Random Notes

[cboody]

The thread about MacCann instruments had reference to a youtube video of this tune. Really quite wonderful. I don't know how it would fit on an Anglo, but it certainly has a nice lift!

 

X: 1

T:Random Notes

M:6/8

L:1/8

Q:120

S:THSP

R:jig

K:Dmaj

"D"~d3 fed|"A"cea ecA|"G"~B3 efg|"A"Bed cBA|

"D"~d3 fed|"A"cea ecA|"G"BAB efg|"A"Bec "D"d2:|

|:"D"DFA FAd|Adf dfa|afa "G"geg|"D"fdf "A"ecA|

"D"DFA FAd|Adf dfa|"G"dcB fed|"A"cdB ~A3:|

|:"D"a^ga "G"b^ab|gfg "A"a^ga|"D"dcd efg|"G"Bed "A"cBA|

"D"a^ga "G"b^ab|"A"gfg "D"a^ga|dcd "G"efg|"A"Bec "D"d2A:||

Random Notes.pdf

Edited September 8, 2011 by cboody

[Wolf Molkentin]

Really quite wonderful... it certainly has a nice lift!

That's just what I felt. Would have searched the tune by myself otherwise. Thus thank you for this!

[Pete Dunk]

Really quite wonderful... it certainly has a nice lift!

 

[pedant]Point of order, the tune is called Random. I'm not sure when it started to be called Random Notes but that name has even crept into some printed collections now.[/pedant]

 

Random is a great tune and I have always found it challenging on the EC, for me the B part is the toughest bit by far to play fluently. I have no idea what difficulties it offers the anglo player but I'm sure you'll have great fun playing it and a well deserved sense of achievement the first time you get through it without a mistake.

[Boney]

I'm also a fan of the tune. I have recordings by Alistair Anderson, Kathryn Tickell, and Pauline Cato, and they all play the 3rd part something like this (as opposed to the last two lines of the ABC posted above):

 

|:"D"Aaa "G"Bbb|Ggg "A"Aaa|"D"Ddd efg|"G"Bed "A"cBA|

"D"Aaa "G"Bbb|Ggg "A"Aaa|"D"Ddd efg|"A"Bec "D"d2A:||

 

Alistair lists the title as "Random Notes" on his 1975 album, whereas the much more recent albums by Tickell and Cato list it as just "Random."

[Pete Dunk]

I hadn't looked at the abc in the first post but it is indeed quite a long way from the version on the youtube video. I don't want to put anyone's nose out of joint but I think you will find this much closer to the tune as played:

 

X:1

T:Random

M:6/8

L:1/8

Z:Peter Dunk, September 2008

Q:3/8=120

K:D

A | d2 d f(ed) | cea ecA | B2 B d(fg) | Bed cBA | d2 d f(ed) cea ecA |

B2 B d(fg) | B(ec) d2 :: D | DFA FAd | Adf dfa | aga geg fdf ecA |

DFA FAd | Adf dfa | dcd fed c(dB) A2 :: B | Aaa Bbb | Ggg Aaa |

Ddd efg | Bed cBA | Aaa Bbb | Ggg Aaa | Ddd efg | B(ec) d2 :|

[SteveS]

I'm also a fan of the tune. I have recordings by Alistair Anderson, Kathryn Tickell, and Pauline Cato, and they all play the 3rd part something like this (as opposed to the last two lines of the ABC posted above):

 

|:"D"Aaa "G"Bbb|Ggg "A"Aaa|"D"Ddd efg|"G"Bed "A"cBA|

"D"Aaa "G"Bbb|Ggg "A"Aaa|"D"Ddd efg|"A"Bec "D"d2A:||

 

Alistair lists the title as "Random Notes" on his 1975 album, whereas the much more recent albums by Tickell and Cato list it as just "Random."

It's also called Random in the Northumbrian Pipers' Tunebook, from which I learnt it many moons ago.

