Key signature: Gmixolydian
Submitted on May 4th 2002 by B Rad .
This tune has been added to 170 tunebooks.
Also known as The Girl That Broke My Heart.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Girl Who Broke My Heart, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmix
(dc) | BGFD EC~C2 | DG{A}G^F GABc | defd cAGF | DE{G}FE F2 (dc) |
BGFD EC~C2 | DG{A}G^F GABc | defd cAGF | DG{A}G^F G2 ||
D^F | G2 (Bd) gdBG | F2 (Ac) fcAF | G2 (BG) gdBd | "tr"cBcd cAFA |
G2 (Bd) gdBG | F2 (Ac) fcdB | GABd cAGF | DG{A}G^F G2 ||
The Girl Who Broke My Heart
This is a good example of flubbed transcription from O'Neill's 1850. They had the Key signature in G Minor which sounds nice but most of the time I've heard it played in D Dorian. I transcribed this striaght from O'Neill's 1850 including all slurs & stuff, but changed the key signature. I think the B's could be flatened occasionally as an ornament (a la Clare) but all instances of the e's are natural anyway. So I went with D Dorian.
It's a really nice tune & although flatish is not horribly impossible on the whistle or flute.
I think I originally heard this either from a M Coleman or H Gillespie 78. Can't remember which & I'm pretty sure it went by a different name.
# Posted on May 4th 2002 by B Rad
Looking at this tune from a distance - I'm almost positive that modern players have probably transposed this to A Dorian. Only having it from memory & O'Neill's I can't say - but that is *exactly the danger of learning tunes from the dots!*
# Posted on May 4th 2002 by B Rad
You're confusing me!
The key/mode you've written it in is G mixolydian (which, incidentally, is the key I know it in). By 'A dorian', do you actually mean 'A dorian', or Dmixolydian, perhaps.
On minor keys: If you listen to Kevin Burke's recording of it on 'If the Cap Fits', he throws in some B-flats now and again to keep us on our toes. I wouldn't say it's a definite Gminor, but he certainly imparts a minor-ish feel to it.
Please excuse my pedantry. And count yourself lucky - I have to live with it 24-7.
# Posted on May 4th 2002 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Modes & Misunderstandings
I didn't mean to confuse, when i submitted the tune I thought it was DDor but Jeremy corrected it to GMix (both have no sharps or flats) when I said they probably play it in Ador I meant it's probably been shifted up a 5th with one sharp.
# Posted on May 9th 2002 by B Rad
Listen to this recording
This reel appears on Swap's album (the blue one). Karen Tweed plays it in Gmix on the accordion, and she makes it rock!
# Posted on November 26th 2002 by Dr. Dow
On a flute. . .
This works best in A Mix.
# Posted on March 29th 2005 by wormdiet
Definitely Dorian
Having puzzled over this tune for a long time I am convinced that part A should be in G dorian (one flat) and part B should in G mixolidian (no sharps or flats). Otherwise all O’Neill’s dots are great.
Miles Krassen also took exception to O’Neill’s G minor (aeolian) key signature and changed it to G major (one sharp). However, in “Fiddler’s Companion” his version is notated “G major – with a hint of minor (!)”. Win other words, an invitation to throw in the B flats, F naturals, F neutrals, and drive the accompanist crazy. (This of course being a fiddle viewpoint)
Compare this tune with one of the few other G minor reels in O’Neill’s 1850 - No. 1474 - “Fairhaired Mary” . This has a key signature of G aeolian but all the E’s are naturalized to make it come out in G dorian.
# Posted on June 18th 2005 by Jimmy F
Kevin Burke's version: GDor & GMix
Based on Kevin Burke's version in Sweeney's Dream, I call the A part GDor and the B part Gmix. Both parts resolve to G, and Kevin's consistent use of Bflats in the A part and B naturals in the B part make it pretty clear to me. Trust me, I'm a lawyer. I can't speak for other versions of the tune though.
X:1
T: The Girl That Broke My Heart
S:based on Kevin Burke's' version from 'Sweeney's Dream'. Transcribed by Mark MacDiarmid.
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: GDor
ABAG FD[CD]F | DG{A}GF GABc | defd cAGF | DF{G}FE FAdc|
ABAG FD[CD]F | DG{A}GF GABc | defd cAGF | D2G2 [G,4G4] |
ABAG FD[C2D2] | D~G3 GABc | defd cAGF | DF{G}FE FAdc|
(3AcdAG FD[CD]F | DG{A}GF GABc | defd cAGF | DG{A}GF GDE^F|
K:Gmix
|:G2Bd gdBG | (3FFFAc fcAF | FGBd gdBd|~c2 Bd cAFA |
~G2 Bd gdBG | EFAc fcAF | GABd cAGF |1 DG{A}GF GDE^F:|2DG{A}GF GAdc|
# Posted on August 20th 2006 by Ger the Rigger
Similar to:
I am not familiar with this tune, however, the B part of the tune sounds exactly like the French-Canadian tune "Growling Old Man and Cackling Old Woman," as I originally learned to play. I believe that there is another version of Growling... with a variation of the B part that has been recorded elsewhere.
rogmc
# Posted on October 13th 2006 by rogmc
For flute/whistle, try this...
X:1
T:Girl Who Broke My Heart, The
R:reel
K:Ador
ed|:cAGE FD~D2|EAAG ABcd|efge dcAG|EGGF G2ed|
cAGE FD~D2|EAAG ABcd|efge dcAG|1 EAAG A2ed:|2 EAAG AEFG||
|:A2ce aecA|G2Bd gdBG|A2ce gdce|dcde dBGB|
A2ce aecA|G2Bd gdBG|ABce dcAG|1 EAAG AEFG:|2 EAAG A2||
or
X:1
T:The girl who broke my heart
N:usually played in G (with a hint of minor)
R:reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Amix
ed|cA ~A2 FEDF|EAA^G ABcd|efge dcAG|EGGF G2 ed|
~c2 BA FD ~D2|EAA^G ABcd|efge dcAG|1EAA^G A:|
2 EAA^G AEGB||
A2 ce aecA|G2 Bd gdBG|A2 ce aece|dcde dB^GB|
A2 ce aecA|G2 BD gdBG|ABce dcAG|EAA^G A4:|
# Posted on July 4th 2007 by Loughcurra
... ie. if you play something like the first version on a C whistle/pipes/concertina (e.g. as Kitty Hayes does on 'They'll Be Good Yet') you're in the right key.
# Posted on July 4th 2007 by Loughcurra
Tune to follow on from "Girl that broke my heart"
Its a lovely tune, I prefer to play it a wee bit more slowly than others do at my session....any suggestions for a follow on tune to make a nice set out of it?
# Posted on April 16th 2008 by BanjoBongo
Re: Tune to follow on from "Girl that broke my heart"
Try The Youngest Daughter (O´Neill 1001).
# Posted on April 16th 2008 by alexweger
Re: Tune to follow on from "Girl that broke my heart"
And: Bobby Casey´s (=The Porthole of the Kelp)
# Posted on April 16th 2008 by alexweger