Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Drunken Gauger

jig

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on November 21st 2003 by gian marco.

This tune has been added to 53 tunebooks.

Also known as Drunken Gauger, The Funny Tailor.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

An Bhabog Sa Bhadog by Kevin Crehan
Bean Chairdin by Dympna O'Sullivan
Ceol An Clair by Various Artists
Dark Of The Moon by Grey Larsen And Paddy League
Just Intonational Music Of Two Pipers by Adrian Jefferies And Billy McCormick
Lios A 'Cheoil by Tom And Kerry Barrett
Looking For The Early Opener by Dana Lyn
Taking Flight by Bobby Casey
The Final Round CD 1 by Kevin Joyce
The Green Hills Of Clare by The Crehan Family And Carl Corcoran
The House by Dennis Botzer
The Porthole Of The Kelp by Sean Casey
The Slopes Of Benbulben by John Regan
The South West Wind by Ronan Browne And Peter O'Loughlin
Traditional Irish Tunes Played On The Tin Whistle (2/2) by Geraldine Cotter
Untitled by Liam O'Flynn

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Drunken Gauger (jig)

Source: Ronan Browne & Peter O'Loughlin_"The South West Wind"
Transcription: g.m.p.

# Posted on November 21st 2003 by gian marco

Liam O'Flynn's comments

I have a recording of an O'Flynn performance at Na Piobairi Uilleann in Dublin, in which he says that this tune is associated with a set dance in which the dancer "staggers about the place in the manner of the drunken gauger." The gauger, apparently, was an official charged with sampling the offerings at the pubs and was therefore according to O'Flynn "prone to be drunk." O'Flynn's version is not quite as jig-like as the setting here from Ronan Browne, it has a good many starts and stops in it and is played slowly.

# Posted on April 11th 2004 by gadamson

Kevin Crehan tells that the gauger was charged with measuring the pub's measure vs the queen's measure. And how else do you do that by topping one up and pouring it into the other. Not wanting to waste "the precious comodity", you poured it down your own throat.

# Posted on January 21st 2006 by I_Fel

Drunken Gauger LIamO'Flynn

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/rams/2006/2july.smil

On the RTE's "Late Session" there is a special from Milltown Malbay including Liam with the Drunken Gauger. His story is different to the one here, checking for alcohol content might be more dangerous for your liver than to compare measure's....

His endings are
|DEG ~A3|AGF G|
and he plays a lovely D cran as the first half of bar 17 (1st in line 5)

# Posted on July 4th 2006 by swisspiper

The discussion with Liam and the tune start about 39 minutes after the start of the cast

# Posted on July 5th 2006 by swisspiper

Drunken Gauger: irregular form

Hello

I have heard 2 recorded versions of The Drunken Gauger jig, and both repeat the same irregular form, not the usual AA BB AA...as in most tunes.

Rather it is:

AA
B
A
B
AAA
B
A
B
A

Is this arrangement only for this jig or are there other tunes that have this seemingly irregular form?

Thanks,

R

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by what

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

Yes, it is always played this way.

Rather than AA BA BA, I think of it as AA BB, where the B part is longer than the A part - in this case, the A part is 16 bars (including repeats), as a standard double jig, whilst the B part is 32 bars. Here, you will find it thus notated: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2180
It so happens that the extra 16 bars in the B-part are a reiteration of the A-part.

The Drunken Gauger is a *set dance*. These tunes were composed, or adapted, by the dancing masters of the 18th century to accompany specific dances choreographed by them. More often than not, these dances and their accompanying tunes have an asymmetrical structure, the B-part usually being longer than the A part (Are there any examples the other way round? I don't know).

Here's a handful of other set dances to ponder:

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5080
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1104
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/147
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1605
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/893

If you are the member formerly known as what!!??!!, then you will know all this already. But I assume you're somebody else.

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by granama

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

I hope someone who knows more about music and dancing than me will fill in the gaps and correct any falsehoods.

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by granama

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

Hello

Yes I am what not what!!??!!, nor am I a relation of what!!??!!.

Thanks for the information.

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by what

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

Junior Crehan heard the tune played by travelling dancing master Pat Barron (who stayed in the area for longer spells) and revived it from memory.

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by kilfarboy

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

Probably less confusing to think about that tune this way:

AA
BA
BA

no?

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by reenactor

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

oh, and when Bobby Casey recorded it, he did AAA the first time through, as if he were playing an intro for dancers (if I recall correctly)

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by reenactor

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

In Toronto it's played AA BB but, as was pointed out, the 'parts' vary in their actual length, ie, they are not equal in terms of the number of bars in each. The 'Toronto' version was picked up from the many native born Irish players who play in sessions around here. So I assume that that's a fair seal of authenticity.

# Posted on November 19th 2007 by mtodd

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

AABB (B = your sense of it as BA) ~ as Confusion has so clearly elucidated... 8-)

# Posted on November 20th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Drunken Gauger: irregular form

AAA ~ was as reenactor suspects ~ the ol' "A for nought" ~ to give the dancers lead-in to the rhythm, tempo and melody, in preparation for starting to dance on the second A of the three...

# Posted on November 20th 2007 by ceolachan