipes version (w flattened c)

to be heard on one of BattlefieldBand's albums ('wae's me... ' or 'there is a buzz' perhaps)

# Posted on October 4th 2006 by birlibirdie

"The Rambling Pitchfork" ~ courtesy of Michael Dunn, Irish fiddler, Lancashire

# Posted on November 23rd 2007 by ceolachan

Anyone know where this tune is called "The flat skulled monkey"? I'm not disputing it as a name, I always love to see the Gaelic originals (or translations) for tunes, it's just a very unusual one.

# Posted on February 28th 2008 by DonallDubh

"Roland's Return" ~ minor relatives

Key signature: d minor
Submitted on August 2nd 2008 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8777

& a different take ~

"Roland's Return"
Key signature: F Major (d minor)
Submitted on April 6th 2007 by joesmith.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7046

For another comparison to these see "Roland's U-Turn" above...

# Posted on August 2nd 2008 by ceolachan

I heard a longer version of this song that actually starts in E dorian with irish bagpipes playing a D drone...

# Posted on August 12th 2008 by feadog06

Recorded by Felix Doran in 1949:

http://www.archive.org/details
/FelixDoranDoransFancyTheRamblingPitchfork

# Posted on August 28th 2008 by Ramiro

love this tune :-) :-)
a little video of me and a few friends from around the world at our 'online session'...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH3RAmE_ZW8

# Posted on February 8th 2009 by chansherly212