The Complete Guide to Sí Bheag Sí Mhór

Introduction: Carolan’s Timeless Waltz

Few melodies in the Irish traditional canon evoke the stately atmosphere of the late seventeenth-century harping tradition like Sí Bheag Sí Mhór. Composed by the blind harper Turlough O’Carolan, this gentle, arching air has served as an essential musical bridge for generations of players. Its inclusion in 515 recorded session sets and 131 commercial albums demonstrates a lasting appeal that transcends instrument choice and region.

In modern session circles, the waltz occupies a unique space, serving as both a quiet reflective piece and a solid set opener. Musically accessible yet deeply expressive, the tune bridges the gap between historical harp repertoire and modern session practice. By analyzing its transition pathways—encompassing 100 unique outgoing directions and 97 distinct preceding connections—this guide examines the tune's structure, performance dynamics, and its continuing role in traditional music sets.

What Is Sí Bheag Sí Mhór? (Key, Rhythm, & Meter)

Though composed originally as a harp air, Sí Bheag Sí Mhór is widely performed today as a waltz. The stately 3/4 meter encourages a flowing, narrative phrasing style, contrasting with the driving, fast-paced rhythms of standard reels and jigs.

• Tune Type: Waltz / Air (3/4 time)
• Key Signature: 2 sharps (F# and C#)
• Musical Mode: D Major (Ionian Mode)
• Common Session Tempo: 105–120 BPM
• Overall Character: Melodious, arching, and reflective. The A-part features wide intervals that highlight the resonance of open strings and harp wires, while the B-part climbs into the upper octave, creating an elegant lift before resolving back to the tonic D.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner. The straightforward tempo and lack of complex ornamentation make it an ideal introductory piece for players learning basic phrasing, though it offers ample room for advanced variation.

Historical Roots: The Mounds of Leitrim and Carolan’s Patron

The origin of this tune is closely tied to the beginning of Turlough O’Carolan’s career as a travelling composer in the early 1690s. Blinded by smallpox at eighteen, Carolan was gifted a horse, a guide, and a harp by his patroness, Mrs. MacDermott Roe. However, his performance skills were reportedly modest. It was his first major patron, Squire George Reynolds of Letterfian in County Leitrim, who suggested that Carolan concentrate on composing rather than performing.

Reynolds pointed out two local hills visible from his estate—Sí Bheag (the Little Fairy Mound) and Sí Mhór (the Big Fairy Mound)—and recounted the local legend that these hills were the strongholds of rival fairy forces who fought a legendary battle. Carolan took the suggestion and composed the melody, attaching Irish lyrics that celebrated both the fairy battle and the Squire's hospitality.

The tune survived through the 18th and 19th centuries in manuscripts and oral tradition. In the 20th century, the Celtic music revival brought the waltz to a global audience. Recordings by groups like Planxty and The Chieftains established it firmly in the standard session repertoire, transforming an ancient aristocratic harp air into a shared waltz played in pubs around the world.

The Aliases of Sí Bheag Sí Mhór

Over centuries of oral transmission and phonetic transcription, the tune has accumulated several variant titles:

• Si Bheag Si Mhor — The standard modern spelling.
• Sheebeg and Sheemore (or Sheebeg Sheemore) — Common English phonetic equivalents.
• Sí Beag Sí Mhór — Simplified spelling variant.
• Sídh Beag Agus Sídh Mór — Older, classical Irish spelling.
• Port Uí Mhuirgheasa — A Breton translation adopted by harpist Alan Stivell.

ABC Notation & Interactive Sheet Music

The standard setting of Sí Bheag Sí Mhór was contributed to the database by user dirk in 2001. Below, you can toggle between the Standard Setting (D Major) and a chorded arrangement contributed by user luddite.

