The Session >> Tunes >> The Sligo Maid (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Sligo Maid

reel

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on November 28th 2001 by Josh Kane.

This tune has been added to 684 tunebooks.

Also known as The Glendoan Fancy, The Maid From Sligo, O'Donnell's Sligo Maid, Sligo Maid, The Sligo Maid's Lament.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Sligo Maid, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
|: A2BA B^cdef | gedB AGEF | G2BG dGBG | DEGA BAdB |
A2BA B^cdef | gedB AGEG | B3G A2GE | DEGA BAA2:|
|: eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eggfg edBA | dBgB BAA2 :|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Sligo Maid sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Kevin Burke - Kevin Crawford

I just learned this tune from a CD I have by Kevin Burke. What a great tune! Then, as I was listening to a recording of Kevin Crawford tonight, I suddenly realized that he was playing the same tune! It took me a while to recognize it though, they both play it very diferently. It's really neat to see all the different varitions in tunes.

-Max

# Posted on June 18th 2004 by Max Becher

Sligo Maid

I'm wondering how you all play the bars 2 & 6 in the second part. I love this tune but have particular problems with those bars when playing with others.

I learned to play |b~g3 efge| but later started playing like |b2gb abge|. I think some different versions of the tune usually mix well, but I'm really uncomfortable with those bars.

Please inform me. Max? Or anybody else?

# Posted on June 18th 2004 by slainte

I play them as posted.

# Posted on June 18th 2004 by Dr. Dow

It's too short, but you'll hear Carmel Gunning's crazy whistle playing of the tune here: http://www.cisl.ie/tradmusic/musicsamples/sligo.mp3

# Posted on June 18th 2004 by slainte

Kevin's Version

The version that Kevin plays on his CD (and the one I learned) is a little different than what is posted here.

X: 1
T: Sligo Maid, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
|: A2BA Bdef | gedB AGEF | G2BG DGBG | DEGA BddB |
A2BA Bdef | gedB AGEG | AB3 AEGE | DEGA B2AB :|
|: eaag a2ga | ^baggf gedg | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | ^baggf gedg | egg2 edBc | dBgB BAA2 :|

That's the version I know. I really like the G2BG DGBG in the third bar, rather than G2BG dGBG. I kind of gives it a rolling sound. Kevin Crawford does the second one, I think. Some variations that Kevin Burke threw in for the second time through the A part were:

|: A2BA Bdeg | gedB AGEF | G3B AEE2 | DEGA BddB |
A2BA Bdeg | gedB AGEG | AB3 AEGE | DEGA BAA2 :|

The biggest differences are in bars 3 and 8.

-Max



# Posted on June 19th 2004 by Max Becher

Triplets

Oh, something I forgot was that Kevin takes the triplets out of the B part the second time through. I hope I wrote out the ABC right.

-Max

# Posted on June 19th 2004 by Max Becher

Thanks, it's very interesting to compare different versions. I'll do some experiments.

# Posted on June 19th 2004 by slainte

The Sligo Maid

I've been doing some experiment on this tune for weeks and invented my own setting of it. Not entirely different from the standard session setting, but I inserted some more interesting bits. I'm sure it works on flute or whistle.

K: Ador
G|A2BA Bdef|gedB AGEF|G2BG dGBG|DEGA BAGB|
A2BA Bdef|gedB AGEG|B2GB ABGE|DEGA BAA:|
z|eaag a2ga|b2gb abge|dggf g3e|dega b2ag|
eaag a2ga|b2gb abge|dg~g2 edBd|efgd BAA:|

# Posted on November 11th 2004 by slainte

Paddy Killoran version

Only know the blistering Paddy Killoran version, on 'From Ballymote to Brooklyn'- what a cracker!- and for me the best track among some very strong contenders.
What is it about this tune?- it even takes being played through 'Slow Me Down' and still sounds good.

# Posted on January 7th 2007 by Here Lyeth

Strangely, the abc on this post leaves out the triplets in the first, fifth and second last bars, even though they are there on the sheetmusic!

