Tripping Down The Stairs

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on June 14th 2002 by Mad Baloney.

This tune has been added to 55 tunebooks.

Also known as The Coffin , Green Fields Of Antrim, Green Hills (of) Tyrol, Green Hills Of Tyrol, The Green Hills Of Tyrol, Green Hills Tyrol, Maud MacQuillan, Roche's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Across The Pond by Kevin Griffin, Roger Burridge And Others
An Exciting Session With One Of Ireland's Leading Traditional Fiddlers by Tommy Peoples
Atlantic Roar by Paul Bradley
Chasing The Dawn by Jenny Crook And Henry Sears
Clan Ranald by Martin Tourish And Luke Ward
Clear The Dresser And Take The Floor by Emerald Ceili Band
Cornerstone by Celtic Spring
Nice To Meet You by Kaitlin Hahn
Ocean View by Shanachie
Rattlin' Banjos (part 2) by David McNevin
Secret Orders by Claire Mann And Aaron Jones
Sweet Rural Shade by Boys Of The Lough
The Long Finger by Barry Carroll And Joe McHugh
The Unseen Dance by Evergreen
Wild Blue by Eileen Ivers

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Tripping Down The Stairs
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: BG~G2 BGcG | BGDC B,CDC | (3B,A,G, B,D ECEG | (3FED EF GFGA|
BG~G2 BGcG | BGDC B,CDC | (3B,A,G, B,D ECEG |1 (3FED EF G2GA :|2 FDEF G2ga ||
|: bg~g2 egde | cdBc ABGA | FGEF DECD | B,CA,B, G,2 B,D |
GABc dBGB | AB (3cBA BGDC | (3B,A,G, B,D ECEG |1 (3FED EF G2ga :|2 (3FED EF G2GA ||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Tripping Down The Stairs

This tune is closely associated with Tommy Peoples b/c he recorded it on one of his CCE albums (60's or 70's). Eileen Iver's plays it both as a Jig & a reel on "Wild Blue". This tune came up last Sunday & Chris McGrath broke his G-String, (keep your snickers to yourselves) thickest & hardest string to break - playing this tune, he retuned with three strings than went into the Humours of Westport, but in the key of G instead of the usual F. I think they made a good set. This tune sounds best on the fast side.

# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Mad Baloney

origins of......

hey. just doing some research for a c.d. and need to know if any one could tell me if "tripping down the stairs" aka "the green fields of antrim" is traditional or does anybody know anything about the source of it? the second part would suggest that it is not traditional as would the suggestion that it only seems to have been recorded as of late by eileen ivers etc.

any info you have would be appreciated. thanks.

mairtin.

# Posted on March 1st 2005 by martin t

Re: origins of......

Is this the jig and reel that also go by Green Hills of Tyrol?

# Posted on March 1st 2005 by Will CPT

Re: origins of......

It's on Natalie MacMaster's 2nd cassette album, Road to the Isle, which came out sometime around 1991, but not on the Compilation CD, which was selections from her two cassettes. There's no mention on the insert whether it's traditional or not. Natalie could well have learned it from Eileen Ivers.

Natalie lists it as Green Fields of Antrim, though when Wendy MacIsaac was here a few weeks ago, she asked me about it and called it Tripping Up [sic] the Stairs. That prompted us to search for it on the old cassettes.

How's that for a roundabout way of saying "I don't know"?

# Posted on March 1st 2005 by GaryAMartin

Re: origins of......

The comments section for this tune also sheds some light, namely that Tommy Peoples recorded it early in his career.

# Posted on March 1st 2005 by GaryAMartin

Re: origins of......

A Google search for Green Hills of Tyrol leads to
http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/g09.htm which says it's in Cole's One Thousand Fiddle Tunes (1940). I suppose one should check to see if it's the same tune. It seems there's also a waltz, a song, and a highland pipe tune by that title, as well as a jig version of the reel.

# Posted on March 2nd 2005 by GaryAMartin

I just looked it up in my copy of Cole's (page 18) and it is indeed the same tune--the reel, not the jig. And the copyright is 1940.

Which doesn't mean that the composer is necessarily lost to the mists of time, but leans me in the direction that it's "traditional," rather than post-modern. :o)

# Posted on March 2nd 2005 by Will CPT

Thanks, Will. Let's hope Mairtin finds this after Jeremy moved it to where it belongs.

# Posted on March 2nd 2005 by GaryAMartin

Thanks!

yeah, jeremy sent me an email so i could find your comments. that's exactly the information i needed and as copyright lasts generally 60 years, i'd be happy to call the tune traditional aswell. it's just always important to do the reseach into music that you're about to record so i'll let ye know when it comes out - hopefully in late april.

thanks again!

martin.

# Posted on March 2nd 2005 by martin t

"The Green Hills of Tyrol" ~ Jiggin' it in G:

Submitted on September 24th 2004 by Will Harmon.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/3590

# Posted on December 3rd 2005 by ceolachan

The Green Hills Of Tyrol

Tommy Peoples' source is said to be Ryan's Mammoth Collection:

# Posted on March 8th 2007 by Dow

BTW I was surprised to find how common this tune was in sessions in England and Scotland. It seemed like every session I went to over there people were playing this tune.

# Posted on March 8th 2007 by Dow

The spaces are still there in the alternate titles... That seems to cause problems with searches... ? :-/

# Posted on May 6th 2007 by ceolachan

I've dropped a line to Mad Baloney, maybe eliminating those spaces will make the difference?

# Posted on May 6th 2007 by ceolachan

I am slowly going mad?! :-/

# Posted on May 6th 2007 by ceolachan

The reel on top of the jig

I like to play the jig and the reel together, on top of each other. If someone plays the reel, I'll play the jig or vice versa. It always amazes me when people don't notice, but if they do, you can immediatly slip back into their timing so as not to put them off.

Don't knock it till you try it.

# Posted on November 12th 2007 by llig leahcim

A friend of mine e-mailed me his transcription of Tommy Peoples' version of this tune to post here. Compare with the setting in Ryan's Mammoth Collection.

X: 1
T: Green Hills of Tyrol
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
S: Tommy Peoples
|: BG G/2G/2G BGAd | BGDC B,G,DC | B,/2B,/2B, B,D ECEG | FDEF GAdc |
BG G/2G/2G BGAd | BGDC B,G,DC | B,/2B,/2B, B,D ECEG |1 FDEF G2GA :|2 FDEF G2ga ||
|: bg~g2 egdb | caBg AfGe | FdEc DBCA | B,GA,F G,A,B,D |
GABc dBGB | ABcA BGDC | B,/2B,/2B, B,D ECEG |1 FDEF G2ga :|2 FDEF G2GA ||

# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Dow