Wonder if I can still play it?

[cboody]

I hadn't looked at the abc in the first post but it is indeed quite a long way from the version on the youtube video. I don't want to put anyone's nose out of joint but I think you will find this much closer to the tune as played:

 

X:1

T:Random

M:6/8

L:1/8

Z:Peter Dunk, September 2008

Q:3/8=120

K:D

A | d2 d f(ed) | cea ecA | B2 B d(fg) | Bed cBA | d2 d f(ed) cea ecA |

B2 B d(fg) | B(ec) d2 :: D | DFA FAd | Adf dfa | aga geg fdf ecA |

DFA FAd | Adf dfa | dcd fed c(dB) A2 :: B | Aaa Bbb | Ggg Aaa |

Ddd efg | Bed cBA | Aaa Bbb | Ggg Aaa | Ddd efg | B(ec) d2 :|

 

I'm not out of joint! (Nose or otherwise) I looked around for the tune and found 2 versions which differ essentially in the C section. What you have here is the "other" version and is indeed closer to what is played on the video. I've no way of knowing which is "right" so I picked the one I enjoyed more. I'm glad to see the other one here also. I'm playing it both ways. Look carefully at the chords in the one I posted too. You may not like some of them at all.

 

As to the title: There is some reference at thesession.org that it is called "Random Jig" as well as "Random Notes," "The Random," and "Random." Do I care? Well I'm a musicologist, so of course I care, but once I take off that hat "Frankly my dear I don't give a damn." How many Gan Amin tunes do you know? Does it really bother you that they don't have a name? Probably only when someone asks you the name. The version on thesession is the one quoted in this note and not the one I first posted. The tune is by James Hill a 19th century fiddler, apparently of Scottish descent, but living much of his life in Tyneside. That probably explains the Northumbrian connection.

[cboody]

Really quite wonderful... it certainly has a nice lift!

 

[pedant]Point of order, the tune is called Random. I'm not sure when it started to be called Random Notes but that name has even crept into some printed collections now.[/pedant]

 

Random is a great tune and I have always found it challenging on the EC, for me the B part is the toughest bit by far to play fluently. I have no idea what difficulties it offers the anglo player but I'm sure you'll have great fun playing it and a well deserved sense of achievement the first time you get through it without a mistake.

 

 

I'm an EC player. Only mentioned the Anglo because I wanted to indicate I had no clue about the issues on that instrument.

 

Pedantry replied to in the other post I will accept your statement though if you got the information from some unimpeachable source

[spindizzy]

I hadn't looked at the abc in the first post but it is indeed quite a long way from the version on the youtube video. I don't want to put anyone's nose out of joint but I think you will find this much closer to the tune as played:

 

X:1

T:Random

M:6/8

L:1/8

Z:Peter Dunk, September 2008

Q:3/8=120

K:D

A | d2 d f(ed) | cea ecA | B2 B d(fg) | Bed cBA | d2 d f(ed) cea ecA |

B2 B d(fg) | B(ec) d2 :: D | DFA FAd | Adf dfa | aga geg fdf ecA |

DFA FAd | Adf dfa | dcd fed c(dB) A2 :: B | Aaa Bbb | Ggg Aaa |

Ddd efg | Bed cBA | Aaa Bbb | Ggg Aaa | Ddd efg | B(ec) d2 :|

 

I first fell in love with this from the version played by Sarah Graves on her CD "Black Boxes" - she's an EC player. and calls it Random Notes.

This is closer to the version she plays - with the "challenging" C part (at least that's the bit where I always come unstuck - maybe I should try the alternative!)

 

Chris

ps an excellent CD if you can still get hold of it.

[Pete Dunk]

Pedantry replied to in the other post I will accept your statement though if you got the information from some unimpeachable source

 

Well, where do I begin? My main source of information is the Northumbrian Piper's Society but I would doubt that they would consider themselves 'unimpeachable'. You may find two of their publications mildly interesting. The Northumbrian Piper's Tune Book (reprinted and enlarged from a 1936 edition) contains the tune 'Random' although to be fair they don't say which new tunes were added in the reprints.

