Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Broken Pledge

reel

Key signature: Ddorian

Submitted on February 9th 2003 by Concertina Player.

This tune has been added to 150 tunebooks.

Also known as An Geall Briste.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Broken Pledge, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ddor
A|dcAG ADDB|cAGF ECCE|DEFG Addc|AcGc Adfe|
dcAG A2dB|cAGF ECCE|DEFG Addc|AcGc ADD:||
A|dcAG Acde|fAdf ecAB|cAGE GAcd|ecc2 eage|
dcAG Acde|fAdf ecAG|F2FE FGAB|cAGE FDD:||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Broken Pledge sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

A nasty tune ?

Extract from a Michael Simmons interview with Frankie Gavin for Fiddler Magazine:

Frankie Gavin was pushed into playing the fiddle at the age of ten by his older accordion-playing brother who thought the two instruments would sound good together. "One day Sean came up to me," Gavin recalls. "He said, 'You know, I think you should play the fiddle.' I said, 'I don't know about that. Doesn't it make a lot of squeaks when you're learning?' But he kept on me so I decided to give it a go. The first thing he made me learn was a tune called 'The Broken Pledge,' which is lovely, but really difficult to play. He said, 'If you can get a really nasty tune off first, everything else will be plain sailing after that.' And it turns out it's true enough."

# Posted on February 10th 2003 by Concertina Player

As a fiddler, I can see how you might not want this to be your first tune, but it's certainly not the most difficult in the book. Apparently Frankie was up to it....

# Posted on February 10th 2003 by Will CPT

The Well Tempered Bow

Does anybody know the jig version of 'broken pledge' that is played on the kane sisters' first album? i think it goes really well after 'do you want anymore?'

# Posted on February 12th 2005 by galway-fiddle

Broken Pledge

Galway-fiddle, I just posted the dots for the jig, transcribed directly from the Well Tempered Bow. Click here: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/4217

# Posted on February 12th 2005 by Will CPT

I hear this more often in Edor at our session for the pipers/fluters, altho' I have to say I prefer it in Ddor.

# Posted on February 12th 2005 by Dow

Broken pledge

Thanks Will!!!

# Posted on February 14th 2005 by galway-fiddle

is this tune really D dorian. Played with the Fs sharp it sounds just as fine to my humble ear and its quite ok to play it thence as notated on flutey/pipey things (i do it so...). I guess the Fs are just like the Cs in a lot of these tunes: you can jump back and forth between the sharp and the natural and anywhere in between depending on the mood your in.

# Posted on March 17th 2005 by timo

Broken pledge

Patrick Ourceau taught this beautiful tune with a slight variation which I post now in abc format. Makes it even more beautiful!

X: 1
T: Broken Pledge, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ddor
|dcAG ADDd|cAGF ECCE|DEFG Addc|Ac1/2A1/2GB Adfe|
dcAG (3EFG AB|cdBd cAGE|DEFG Addc|Ac1/2A1/2GE EDD2:||
|dcAG Adde|f2df ecAB|~c3A GAcd|ecc2 eage|
dcAG Adde|f2df ecAG|F2~F2 FGAd|cAGE EDD2:||

# Posted on March 16th 2006 by bobbi

I've heard that version too, with the variation. It's nice.

# Posted on December 14th 2006 by Dow

Broken Pledge version from Liz Kane

Here's a version of the Broken Pledge given to me by Liz Kane, as best as I could make out her handwriting, and processed by six months of playing it.

X:2
T:Broken Pledge, The
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
K:DDor
dcAG AEAB|cAGF ECCE|D2 (3E^FG Addc|(3ABc Gc Adfe|
dcAG (3E^FG AB|cBcd cAGE|D2 (3E^FG AddB|cAGE {G}ED D2:|
dcAG A2 de|fefd ecAB|cAGE GAcd|ec ~c2 eage|
dcAG FAde|fefd ecAG|F2 ED (3E^FG AB|cAGE {G}ED D2:|

I use the G for the cut between the two Es in the last bar because it's easiest on the B/C box, but an F natural works just as well or maybe better. One could put rolls on the quarter notes, but they sound ok to me without them.

# Posted on January 24th 2008 by GaryAMartin

Not a member yet? Sign up!

forgotten your password?

Frequently Asked Questions

Enter your email address to have your password sent to you.