Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on April 27th 2003 by granama.
This tune has been added to 63 tunebooks.
Also known as Ashtray On The Altar, The Coal Miner's, The Coal Miner, Coalminer, The Coalminer, The Coalminers, The Coleminer, More Power To Your Elbow.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Coalminer's, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
DG~G2 GABc|d2BG AGEG|DG~G2 GABd|gedB A2GE|
DG~G2 GABc|d2BG AGEG|DG~G2 GABd|1 gedB G2GE:|2 gedB G2 (3def||
|:~g3e d2ge|d2BG AGEG|~g3e dega|bagb a2ga|
bg~g2 ageg|d2BG AGEG|DG~G2 GABd|1 gedB G2 (3def:|2 gedB G2GE||
Not to be confused with the Collier's Reel, a different tune entirely. It's a tune which goes nowhere in particular, but gets there by a nice scenic route.
This setting comes from Henrik Norbeck's collection. It is also played in D, but I have chosen to post it in G, as it sits better on flute/pipes/whistle in that key, without significantly compromising ease of playing on stringed instruments.
Norbeck's collection also has (in both G and D) an alternate version, which has bars 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the A-part and bar 7 of the B-part as:
| DGBG AGEG | {in G: |A,DFD EDB,D|}
The long g in bars 1 and 3 of the B-part give the tune a great lift and, as a variation, could be played (instrument permitting) simply as sustained notes, without ornamentation.
# Posted on April 27th 2003 by granama
Here's how I might play it at this moment, if I had an instrument to hand:
T: Coalminer's, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
DGGD GABc|dGBG AGEG|DGGF G2 (3Bcd|gedB AGEG|
DG~G2 GABc|dGBG AGEG|DGGD GABd|1 gedB GDEG:|2 gedB G2 Bd||
|:g3e dege|dGBG AGEG|fgeg dega|bagb abga|
~b3g abge|dGBG AGEG|DGGD GABd|1 gedB G2 Bd:|2 gedB G2GE||
# Posted on April 28th 2003 by granama
There is an absolutely BRILLIANT recording of this tune played by Brendan Mulvihill and Billy McComiskey on an excellent CD called Irish Traditional Music In America: The East Coast. If I can ever transcribe what Mr. Mulvihill is doing on that track, I'll post it here, by god...
# Posted on October 24th 2005 by grymater
Vincent Broderick Tune?
Isn't this a Broderick tune? I believe it was one of his first compositions.
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by PaddyCmusic
Don't think so
# Posted on October 31st 2006 by Dow
Coalminer's in D
Here's a version I got from Denis Liddy and the Turloughmore Ceili Band:
X: 1
T: Coalminer's, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
A,DFD E2EF|ABAF EDB,D|A,DFD EDFA|dBAF EDB,D|
A,DFD EDEF|ABAF EDB,D|A,DFD EDFA|1 dBAF D3B,:|2 dBAF D2Bc||
|:~d3B ABdB|ABAF EDB,D|dcdB ABde|fedf e2de|
f2df efdB|ABAF EDB,D|A,DFD EDFA|1 dBAF D2 (3ABc:|2 dBAF D3B,||
# Posted on December 10th 2006 by Dow
Terrific setting, Nox. I love these low, growly tunes on the fiddle's G string.
# Posted on December 10th 2006 by Will CPT
Nox's transcription of Liddy, back to G
Makes a nice version transposed to G, too.
X: 1
T: Coalminer's, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K:G
DGBG A2AB|dedB AGEG|DGBG AGBd|gedB AGEG|
DGBG AGAB|dedB AGEG|DGBG AGBd|1 gedB G3E:|2 gedB G2ef||
~g3e dege|dedB AGEG|gfge dega|bagb a2ga|
b2gb abge|dedB AGEG|DGBG AGBd|1 gedB G2 (3def:|2 gedB G3E||
# Posted on December 10th 2006 by Will CPT
More Power to your Elbow
This tune is called More Power to your Elbow in O'Neill's book (1001 tunes). See n°705
X:1
T: More Power to your Elbow
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
GE | DGGB AGGB | dGBG AGEG | DGGB AGGg | egdB AGEG |
DGGB AGGB | dGBG AGEG | DGGB AGGg | egdB G2 ||
ef | g2ge dgge | dBGB AGE2 | g2ge degb | agab a2ga |
bagb ageg | dGBG AGEG | DGGB AGGg | egdB G2|]
# Posted on August 26th 2007 by Pierre Commes
Ashtray on the Altar
I got it from Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty) in D. He calls it Ashtray On The Altar in that key.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Reverend