The Rambling Pitchfork

jig

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.

This tune has been added to 487 tunebooks.

Also known as An Píce Ar Fán, Baxter's, Clar-claigean An Moncaí, Clár-Cloigeann An Moncaí, The Monkey's Forehead, Ramblin' Pitchfork, Rambling Pitchfork, Roland's U-Turn, Rollicking Dandy, The Rollicking Dandy.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• 1891-1945 Disc 2 by Michael Coleman
• A Dance Visit To Ireland by McCusker Brothers Ceilidhe Band
• An Ghaoth Anair (The West Wind) by Na Fili
• Ar An Bhfidil by Oisin MacDiarmada
• Bandalised by Vin Garbutt
• BEO! by Jean-Michel Veillon And Yvon Riou
• Champions Of Ireland Concertina by Denise Shiel
• Classic Ceili Bands by Various Artists
• Close To The Bone by Robbie O'Connell
• Cnoc Bui by Conal Ó'Gráda
• Collection Of Jigs And Reels by Shaskeen
• Doublin' by Paddy Glackin And Paddy Keenan
• Farewell To Ireland CD 2 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
• Father And Son Of Scotland by Jimmy Shand Jnr
• Fifty-Odd Years by Jimmy Power
• Foinn Seisiun 1 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• Folktrax 154 - The Sligo Fiddler: Michael Coleman by Michael Coleman
• Fortune Favours The Merry by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
• Grianan by Grianan MTC
• Her Mantle So Green by Margaret Barry And Michael Gorman
• Hidden Fermanagh Vol.2 by Various Artists
• Humours Of Lissadell by Seamus And Manus McGuire
• In Tandem by Kevin Burke And Ged Foley
• In Your Ear by Seamus Egan
• Ireland's Best Session Tunes CD 2 by Waltons Recording
• Irish Pennywhistle Taught By Cathal McConnell by Cathal McConnell
• Irish Traditional Music And Song by Shaskeen
• Kitty Lie Over by Mick O'Brien And Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
• Late... In The Night by Christy Barry, Conor McCarthy, Cyril O'Donoghue
• Live At The Crane by Dusty Banjos
• Live At Trinity Hall by Trinity Hall Session Players
• Live In Lisdoonvarna by The Kilfenora Ceili Band
• Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples by Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples
• Melodeon by John Gannon
• Mountain Air by Brendyn Montgomery And Mike Considine
• Music From French Newfoundland by Ron Felix, Ivan White, Ron And Gerry Formanger, Ed Doucette
• Paddy Keenan by Paddy Keenan
• Piper's Choice Volume 1 by Various Artists
• Piper's Dance by Ballycastle
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume II by Various Artists
• Set Dancing Downunder by The Coast Ceili Band
• Seven Years Of Listening by Mick O'Brien And Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
• Special Instrumental - Le Fiddle Irlandais Par Ted Furey by Ted Furey
• Sunday After Mass by Denis O Connor And Con Moynihan
• Swingin' From The Lightbulbs by Josh O Loughlin And Mairtin Quigley
• The Art Of Traditional Fiddle Playing by Matt Cranitch
• The Best Ever Traditional Irish Pub Session Volume Two by Various Artists
• The Bunch Of Keys: The Complete Recordings Of Johnny Doran by Johnny Doran
• The Coleman Country Ceili Band by The Coleman Country Ceili Band
• The Floating Bowhand by Jim McKillop
• The Frost Is All Over by Paul McGrattan
• The Heather Breeze by Heathery Breeze Ceili Band
• The Liffey Banks by Tommy Potts
• The Master Pipers Volume 1 by Johnny Doran
• The McDonaghs Of Ballinafad And Friends by Larry And Michael Joe McDonagh
• The Music Makers: Celebrating 35 Years Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
• The Silver Spire by Karen Tweed
• The Sligo Indians by Tony DeMarco
• The Sligo Indians by Tony DeMarco
• The Sound Of Coleman Country by Various Artists
• The Wheels Of The World, Early Irish American Music, Vol. 1 by Various Artists
• The Whirlwind by Paddy Glackin And Robbie Hannan
• Traditional Irish Music by William Sullivan
• Traditional Irish Music by James Kelly
• Traditional Irish Music (traditional Music Session From Belfast) by Various Artists
• Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 2 by Sean Ryan And Peter Carberry
• Tripping Down The Stairs by Spiral Seisiún
• Up And Coming - Ó Ghlúin Go Glúin by Oisín And Conal Hernon
• Wae's Me For Prince Charlie by Battlefield Band
• Where Old Ghosts Meet by Aidan Crossey
• Young Irish Musicians Weekend Vol. 1 by James Kelly, Paddy O'Brien, Tommy Martin, Daithi Sproule, Fintan Vallely

