Burke, If the Cap Fits (1978)
The reel “Girl Who Broke My Heart” is in Gmix, but in some settings there are the occasional B flats à la Kevin Burke’s If the Cap Fits (1978). As a result it is sometimes thought to be in other keys/modes. This tune, though not a girl, inspires discussions that can break your heart if you spend time working on modes. So, just to be clear, the key signature of Gmix has no sharps (or flats), not one, and so that signature could designate the following: C Ionian, D Dorian, G Mixolydian, or A Aeolian. Just which of these the tune is actually in would make little difference to a melody players, of course, since the melody is not the melody which alters when it alteration finds. However, anyone accompanying the tune would find that the only chords that make sense are in Gmix, viz., G, Am, C, Dm, F. I know modes are pretty confusing to many people, novice and seasoned players alike. Melody players can play with alternate settings, throwing in flatted notes or sharped ones, but there are still only certain chord patterns that will make sense unless you prefer Trazz, or seek to explore twelve-tone Trassical music. In essence, there are all sorts of nonsense out there, and it’s important to keep clear of it. The way to do that is to keep reading!
Heaton, Dearga (2003)
Our tune is also on Kevin Burke’s album Sweeney’s Dream (1973), De Dannan’s Hibernian Rhapsody (1995), Matt and Shannon Heaton’s Dearga (2003), and Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill’s Welcome Here Again (2007); and the tune is #1176 in O’Neill’s 1850 (1903), and #456 in O’Neill’s 1001 (1907).
For the ABC click Girl Who Broke My Heart
Girl Who Broke My Heart, slow tempo (David Agee, fiddle)
Girl Who Broke My Heart, med tempo (David Agee, fiddle)
Girl Who Broke My Heart, the dots
Girl Who Broke My Heart
One Comment
Re: “Girl Who broke…” I read your commentary and laughed out loud at the very witty Shakespeare sonnet allusion.
My day is off to an excellent start!