Jig, G, traditional Irish
Tell Her I Am is a traditional Irish jig with a mysterious and playful name. It’s sometimes played as a two-part tune, and sometimes with three parts — the version here follows the three-part setting, from the playing of Michael Coleman, The Tulla Céilí Band, Michael Gorman, and Martin Hayes. As for the title, we’re left to wonder what “I am” she’s supposed to be told!
“Tell Her I Am”
One story of the tune’s title is that a young woman had a friend ask Michael Coleman, on stage, if he was betrothed. His reply was to play this tune.
Photo by Cat Brown, used with permission.
Recordings
- Video – Brian Conway and Tony DeMarco: Tell Her I Am/Ritchie Dwyer’s Jig – from the album The Apple in Winter – Irish Music in New York (2006)
- Video – Michael Coleman: The Trip To Sligo, Tell Her I Am (1927) – fiddle (Michael Coleman) with piano (Edward Lee). (Tell Her I Am starts at time 1:40 in this recording.)
- Video – Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill: Tell Her I Am / Gallagher’s Frolics – from the album
The Lonesome Touch
Playlist – TrailJams Listening Series
Listen to a curated playlist (virtual album) of recordings of Tell Her I Am. Absorb the tune by hearing it in multiple settings and arrangements. Listen, loop, and learn.
Sheet Music
As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.
Play-along Tracks
Sets
Examples of sets that include this tune.
- Frolic and Tell Jig Set: Tell Her I Am (G) / Gallagher’s Frolics (E Dorian)
- Castle Frolics Jig Set: Tell Her I Am (G) / Gallagher’s Frolics (E Dorian, Em) / The Castle (Sean Ryan’s Jig, A Dorian)
- The Trip to Sligo / Tell Her I Am
- Tell Her I Am / The Merry Old Woman
- Tell Her I Am / The High Part of the Road
References and Resources
For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.
- More Recordings
- Audio – Clancy, McGrath & Quinn: Jigs – Tell Her I Am, The High Part Of The Road – tenor banjo with guitar and bodhran. From the album Tell Her I Am (Dublin, Ireland, 2023).
- Video – Michael Gorman: Tell Her I Am / The Merry Old Woman – fiddle with flute, from the album The Sligo Champion
- Video – The Tulla Ceili Band: Tell Her I Am / Gallagher’s Frolics (Jigs) – from the album 60th Anniversary Celebration
- Video – Comhaltas: Tell Her I Am – from the album Foinn Seisiún 2: Traditional Irish Session Tunes, published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
- Books
- Book & Audio – Shannon Heaton: Oil for the Chain, Traditional and Original Irish Music – with audio tracks of the tunes played on flute; no chords.
- Book – Foinn Seisiún, Volume 2 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
- Lessons
- Lesson – Hatao (hatao’s Irish tune of the day): Tell Her I am (Double Jig, G Dorian) – video lesson. Tune played on flute with on-screen sheet music.
- Lesson – Ben Hockenberry: Tell Her I Am (Jig) on Irish tenor banjo, Rochester CCE Learners’ Session – video lesson. Tune played on tenor banjo with on-screen sheet music.
- Lesson – Frank Kilkelly (Irishtradguitar): Tell Her I am – video lesson for rhythm guitar Guitar tuned to DADGBD (Double Dropped D). Melody played on button accordion. On-screen guitar chords.
- Additional Resources
- Webpage – The Session: Tell Her I Am (Jig) – crowdsourced sheet music comments and more
- Webpage – IrishTune.info: Tell Her I Am – archival information about the tune, curated by Alan Ng