Jump to content

Tune Of The Month For March, 2013: The Fiery Clockface


Jim Besser

Recommended Posts

For our first Tune of the Month, here's The Fiery Clockface, a cracking good jig. I believe it's English in origin and goes back to at least the 1850s. Around here, in the Washington DC area, it's a popular tune on the contra dance circuit. Pretty easy to play, and lots you can do with it!

 

Here's a sample - me playing on a Jeffries 30 button G/D.

 

ABCs:

 

X: 1
T:The Fiery Clockface
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:D
d2d D2E|F2G A2B|=c2c E2F|G2A B2c|
d2d D2E|F2G A3|Bcd edc|d3-d3:|
|:f2f def|g2f e2d|c2B A2B|c2d e3|
f2f def|g2f e2d|c2a gfe|d3-d3:|

 

But that's just a rough guide; I've heard lots of interesting variations of this tune.

 

Give it a try and post the results under this topic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 134
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

There's a problem here (or is it just me?). Your ABC file has C's and F's which are presumably C#'s and F#'s, as the key is D. But the tune you play has both C naturals and C#'s, so your ABC is not differentiating between them.

 

Is there a way round this in ABC (I guess there must be)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jim's abc is technically correct (the only c naturals are in the third measure), but perhaps this would be clearer:

X: 1
T:The Fiery Clockface
M:6/8
R:Jig
K:D
d2d D2E|F2G A2B|=c2c E2F|G2A B2^c|
d2d D2E|F2G A3|Bcd edc|d3-d3:|
|:f2f def|g2f e2d|c2B A2B|c2d e3|
f2f def|g2f e2d|c2a gfe|d3-d3:|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've also heard the tune played with an interesting variation in the B part: the first C is a Cnatural, the second is a Csharp.

 

This is perhaps a little closer to what I play (I learn by ear, mostly, and this is the way the tune is commonly played around here)

X: 1T:Fiery ClockfaceM:6/8L:1/8R:JigN:http://www.lesession.co.ukZ:Steve Mansfield 1998-2001K:DA | d2 d D2 E | F2 G A2 B | =c2 =c E2 F | G2 A B2 c |d2 d D2 E | F2 G A2 A | Bcd edc | d3 d2 :: e |f2 f def | g2 f e2 d | c2 B A2 B | c2 d e2 e |f2 f def | g2 f e2 d | cBA B2 c | d3 d2 :|
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe the few times I've heard this the rhythms were just too smooth, but I hardly thought of this as a jig...it was almost like a reel. I guess we are sloppy about timing out here in the backwoods.

 

Or maybe it becomes a tune by another name when one does that and that is the source of my confusion....?

 

Ken

who has many sources of confusion!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here's my entry.

 

https://soundcloud.com/dr-sleep-1/fiery-clockface-barnert

 

Once through on my 46-key Wheatstone Hayden Duet.

 

I didn't know this tune until I saw it here this morning. My arrangement ("setting," if you will) uses a trick I learned from a pianist I used to play with, going from the D chord to the C chord by passing through C# in the bass. Then, to get back to D, I play the A chord before we hear the C# in the melody to emphasize the tonality. Also my signature "parallel tenths" turn up near the end of the A section and pretty much take control of the B section.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here's my entry.

 

https://soundcloud.com/dr-sleep-1/fiery-clockface-barnert

 

Once through on my 46-key Wheatstone Hayden Duet.

 

I didn't know this tune until I saw it here this morning. My arrangement ("setting," if you will) uses a trick I learned from a pianist I used to play with, going from the D chord to the C chord by passing through C# in the bass. Then, to get back to D, I play the A chord before we hear the C# in the melody to emphasize the tonality. Also my signature "parallel tenths" turn up near the end of the A section and pretty much take control of the B section.

 

 

Really nice version! I love the harmonies. I tried something similar, but it's a lot harder on a 30 button Anglo. Still, some ideas in your version that I plan to steal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like all renditions. Since there is no one within reasonable distance it would be very helpful to me if one of you, perhaps Besser, could insert into the ABC the chords as he plays them. I tried for years to find someone to help me with this, maybe now? :) Please?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like all renditions. Since there is no one within reasonable distance it would be very helpful to me if one of you, perhaps Besser, could insert into the ABC the chords as he plays them. I tried for years to find someone to help me with this, maybe now? :) Please?

 

I actually don't know how to read/write ABCs. David Barnert, can you do this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like all renditions. Since there is no one within reasonable distance it would be very helpful to me if one of you, perhaps Besser, could insert into the ABC the chords as he plays them. I tried for years to find someone to help me with this, maybe now? :) Please?

 

Here's another version I found on the Web with simple chords. Somewhat different take on the melody, but that's great, it's what this is all about!

 

 

X:6004
T:Fiery Clock Face
T:Coal-hole, The
R:Jig
C:Trad. Song, 1888
O:Newcastle England
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:1/8=280
K:D
A|"D"d2 d D2 E|F2 G A2 B|"C"=c2 =c E2 F|G2 A "A7"B2 c|
"D"d2 d D2 E|F2 G A2 A|"G"Bcd "A7"e2 c|"D"d3 d2:|
|:d/e/|"D"f2 f def|"G"g2 f e2 d|"A"c2 B A2 B|"A7"c2 d e2 ^e|
"D"f2 f def|"Em"g2 f e2 d|"A7"cBA B2 c|"D"d3 d2:|
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, apologies, I think I get it now. " =c " means c-natural, right? I wasn't trying to actually use the ABC file (not clever enough for that), just read it visually (obviously not clever enought for that either).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is an alternative way of playing the A part .Played on my G D box along the D and G rows

We played this option as a band for a couple of times through ,but Jim and David are playing the proper version.

Should start another war !!

Well done Jim for starting this topic I hope this does not spoil it.

Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...