John D - Posted - 06/19/2009:  08:25:37

The tune of the week for 6/19/09 is the Irish Jig "Tripping up the Stairs." AKA as "Tripping Upstairs." It's in D and I use double D tuning.
I didn't learn this tune the usual way: Hear it someplace, fall in love with it, get the title, find the sheet music, and then arrange it for CH. I instead became interested in this tune after stumbling over the title on The Session web site. I became interested in the tune's title because I trip when I'm going upstairs at a rate of about five trips to every one trip if I'm going downstairs, and also because the title brings to mind so many wholesome activites from old-time days gone by. So, what's the tune like? Is it trippy? What measure contains the actual trip? I didn't hear this tune played until I had learned to play it.

When I first started to learn this tune I was a little concerned because the A part sounds more than a little bit singsongy or nurseryrhymey. (Think "Off She Goes"). In other words, I was wondering if the tune was going to be cool enough for me to want to add to my repertoire. My worries were over when I figured out the B part. The B part - with the coolass Bm at the begining - rescues this jig from having to go on a one way trip to HumptyDumptyville, IMHO. The trip in my version only takes place in the A part, the 2nd time the tune is played.
Point is: it's fun to find and learn tunes based only on the title. So many interesting titles, so little time.

Here's the tune on my music page:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...usicid=13340

Here's some ugly tab. Pretty much note for note of The Sessions version. This is the first time I've dealt with tab since 1981. I hope it makes sense:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...28&albumid=0

Here's the sheet music and info from The Session:

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/111p

Here's info from the Fiddler's Companion Site:

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/TRIP.htm


Some youtube versions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7VhdN5lhvA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGin6mh6Rsg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czcb...=PL&index=28

If you just google Tripping up the Stairs, you find lots of other sheet music versions as well as lots of sound files. I guess it's pretty popular.

John D

Alan Butterfield - Posted - 06/19/2009:  08:48:56

Nice tune choice, and fantastic playing! I've played this tune on my tenor banjo, but haven't tried to clawhammer it.

I like how you go up the neck on the 3rd and 4th strings (instead of alternate-string-POs). Does that help you maintain the awesome drive you have with your jigs?

I know what you mean with the nurseryrhyme comment. Alot of irish jigs are rescued by a cool B part, such as a change in key or mode, or even just an unexpected melodic direction. Connaughtman's Rambles is another well-known "D" jig that makes a similar shift to B minor in the B part.

Alan

John D - Posted - 06/19/2009:  11:22:27

Thanks for the nice comments, Alan. Yeah, I don't do Alternate string hos and pos because they are, for me, drive killers. Others can perform ASHOPOs perfectly but I just never got the hang of it.

John D

jkmacman - Posted - 06/19/2009:  13:30:29

this one i think they call satches jig too, in a couple of books

try it with cannoughtman's father o flyn's kesh and/or out on the ocean

hasten the wedding and or jerry's beaver hat, & battering ram

tom clunie - Posted - 06/19/2009:  14:41:15

Well to anyone who says, "You can't CH jigs here it is. Awesome! That noted, I think I will stick with the cowards way and use my tenor. Best! TC

strokestyle - Posted - 06/20/2009:  13:37:06

I am so glad you posted this. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Yigal Zan - Posted - 06/23/2009:  08:40:40

The video at the url below shows Helen McLachan from Melbourne, Australia, FLAT-PICKING jigs, an A-modal one the name of which I do not have, and the Kesh jig, on a 5-string banjo tuned in open-G. The button accordion player is Della Forster, also from Melbourne.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...oID=59443674

John D - Posted - 06/23/2009:  11:35:12

Thanks for that link, Yigal. I love the percussive sound of a flat picked 4 or 5 string. I tried to flat pick but just couldn't get the hang of it. I'm afraid I'll be a CH player until they gently pull away my cold dead index finger and thumb from the 3rd and 4th string of my banjo.

John D

Yigal Zan - Posted - 06/27/2009:  17:08:56

You might want to check the video at:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...oID=59654306

In this video Helen plays the mandolin and Della the button accordion. Tripping Up The Stairs is last in the 3-jig medley. The other are The Blackthorn Stick and the Lilting Banshee. Yigal

Edited by - Yigal Zan on 06/27/2009 17:15:48