Key signature: Ddorian
Submitted on September 23rd 2009 by Joe CSS.
This tune has been added to 52 tunebooks.
Also known as Back To Belfast, Nipper Quinn's, Nipper Quinns.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Nipperquin's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ddor
DAAD cDdA | AGAG EcGE | DAAD cDdA | AGAc d4 |
DAAD cDdA | AGAG EcGE | DA (3AAA GEcE |1 EGGE D4 :|2 EGGE D2 Ac ||
dcAA AGAc | ecAA AGAc | dcAA AGAc | G2 Ec G2 Ec |
dcAA AGAc | ecAA AGAc | cddc AGcG |1 EGGE D2 Ac :|2 EGGE D4 ||
Nipperquin's
I don't really know much about this tune, except I presume it was written by Brian Finnegan, as there's a load of recent Youtube clips of him playing it. Here's one (I don't know the other tunes in the set, but you just wait): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOwAD5UQnzo&feature=channel_page
I like the fact that it's a tune with no thirds or sixths. So it could be either dorian or mixolydian, or even aeolian for that matter. It definitely sounds dorian though. And very droney.
# Posted on September 23rd 2009 by Joe CSS
Tongued Triplets
For me, it's the tongued triplets on the c-natural, as well as the droning D, that make this tune great. Here's how I here it:
DAAD (3ccc dA- | AGAG EcGE | DAAD (3ccc dA- | AG A/B/c d2z2 |
DAAD (3ccc dA- | AGAG EcGE | D3A GEcE- | EG GE D2AG :|
|: dcAA- AGAc | ecAA- AGAc | dcAA- AGAc | ~G2Ec ~G2Ec |
dcAA- AGAc | ecAA- AGAc | d2dA GEcE- | EG GE D2AG :|
# Posted on March 5th 2010 by jdicarlo
nipperquins
anyone know who wrote this tune,or is it trad?
# Posted on March 21st 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: nipperquins
What a daft question. As if tunes can't be "trad" just because you know who wrote them. And is if, just because no one knows who wrote a tune, it wasn't actally writed by someone.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by ...
Re: nipperquins
"writed" ha, I like that
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by ...
Re: nipperquins
You may have meant "wrighted" as in crafted, like shipwright.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by Rudall the time
Re: nipperquins
ha, yeah, maybe I did. Or maybe I meant righted, as in corrected something that was wrong?
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by ...
Re: nipperquins
To answer the original question though it is a Brian Finnigan composition.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9917
It is a bugbear of mine too though that tunes seem to be divided between "traditional" and "composed by someone". The only difference is that people have been too lazy to remember or find out who wrote a particular tune. Someone always wrote it at some point. The fairies didn't provide them although of course some Shetland tunes were given to the locals by the Trowies.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: nipperquins
NCFA, I saw somewhere (can't recall where though) that this might be a Mike McGoldrick tune.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: nipperquins
Ok - you could be right. I will do some digging around and see if I can get a definite answer.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: nipperquins
I doubt that I'm right. But possibly less misled than usual.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: nipperquins
One of my pet hates ...and those that know me will tell you it's a long list... is when people give alternative names for tune composed recently. No, it's not also know as Crroked Stovepipe #3, it's known as *** because that's what the guy that composed it called it, and he's still alive... Grrr!
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by bc_box_player
Re: nipperquins
NCFA - looking at the comments for Rakish Paddy, we find a convincing claim that it started off as a Scottish tune, Caber Feidh, and that at least one of the Copperplates has the same origin. I haven't looked at the original tune, but assuming that this is all more or less correct, do we really want to say that someone in particular wrote Rakish Paddy and the Copperplate? If so, who? The same person who wrote Caber Feidh? Or someone else?
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: nipperquins
Huh? My point is that every tune was written by someone, whether that was last week or last century. I couldn't tell you who wrote Caber Feidh. At some point though somebody else will have rewritten it to produce Rakish Paddy or the Copperplate. I have no idea who wrote Rakish Paddy but somebody did. It didn't just materialise.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: nipperquins
It likely that Rakish Paddy has just evolved through Chinese whispers and regional variations like many other tunes. I first learned it as an 8 part strathspey, then the older reel version, then heard a highland pipe version of the Irish version and started playing that, then an Irish version and this year learned a version by Breabach which is now my favourite version. Probably introduce that version to our session. For a tune that's 100's of years old it doesn't have to be re-written to evolve and change.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by bogman
Re: nipperquins
It was written by Barry Kerr.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by JimR
Re: nipperquins
If someone makes up a tune (writes is the wrong term surely) in the trad sense, and it's sufficiently different from all the other tunes they know from which they've probably, consciously or sub consciously, taken bits - then why they don't just call it after themselves as in the case of a well known Galway fiddler? That way, the attribution of the tune, is much more likely to survive as it's 'composers' reputation.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: nipperquins
is it's
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: nipperquins
There are lots of tunes named after people who did not compose it - Willie Coleman's being a recently discussed example. Anyway, isn't it a little annoying to have 20 tunes that all go around with the same name eg Paddy Fahy's. No one has any idea what the bloody hell tune you are wanting to play.
)
And I will repeat, just because a tune is called The Humours of x or Trip to y and is labelled as traditional it does not mean that someone did not sit down and compose it at some point.
Some folk have funny ideas.
I must admit though that bogman makes a good point about Caber Feidh/Rakish Paddy.
Oh and thanks to JimR for the info on Nipperquins (assuming that you are not claiming that Barry Kerr wrote Caber Feidh that is!
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: nipperquins
Aren't tunes frequently named after the musician who introduced them and the name John Ryan's etcetera refers to the fact that the tune comes from his repertoire rather than that he necessarily composed it.. After all it's unlikely that Mr Ryan would have called it John Ryan's.
Nipperquins sounds like a character from Dickens.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by eiluned
Re: nipperquins
Re: nipperquins
What a daft question. As if tunes can't be "trad" just because you know who wrote them. And is if, just because no one knows who wrote a tune, it wasn't actally writed by someone
. no it is not a daft question ,the person who wants to know asked me,because they intend to record it, so the composer is entitled to
1. royalties for his composition.
2. the courtesy to give his/her permission to record.
Michael before jumping down my throat, because you dont like me, think before you post,
thanks
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: nipperquins
I've heard that in the case of the Paddy Fahy tunes a researcher has catalogued them (as part of a university dissertation?), so perhaps one day we'll see all 80-odd neatly published with opus numbers, even if they haven't got names.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by Trevor Jennings
Re: nipperquins
Brendy 'Nipper' Quinn is a great trad guitarist from Belfast and Barry Kerr's other half is Brandy's sis.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by iwerzon
Re: nipperquins
Brendy's sis, oops.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by iwerzon
Re: nipperquins
OK then:
What a really badly phrased question. "Anyone know who wrote this tune, OR is it trad?" As if either/or is the only option.
# Posted on March 22nd 2010 by ...
the tune was wrote by Barry Kerr himself!
# Posted on July 15th 2010 by murlach