The Kerfunken

jig

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on June 14th 2001 by Miss Lonelyhearts.

This tune has been added to 377 tunebooks.

Also known as Hammy Hamilton's, John & Judy Carroll's, The Kerfeunteun, Kerfunken, The Kerfuntan, The Kerfunten, Kerfunteun.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

A Celebration Of 50 Years by The Tulla Ceili Band
Beal A' Mhurlaigh by P.J. And Marcus Hernon
Black Velvet by Black Velvet
Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 12 by Matt Cunningham
Instrumental by Franz Sanger And Susan Frances
It's About Time.. by Calum MacKinnon
Land Of Sunshine by Dan Possumato
Lunasa by Lunasa
Ready For The Storm by Déanta
The Lonesome Touch by Martin Hayes
The Moneymusk by Hammy Hamilton
The Singing Kettle by Chulrua
Three Shouts From A Hill by Cian
Toss The Feathers by Mountain Dew
Traditional Music From East Clare by Mary MacNamara
Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh
Up And Away by Paul Smyth
When The Party's Over by Brian Finnegan

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Kerfunken Jig

This version is based on Martin Hayes' understated approach on The Lonesome Touch. Makes a great beginner tune, yet it has plenty of potential for advanced players. Hayes spices it up each time around by rolling some of the F3s, B3s, and d3s, or by swinging them as F2 F, B2 b, or d2 d. You can also try a Hayes' trademark moving triplet in the 2nd and 6th measures of Part A by playing: |FGA B(3Bcd)|. This tune goes well into Tell Her I Am (also on Lonesome Touch), or for a darker change, into Paddy Fahy's Jig (from Martin Hayes' earlier self-titled cd).

# Posted on June 14th 2001 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Nice and easy

This really is a delightful little jig. I find it really easy to learn and play.

I think this would be a good tune to recommend to beginners.

# Posted on June 17th 2001 by Jeremy

Kerfunten

This tune is by Hammy Hamilton(Flute player), I believe. Deanta have recorded a good version of this tune.
It is nice to play with another tune by HH -- Woodcock, which is usually played first.

# Posted on June 17th 2001 by Donough

Tulla Band

This tune comes from a set of jigs from the Tulla Ceilidh Band repetoir. It was recorded on their 50 celebration CD (including Martin Hayes). The set normally starts with "The Hole in the Hedge" followed by "Seamus Cooleys" and finishing with the Kerfunken. Interestingly Martin Hayes has recorded the first two as a set on the CD Under the Moon, but left the Kerfunken out.

# Posted on June 19th 2001 by Fergal_dearle

The REAL Kerfunten

I learned this tune in 1998 from Hammy himself. He wasn't too sure about the current "right way" to play that thing. The title comes from a village in brittany. Apparently the breton "Ker-" is something like the Irish "-kill" meaning church.

Here are some versions I've got. It's basically the same version with various ornamentations.

X: 45
T:Kerfunten Jig, The
R:jig
C:Hammy Hamilton
S:1st Version from Hammy, Achill 1998
Z:Hauke Steinberg
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
B2B BAG|dBd efg|ded edB|~A3 ABc|
~B3 BAG|dBd efg|ded gdB|AGF G3:||
~g3 gab|~e3 edB|~g3 gab|bag ~a3|
~g3 gab|~e3 edB|dBd gdB|1 AGF GBd:|2 AGF G2c||
"Variations"
~B3 BAG|dBd efg|dBd edB|~A3 DFA|
~B3 BAG|dBd efg|dBd edB|1 ~A3 G2A:|2 AGF GBd||
~g3 gab|~e3 edB|~g3 gab|bag ~a3|
~g3 gab|~e3 efg|dBd edB|1 AGF GBd:|2 AGF G2c||
"Variations"
~B3 BAG|dBd efg|~d3 gdB|BAG ABc|
~B3 BAG|dBd efg|~d3 gdB|1 AGF G2A:|2 AGF GBd||
~g3 gab|~e3 edB|~g3 gab|bag a2b|
~g3 gab|~e3 edB|dBd gdB|1 AGF GBd:|2 AGF G2c||

# Posted on July 9th 2001 by Ah, Surely!

There's an interesting interview with Harry where he talks, briefly about this tune. He mentions that the tune was named after a place in Brittany, in a suburb of Quimper called Kerfuteun. You can read the whole interview online at:
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/hamilton.html

# Posted on September 24th 2002 by chicagofiddler

T:Kerfunten
M:6/8
L:1/8
C:H.Hamilton
S:Dan Healy & Ciaran O'Raghallaigh - "the windy turn"
R:jig
Z:g.m.p
K:G
~B3 BAG|Bdd efg|dBd edB|~A3 DGA|
~B3 BAG|Bdd efg|dBd edB|1 AGF G2A:|2 AGF GBd||
~g3 gab|efe edB|~g3 gab|bag a2d|
~g3 gab|efe edB|dBd edB|1 AGF GBd:|2 AGF G2c||

# Posted on May 17th 2003 by gian marco

this jig is pretty interesting, well, now I finally know the name of it! yaaaaaaaaaay! I mean.. the meaning behind the name! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

Cheers,
Armand

# Posted on December 7th 2004 by fiddlinviolinin

I find this tune a lot better in G

The Israeli band called "Black Velvet" plays it in G,
after "The Monaghan Jig", all played by Emer mayock..
I also found that people tend to play it in G at sessions too.

# Posted on December 7th 2004 by thesheep

That's simply because it was originally composed in G. But, I think Clare musicians play this tune in C or F.

# Posted on December 8th 2004 by slainte

Kerfunten

I feel Dmaj setting of this tune sounds better when played very simply while it's fun to add many ornamentations and variations to Gmaj setting. Don't know exactly why. Mary MacNamara plays it plainly, but it magically sounds beautiful.

# Posted on February 16th 2005 by slainte

Lunasa plays it in G on the first album.

# Posted on March 10th 2006 by Why Bother?

It's often recorded in G, but It's played in D in some places. I remember Pat O'Connor started playing it in D when he came over to this country and joined us.

# Posted on March 11th 2006 by slainte

I really like the way Lunasa plays this melody. I prefer their version to the one posted here and played elsewhere. This is among my favorite tunes.

# Posted on April 23rd 2009 by timothyp