X: 1
T: Rambling Pitchfork, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
F2F AFF|dFF AFF|G2G ABc|ded cAG|
FEF AFF|dFF AFF|GFG BAG|FDD D3:|
d2e fed|ecA ABc|dcd fed|faf gfe|
d2e fed|ecA BAF|GFG BAG|FDD D3:|

Here's a lovely tune that sounds nice when it's played with a "lilting" feeling.

The setting of the tune here includes a few slight variations on the melody. Compare the first four bars to the next four. Some of the longer notes have been replaced with triplets.

To give this tune a nice lilt, try sliding up to the long notes. This works especially well on the opening F in the first part, and the opening D of the second part.

If you're playing the fiddle or banjo, keep your finger on the F for the first few bars, and use cross bowing/picking. This is a technique that is more often used in reels, "The Mountain Road" for example.

# Posted on June 2nd 2001 by Jeremy

"The Rambling Pitchfork"

Key signature: D minor & 4-part
Submitted on January 1st 2004 by Christopher Reynolds.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/2329

# Posted on December 15th 2005 by ceolachan

Roland's U-Turn

Here's a different setting of the tune called "Roland's U-Turn". I transcribed it from the "Late In the Night" CD , live at O'Conner's in Doolin. It's a really nice version...has some extra flare...

X: 1
T: Roland's U-Turn
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
Q: 1/8 = 400
R: jig
K: Fmaj
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2G A2B | d2d cAG|
F2F AGF | cAG AGF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|: ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2G A2B | d2d cAG |
|[1 ~f3 fcF | FAc fcA | G2A BAG | AFD D3 :|
|[2 fef gfg | afd cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | g2g gec |
| d2e fed | ede A2=B | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||
|| d2e fed | ede A=B^c | d2e fed | afa def |
| afd gec| fed cAF | G2A BAG | AFD D3 ||

# Posted on May 5th 2006 by Grack

Scottish pipes version (w flattened c)

to be heard on one of BattlefieldBand's albums ('wae's me... ' or 'there is a buzz' perhaps)

# Posted on October 4th 2006 by birlibirdie

"The Rambling Pitchfork" ~ courtesy of Michael Dunn, Irish fiddler, Lancashire

X: 3
T: The Rambling Pitchfork
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: D Major
|: E |\
F3 AFF | dFF AFD | GFG ABc | ded cAG |
FAF AFF | dFF AFD | GFG BAB | AFD D2 :|
|: A |\
d2 e fed | ecA AFA | dcd efg | faf gfe |
[1 dcd fed | ecA AGF | GFG BAB | AFD D2 :|
[2 a2 f gfe | fed ecA | GFG BAB | AFD D2 |]

Michael Dunn is likely the current longest serving and oldest Irish fiddler in Lancashire, a great character, good craic...

# Posted on November 23rd 2007 by ceolachan

Anyone know where this tune is called "The flat skulled monkey"? I'm not disputing it as a name, I always love to see the Gaelic originals (or translations) for tunes, it's just a very unusual one.

# Posted on February 28th 2008 by DonallDubh

"Roland's Return" ~ minor relatives

Key signature: d minor
Submitted on August 2nd 2008 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8777

& a different take ~

"Roland's Return"
Key signature: F Major (d minor)
Submitted on April 6th 2007 by joesmith.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7046

For another comparison to these see "Roland's U-Turn" above...

# Posted on August 2nd 2008 by ceolachan

I heard a longer version of this song that actually starts in E dorian with irish bagpipes playing a D drone...

# Posted on August 12th 2008 by feadog06

Recorded by Felix Doran in 1949:

http://www.archive.org/details
/FelixDoranDoransFancyTheRamblingPitchfork

# Posted on August 28th 2008 by Ramiro

love this tune
a little video of me and a few friends from around the world at our 'online session'...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH3RAmE_ZW8

# Posted on February 8th 2009 by chansherly212