 

The Fiddle Tunes of James Hill, published by the Northumbrian Piper's contains all of the tunes known to have been written by James Hill and some traditional ones which he played regularly and made popular. The introduction also comments on the number of tunes attributed to him which were doubtful and therefore not included. This is the first time I've heard of Random being attributed to James Hill, the three copies I have are simply marked Trad or not at all.

 

Perhaps we should leave it there eh? Unless of course you have an unimpeachable source naming James Hill as the composer.

[Pete Dunk]

Please note that the above post was made with my tongue firmly in my cheek for much of the time.

[cboody]

Pedantry replied to in the other post I will accept your statement though if you got the information from some unimpeachable source

 

Well, where do I begin? My main source of information is the Northumbrian Piper's Society but I would doubt that they would consider themselves 'unimpeachable'. You may find two of their publications mildly interesting. The Northumbrian Piper's Tune Book (reprinted and enlarged from a 1936 edition) contains the tune 'Random' although to be fair they don't say which new tunes were added in the reprints.

 

The Fiddle Tunes of James Hill, published by the Northumbrian Piper's contains all of the tunes known to have been written by James Hill and some traditional ones which he played regularly and made popular. The introduction also comments on the number of tunes attributed to him which were doubtful and therefore not included. This is the first time I've heard of Random being attributed to James Hill, the three copies I have are simply marked Trad or not at all.

 

Perhaps we should leave it there eh? Unless of course you have an unimpeachable source naming James Hill as the composer.

 

 

Well, my previous comment was definitely tongue in cheek too!

 

And, I'm embarrassed to say the I own the Northumbrian Pipers Tune book(s) and there was Random. I've avoided them for some time because they have (reasonably enough) moved some tunes to keys convenient for the Northumbrian piper, and I wanted to avoid having to relearn tunes in other keys. I guess I should revisit them.... I've no "less impeachable" sources than those you quote. References on thesession, references from a friend who avidly collects tunes and information about them, and a few other such things. I take it Random is not included in the collection of Hill's tunes the NPA published. I wonder if it is in "The Lads Like Beer," which is the other collection mentioned (and apparently POP)

[Pete Dunk]

I take it Random is not included in the collection of Hill's tunes the NPA published. I wonder if it is in "The Lads Like Beer," which is the other collection mentioned (and apparently POP)

 

Random isn't in the James Hill Book but I've no idea if it appeared in "The Lads Like Beer", that was out of print before I was interested in such things I'm afraid.

 

Folk music is so difficult to document, drunken carousers play tunes in public without properly naming either a source or composer then move onto another equally anonymous tune without so much as a 'by your leave'. Scandalous - there should be a law against it!

[Wolf Molkentin]

Scandalous - there should be a law against it!

 

I reckon that's why we use that "abc" camouflage - just preparing for illegality...

[Pete Dunk]

Scandalous - there should be a law against it!

 

I reckon that's why we use that "abc" camouflage - just preparing for illegality...

 

More scandalous than ever! Oh, the shame of it all!

[cboody]

Scandalous - there should be a law against it!

 

I reckon that's why we use that "abc" camouflage - just preparing for illegality...

 

More scandalous than ever! Oh, the shame of it all!

 

 

Just be glad we learned our abcs

[Steve Mansfield]

Well I've been going round for ages under the impression that Random was written by James Hill.

 

CNet - educational as well as entertaining!

[David Barnert]

While we're sniping about versions, where did these chords come from? Most of them are pretty straightforward, but surely the last measure of the B section is E (or E7), A. I'd harmonize the last two measures of B (chord changes every half measure) as D, Bmin, E7, A, or:

 

...|"D"dcB "Bmin"fed|"E7"cdB "A"~A3:|