Key: Em (-ish)
Form: Slip jig (three-part)
MP3: (Melody emphasis)
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MP3: (Harmony emphasis)
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MP3: (Slow for learning)
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Sheet Music: Click image to enlarge.
Melody
Harmony
Bass clef & Cello
Sheet Music in PDF:
Butterfly-Melody
Butterfly-Harmony
Butterfly-BassClef & Cello
ABC:
X: 1 T: The Butterfly R: slip jig M: 9/8 L: 1/8 K: Emin |:"Em"B2E G2E "D"F3|"Em"B2E G2E "D"FED|"Em"B2E G2E "D"F3|"C"B2d d2B "D"AGA:| |:"C"B2c e2f g3|"D/B"B2e g2e dBA|"Am"B2c e2f g2a|"C"b2a g2e "D"dBA:| |:"Em"B3 B2A G2A|B3 BAB "D"dBA|"Em"B3 B2A "G"G2A|"C"B2e g2e "D"dBA:|
YouTube: (Fiddle)
YouTube: (Lute)
Source: Tommy Potts*
Other Tunes in Set: Snowy Path
Region: Ireland
*Notes: According to the annotation on The Traditional Tune Archive, “Composition of the “The Butterfly” is credited to fiddler Tommy Potts (1912-1988), who knew the first two parts of the tune from his father, John, an Uilleann piper (Chieftains member Sean Potts is Tommy’s nephew). … Caoimhin Mac Aoidh gives that Potts was working in his garden one day when he noticed the erratic flight of a butterfly flitting about. Intrigued, Potts tried to mimic the rhythm of the insect while he continued to work in the garden, and was inspired to come up with a third part for the tune. The two existing parts were altered rhythmically to fit.”