Here they are inserted:

|: A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEF | G2BG dGBG | DEGA BAdB |
A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEG | B3G A2GE | DEGA BAA2:|
|: eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eg (3gfg edBd | edgd BAA2 :|

# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Ger the Rigger

A Dorian key signature - 1 sharp

X:1
T: Sligo Maid
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:A Dorian
|: A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEF | G2BG dGBG | DEGA BAdB |
A2BA (3B^cd ef | gedB AGEG | B3G A2GE | DEGA BAA2:|
|: eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eggf g2ge | dega bgag |
eaag a2ga | bgaf gfed | eg (3gfg edBd | edgd BAA2 :|

Just updated the key signature..

# Posted on April 14th 2008 by JNW

O'Donnell's Sligo Maid

An interesting version from Donegal fiddler Danny O'Donnell was recorded by the Tap Room Trio on this album: http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/736. I've heard it a few times in sessions, and transcribed this from a session recording:

X: 1
T: O'Donnell's Sligo Maid
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
f|efed ^cdef|gedB AGEF|G2AG BGAG|DEGA BAAf|
efed (3B^cd ef|gedB AGEF|GAAG BGAG|DEGA BAA:|
|:g|eaag a2gf|gabg agef|~g3e ~d2ef|gded (3B^cd eg|
eaag a2gf|gabg agef|gbeg ~d2ef|gded BAA:|

# Posted on April 16th 2008 by Dr. Dow

Guitar Accompaniment

Been debating the choice of chords for this one for a while, I think D G D G A works nicely in the first half then into Am G Am F G for 2nd half (with variations etc of course). The problem I have is that I'm so used to hearing D chords in the first part that Am G Am F G doesn't sound right to me, thoughts?

# Posted on January 11th 2010 by Paudy

Guitar accompaniment - Sligo Maid

Seriously? You want to play the first part in D major - the way the tune is written out here? Seriously? I don't mean to be rude but that would sound awful.

Firstly the tune is in A dorian (or almost) and so you should generally be thinking about chords that you would find in a scale of G but starting on the A note. The whole scale would be:

Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim, G, Am

To start off the tune, because it has that C# in the bar I would suggest playing an A (no 3rd) chord so that it doesn't clash with the melody. An Am would be too heavy. You can hold that for 2 bars and then go into a G or maybe an Em for a bar and then the 4th bar play a D chord. That can repeat for the next 4 bars.

In the second part would be fairly similar. You would not want to play an F chord anywhere in the tune. It is in Adorian not Aminor and the tune therefore has F#s in it (lots of them) rather than Fnats.

I hope that makes sense but please, for the sake of the people you are playing with, do not play the tune in D major. Certainly switching from D major to A minor between the parts will not sound right to you as the tune itself does not switch keys.

# Posted on January 12th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm

The Sligo Maid

From 1972, the second tune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN-KmQWxhk0

# Posted on November 14th 2010 by bogman

Carty version

Anyone attempt to transcribe the John Carty version of Sligo Maid? I'm working on it, but much easier to just listen to his playing of it and enjoy it than torture myself trying to figure it all out...

# Posted on December 3rd 2011 by banjobabe

Had to do it. Here's my interpretation of Carty's interpretation:

X: 1
T: Sligo Maid, The
S: John Carty
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
D3F | E3G FABA |dBAF EDB,E |D2ED D2ED |A,B,DE F2F2|
E3G F3A|dBAF EDB,E|DF3 EB,3| A,B,DE FEED|
GAFA E3A |dBAF EDB,E |D2ED D2ED |A,B,DE F2F2|
E3G F3A|dBcA BAFB|AF3 EB,3| A,B,DE FE3|
BeeB e2de|faec dBAd|Bd3 d3B|ABde f2ed|
B(3eee e2de|faec dBA2|Bd3 B3d | AFDE FE3|
BeeB e2de|faec dBAd|Bd3 d3B|ABde f2af|
fgfg e2de|faec dBAd|dBAd BAFB| AFDE FE3|]

# Posted on December 4th 2011 by banjobabe

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