Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Skylark's Ascension

jig

Key signature: Amajor

Submitted on June 4th 2006 by lildogturpy.

This tune has been added to 30 tunebooks.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Skylark's Ascension, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Amaj
efg | a3 faa | fee c2B | AAA A2B | cee ecA |
f3 fec |eff c2B | Aaa fec | e3 ::
efg | a3 afe | f3 f2e | c3 cef | ecB c2B |
a3 afe | f3 f2e | Aaa fec | e3 ::
e2a | AAA A2c | ecB c2e | f3 f2 e | cfe c2B |
AAA A2B | cee c2B | Aaa fec | e3 :|
efg | aAa fdf | eca c3 | dff cee | Acc B2g |
[1aAa fdf |eca c3 | Aaa fec | e3 :|
[2a2f ecA | cff c2B | Aaa fec | e3 |

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Skylark's Ascension sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Source

Transcribed from "On Safari" by "Keep it Up" On the CD, played with a strong lilt

# Posted on June 4th 2006 by lildogturpy

There are no G#s in highland bagpipe music.

# Posted on June 4th 2006 by Kenny

Kenny,
you mean its e dorian (G not G#) ?

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by swisspiper

Mode

I would have thought A mixolydian, rather than major. G notes are "natural" in Scottish pipe music.

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by Kenny

Mode

I transcribed literally from the CD where thi fiddle is definitely playing a G#

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by lildogturpy

The fiddle player's wrong, then.

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by Kenny

in my opinion.

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by Kenny

I can't find my copy of this tune at the moment, but as the only occurrences of the G are in lead-in notes, it's quite possible that they aren't present in the "original" piping arrangement (I'm fairly sure this tune was composed for pipes originally, and is probably also in copyright, but that's another issue). This probably means that you end up with a tune for which the mode is ambiguous - you never hear the 7th in the actual melody, so it could be either Ionian or Mixolydian.

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by niallanderson

The tune is attributed to Pipe Corporal Archibald Lindsay. See: http://www.footstompin.com/music/celtic_bands/on_safari/tracks/obj14886

# Posted on June 7th 2006 by slainte

No G#

How would a piper play the efg lead-in, not with a G natural since it doesn't sound like it fits with the rest of the tune. Maybe the composer was using pipes tuned to A?

# Posted on June 9th 2006 by lildogturpy

I keep forgetting to look out the tune to check this -sorry. My vague memory is that the lead-in note is an F# quaver, rather than the EF#G# run, with suitable lengthening of other notes to make the bars add up! Anyway, all this trivia aside, it's a rather unusual tune, I think, and makes a really nice "change of pace" from a lot of pipe jigs.

# Posted on June 14th 2006 by niallanderson

Not a member yet? Sign up!

forgotten your password?

Frequently Asked Questions

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