The Peacock’s Feather #1

Hornpipe, D Dorian, Traditional Irish
TrailJams Tune of the Week for: June 17, 2021; November 5, 2023

The Peacock's Feather #1. Traditional Irish Hornpipe. TrailJams Tune of the Week. Play it together November 5, 2023.

This traditional Irish hornpipe is the first of two companion tunes named The Peacock’s Feather. This one, in its minor key, sets the stage so that the second tune can dazzle and strut in its major key.

Recordings

Dots (Music Notation)

The Traditional tune is transcribed here in D Dorian. (D Dorian: same key signature as C Major, resolves to Dm chord and D note. Sometimes called “modal minor.”) This version is transcribed (and simplified) from the playing of Katherine Liley and Martin MacDonald; Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn. The tune changes from D Dorian to D Major in the first 2 measures of the B part. 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.

Sheet music with chords for The Peacock's Feather #1, traditional Irish hornpipe in D Dorian. Arrangement by Jonathan Lay. trailjams.org

Play from the Dots
Slow tempo 50bpm
Moderate tempo 70bpm

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

References and Resources

For those that want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.