I have been trying to learn Mrs. Crotty's version of The Wind That Shakes The Barley. She plays it in G. I plugged it into Audactiy and slowed it down by 25% saved that as 'WTSB Med' and then slowed that version down another 25% for 'WTSB Slow'. For some strange reason when I slowed it down with Audacity it ended up in D which is what everyone else plays it in. That was a bonus. Dont know how I did it but its a bonus. The med and regular versions are both in G. Weird. So I started learning it in the slowest version which was in D and it wasnt a big problem. When I was ready to move to the next faster version I noticed it was now in G. Oh well, so I learned it at that speed in D and G. I figure the more keys I can play it in the better. Today I moved it down the circle and learned it in C. All of a sudden a light went off in my head. In C it lays out nicely in the C Home row. I I was playing it in G 'across' the rows, so now I just copied what I was doing on the C row and kept the tune all on the G row. Now I can fumble through the home row and across the rows.
My question to the the people who actuallly know what they are doing, vice me who is just sort of stumbling through the dark and trying to learn my way by feel, how does Mrs Crotty actually play it? Does she play cross the rows or does she play strictly on the G row?

Here is a version played by Noel Hill. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MWosPa3SuNM
I think that it is across the rows for some of his triplets, but the left hand is punching G triad, and some G with low D ( piping stops) as harmony. I have never played with or attended a workshop with Noel,but I believe him to use a press d in most tunes ( reinforcing the G row for the tune). Crotty named it the Reel with the Beryl.






quote name='mthatcher61' date='Apr 22 2008, 07:55 AM' post='71065']
I have been trying to learn Mrs. Crotty's version of The Wind That Shakes The Barley. She plays it in G. I plugged it into Audactiy and slowed it down by 25% saved that as 'WTSB Med' and then slowed that version down another 25% for 'WTSB Slow'. For some strange reason when I slowed it down with Audacity it ended up in D which is what everyone else plays it in. That was a bonus. Dont know how I did it but its a bonus. The med and regular versions are both in G. Weird. So I started learning it in the slowest version which was in D and it wasnt a big problem. When I was ready to move to the next faster version I noticed it was now in G. Oh well, so I learned it at that speed in D and G. I figure the more keys I can play it in the better. Today I moved it down the circle and learned it in C. All of a sudden a light went off in my head. In C it lays out nicely in the C Home row. I I was playing it in G 'across' the rows, so now I just copied what I was doing on the C row and kept the tune all on the G row. Now I can fumble through the home row and across the rows.
My question to the the people who actuallly know what they are doing, vice me who is just sort of stumbling through the dark and trying to learn my way by feel, how does Mrs Crotty actually play it? Does she play cross the rows or does she play strictly on the G row?
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Hi Lawrence,
Reel with the Beryl is the second tune that Mrs Crotty plays directly after she plays 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley' three times in G. Then she switches to the second tune 'Reel with the Beryl in Em and plays that twice through. I am refferring to the first track on Mrs Crotty's CD 'Concertina Music From West Clare'.

"Crotty named it the Reel with the Beryl"

Interesting, after listening to Noel tear it up on that video and also on his 1982 CD the Irish Concertina, his versions stay pretty much the same. I can't wait to try this one slowed down with Audacity.

Got it, don't have a cd of the recording, just a hand me down cassette with scribbles.
I loved his comment to the presenter whom I believe to be Iarla O'Lionáird. The same series from Clarebannerman on youtube has a brilliant clip of James Kelly playing the Foxhunter's reel ( version from Patrick Kelly) in cross tuning. he presenter is mesmerized.

I think maybe the normal key of Wind that shakes the Barley is A mixylodian - i.e. a modal form of A?. Played with C# and F# sharpened but G naturals. That is starting on A-AB AFED.
I must listen to Mrs.Crotty's and see what she plays it in. You must know that in Clare they like(d) playing in 'odd' keys - I'm not very good on the theory but they often revolve around the C scale, even if in other keys - is it F min? These give the Clare music that special feel. I suspect but I don't know that this maybe because of the influence of the C/G concertina in Clare music. They may have, for simplicity, just stuck to the C row to play tunes in, rather than cross rowing to play in D etc.? Perhaps this then influenced the fiddlers?

I was playing it there last night and it does go very easily on the C row - almost plays itself. I think that makes it modal form of G - G mixylodian as it now has one flat - an Fnat. But then I could be misreading the key - I always think in terms of the note I would hold at the end when I finish playing a tune which usually indicates the home key. In this case I'd tend to end on a G. See http://www.slowplayers.org/SCTLS/modes.htm for more detail on modes.
'Rolling in the Ryegrass' is similar and I was also enjoying the Killavil and Winne Hayes jigs - normally I play these in E minor on flute but they fit very nicely on the C row too - puts them into D dorian and they have a nice mellow feel.
Maybe someone here who is familiar with Clare style will advise.