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    Home > Port

    The cuckoo hornpipe

    Port
    Source Paddy O'Brien Tune Collection
    Key Signature G Major
    Time Signature 4/4
    Number of Parts 2
    Tonic g

    This is one of my favorite tunes to play. It’s also one I’ve reinterpreted in a few ways in terms of how to play it with feeling. I can understand how it got its name when I listen to its second part, having heard the sound of the cuckoo bird when I was a youth. I can still hear it through the sound of this hornpipe. I learned it from several sources, but credit John Kelly as the inspiration behind how I play the tune nowadays.

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    The cuckoo hornpipe

    In copyright - Educational Use Permitted 
     d2 c | BABd cBce | d^cde dBGB | EABd cdcB |
 (3ABA (3GFE D2 dc | BABd cBce | d^cde dBGB | DFAB cD (3EFG |
 AGGF G2 dc || BGDd cA (3FGA | Ddde dBGB | E2 cB AGFG |
 (3ABA (3GFE (3DED B,D | BABd cBce | d^cde dBGB | DFAB cD (3EFG |
 AGGF Ggga || bg{/c'} gg dgBg | bg{/c'} gg dgBg | c'a (3ac'a ea^ca |
 c'a (3ac'a ea^ca | bg (3gbg dgBg | bg{/c'} gg dgbg | (3a^ga =ga faef |
 (3ded ^cd Bdga || bg{/c'} gg dgBg | bg{/c'} gg Bdga | c'a a2 ea^ca |
 c'a (3ac'a eac'a | bg (3gbg dgBg | bg (3gbg dgbg | (3a^ga =ga faef |
 (3ded ^cd Bdgd || BABd cBce | d^cde dBGB | E2 cB AGFG |
 (3ABA (3GFE DG,B,D | BABd cBce | d^cde dBGB | DFAB cD (3EFG |
 AGGF G2 dc || (3BAG Dd cA (3FGA | Ddde dBGB | EBcB AGFG |
 (3ABA (3GFE (3DED B,D | BABd cBce | d^cde dBGB | DFAB cD (3EFG |
 AGGF Ggga || bg{/c'} gg dgBg | bg{/c'} gg dgBg | c'a aa ea^ca |
 c'a (3ac'a ea^ca | bg (3gbg dgBg | bg (3gbg dgbg | (3a^ga =ga faef |
 (3ded ^cd Bdga || bggg dgBg | bg (3gbg dgbg | c'a (3ac'a ea^ca |
 c'a (3ac'a eac'a | bg (3gbg dgBg | bg (3gbg dgbg | (3a^ga =ga faef |
 (3ded ef g4 |

    This ABC was generated by computer