The Rakes of Mallow

Also called Rakes of Mallow

Type: Polka (2/4)
Key: G
Tuning: GDAE (standard)
Difficulty
Genre: Irish

This is a new transcription that hasn’t been checked against the printed source yet. If a note looks wrong, let me know.

O'Neill's second time through each part fills in the gaps with repeated notes; this setting plays the first time through twice.

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Speed 75% (87 BPM)Loop

Tune to GDAE Metronome at 87 Download ABC

Sheet music and playback need JavaScript. Here is the tab as text:Part A | D3 A1 D3 A1 | D3 A1 L2 1 0 D3 | 2 A0 D2 A0 | D2 A0 3 L2 1 0 | | D3 A1 D3 A1 | D3 A1 3 1 | L2 1 0 D3 2 3 A0 L2 | 1 D3 3 | Part B | EL2 1 0 A3 L2 | 1 L2 3 1 | EL2 1 0 A3 L2 | 1 E0 A0 | | EL2 1 0 A3 L2 | 1 L2 3 1 | L2 1 0 D3 2 3 A0 L2 | 1 D3 3 |

Reading the tab

Each note shows its string and finger: A0 is the open A string, 2 is your second finger. The letter only appears when you change string. L means low (finger back, a half step down) and H means high. A plain 2 is the usual high 2 in keys like D and A.

Notes under each finger in GDAE tuning
String	0	L1	1	L2	2	3	H3	4
E	E	F	F♯	G	G♯	A	A♯	B
A	A	B♭	B	C	C♯	D	D♯	E
D	D	E♭	E	F	F♯	G	G♯	A
G	G	A♭	A	B♭	B	C	C♯	D

About the tune

Named after Mallow in County Cork, and known everywhere as a polka, a march and a children’s tune. A good first tune: two short parts, mostly on the D and A strings.