The Session >> Tunes >> The Blackbird (hornpipe)

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The Blackbird

hornpipe

Key signature: Dmixolydian

Submitted on May 19th 2005 by slainte.

This tune has been added to 40 tunebooks.

Also known as An Londubh.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Blackbird, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Dmix
|:dc|B2BG A2(3AB^c|dcAF G2FG|AFDE FAGF|DEFG Aedc|
B2BG A2(3AB^c|dcAF G2FG|AFDE FAGF|D2D^C D2:|
|:FG|Add^c d2(3efg|fded cAGB|Add^c dfag|f2d2 d2(3gfe|
dcAF G2(3AB^c|d2AG F2DE|FGAF GBAG|F2D2 D2:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Blackbird sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Blackbird

A beautiful tune from Angelina Carberry and Martin Quinn's beautiful duet playing. I've been waiting for someone to post it, but ended up learning it by myself. There are several tunes known as "The Blackbird," or "An Londubh," but this is interestingly different from other settings. Bothy Band actually recorded three different settings of the tune in a set: this is the last one and played as a reel.

# Posted on May 19th 2005 by slainte

A slightly simpler version is on another beautiful album, Mick O'Brien and Kevin O'Reilly's "Kitty Lie Over."

# Posted on May 19th 2005 by slainte

Hornpipe or reel

Why is it listed as a hornpipe if you say this is a reel version? I'm puzzled.

# Posted on May 20th 2005 by Henk Bos

I think what slainte means is that the Bothy Band played this version of the Blackbird as a reel, but his source for the version is the Carberry/Quinn recording, on which it is played as a hornpipe.

# Posted on May 20th 2005 by GaryAMartin

Parts mixed up ?

If this is what Carberry and Quinn are playing, then I reckon that they, or whoever they learned it from, has mixed up the parts from 2 different tunes. “The Bothy Band” never played the first part of this tune as posted, but the 2nd part is correct. The first part is played as an un-named hornpipe by Mairtin O’Connor on his recording “The Connaughtman’s Rambles”, but with a different 2nd part.

# Posted on May 20th 2005 by Kenny

Two tunes mixed up? We need to thank Angelina and Martin for their creative mistake! My transcription might not be perfect, but this is almost what they recorded on their duet album.

You can find the Bothey Band version of this tune in Norbeck's tune collection. It's listed as set dance #6. Don't ask me why it's not posted as a reel!

# Posted on May 20th 2005 by slainte

Quite different from the Blackbird I know! I'll try and post it.

# Posted on May 22nd 2005 by Conway

An Londubh (hornpipe)

I might misremember, but Mick O'Brien and Kevin O'Reilly recorded this setting of the hornpipe like this:

K: D
FG|~A3B A2Bc|d2AG F2D2|FGAF GBAG|F2D2 D2:|
FG|Addc d2eg|fdec dcAB|Addc dfag|f2d2 d2fe|
dcAF G2(3ABc|d2AG F2D2|FGAF GBAG|F2D2 D2:|

Here's another hornpipe setting: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4101

# Posted on April 21st 2006 by slainte

Another take on Mick O'Brien and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh's setting

Kick and Kevin recorded this on "Kitty Lie Over" in Bb. Here's my transposition into D. A little different from Slainte's transcription.

X: 1
T: Londubh
T: Blackbird, The
S: Mick O’Brien and Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh, Kitty Lie Over
N: Recorded in Bb; transposed here to D “as played”
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K:D
B3d A2 A/B/c|d2 AG (3FGF D2|FGAF GBAG|(3FGF D2 DFGA|
~B3d A2 Bc|d2 AG (3FGF D2|FGAF GBAG|(3FGF D2 DEFG||
Addc dfeg|fded cAGB|Addc deag|(3fgf d2 d2 fe|
dcAF G2 A/B/c|d2 AG (3FGF D2|FGAF GBAG|1 (3FGF D2 DEFG :|2 (3FGF D2 DFGA||

# Posted on June 9th 2007 by Miss Lonelyhearts

"Kick?" Yikes. Stop me before I type again!

That's Mick O'Brien.

# Posted on June 9th 2007 by Miss Lonelyhearts

I obviously misremembered their version. Thanks Will for correcting me. Now you can listen to them play this on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/kittylieover The reel which follow this hornpipe is Johnny Henry's Favourite, or the Irish version of Donal Blue: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1175/comments#comment138293

# Posted on June 9th 2007 by slainte

From the playing of Tommy Peoples:

X: 1
T: Blackbird, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: played as a reel
D: Tommy Peoples (Bothy Band OOTWITS)
K: Dmix
GA|B2cB A2Bc|d2AG F2DE|FGAF GcAG|F2D2 D2:|
|:(3EFG|Add^c d2eg|fded cAGc|Add^c dfag|f2d2 d2fe|
dcAF G2Ad|~d2AG F2DE|FGAF GcAG|F2D2 D2:|

# Posted on June 23rd 2008 by Dow

Oops, I meant Kevin Burke.

# Posted on June 23rd 2008 by Dow

This is the version I posted, without realising the tune was already here:

X: 1
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
B4 A2 (3ABc | dBAG FEDE | FGAF GBAG |1 F2 D2 D2 dc :||2 F2 D2 D2 dB || Addc d2 (3efg | fdec dcBc | Addc dfag | f2 d2 d2 fe | dBAF G2 (3ABc | dBAG FEDE | FGAF GBAG |1 F2 D2 D2 dB :||2 F2 D2 D2 dc ||

I picked it up in sessions in Manhattan, NY, in January '09. Awesome sessions, awesome tunes!

# Posted on July 24th 2009 by Joe CSS

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