Recordings & Artists: The Landmark Albums

Sí Bheag Sí Mhór has been captured in 131 commercial recordings, representing a wide variety of instrumental interpretations:

• Planxty (1973): Recorded on their self-titled debut album, featuring a classic pairing of Derek Bell's harp and the band's driving string backing.
• The Chieftains (1975): Featured as "Sheebeg And Sheemore" on the album The Chieftains 5, showcasing a grand ensemble arrangement.
• Antoni O'Breskey (1990): Released a blues-influenced piano interpretation on the album Irish Meet The Blues.
• Brendan Power (1994): Highlights the tune played on harmonica on New Irish Harmonica.
• Butch Baldassari & John Mock (1998): Features a mandolin and classical guitar duet on Music of O'Carolan - Ireland's Bard.

Featured Video Performance

Listen to a beautiful performance of Sí Bheag Sí Mhór performed by Dr. Helen Lawlor on the McNeela Irish Harp:

Search Recordings Database

Search and sort through commercial recordings of Sí Bheag Sí Mhór using real-world catalog data:

Sí Bheag Sí Mhór in Sessions: Playback Statistics

Holding the top rank among session waltzes, Sí Bheag Sí Mhór appears in 515 recorded sets. Examining these sets reveals a tune that players like to introduce early. It functions as the set starter 258 times, representing exactly 50.1% of its session appearances.

In the remaining 49.9% of sets, it is played in the middle or closing position. This near-even split highlights the tune's balance: it is stately enough to establish the initial tempo and key of a set, yet melodically strong enough to follow other airs or serve as a resting point in a longer sequence.

What Tunes Usually Follow Sí Bheag Sí Mhór?

When moving out of Sí Bheag Sí Mhór, musicians show a clear preference for staying within the Baroque harp repertoire or modulating to related major/minor keys:

These transitions display distinct musical logic:

1. Modulation to G Major (Fanny Power): Moving from D Major to G Major raises the key center by a fourth. This shifts the melody into a brighter register, highlighting the higher strings of the harp or fiddle and providing a pleasant melodic lift without requiring complex fingering changes.
2. Relative Shift to G Major (Inisheer): Transitioning from Sí Bheag into Inisheer (which is commonly played in G Major) offers a seamless shift in tonality. The two tunes share a very similar melodic contour and relaxed tempo, making this pairing a popular resting point in slow-tempo sets.

What Tunes Usually Precede Sí Bheag Sí Mhór?

In sets where the waltz is played in the second or third position, it is preceded by:

• Planxty Irwin (17.12% of incoming sets): Out of 249 incoming transitions, 25 sets transition from *Planxty Irwin* (G Major) into Sí Bheag, highlighting a popular pairing of O'Carolan's melodies.
• Fanny Power (14.21% of incoming sets): 26 sets move from the G Major waltz *Fanny Power* back into Sí Bheag, showing the reciprocal nature of this classic Baroque pairing.
• Inisheer (6.4% of incoming sets): 16 sets transition from *Inisheer* into Sí Bheag, illustrating a popular transition back into the primary D Major key.

Three Curated Sets featuring Sí Bheag Sí Mhór

Here are three typical session sets incorporating Sí Bheag Sí Mhór:

Interesting Facts & Data Curiosities

• A Versatility Score of 100.0%: Despite its slower waltz tempo, Sí Bheag Sí Mhór connects with 197 different tunes across 568 transitions, proving that players frequently use it to bridge between waltzes, airs, and dance tunes.
• Carolan’s Blindness: Carolan composed the tune when he was around twenty years old, shortly after he began traveling as a wandering harper, establishing his career.
• Fairy Mounds: The fairy mounds of Sheebeg and Sheemore still exist in Leitrim today, and the legend of the fairy hosts remains a part of local folklore.

Why Musicians Recommend the Tune

Musicians recommend the tune because of its melodic accessibility and stately flow. Harpists love its historical roots, while fiddle players find the octave fingerings simple and resonant. Wind players (flute, tin whistle) appreciate the breathing points and the opportunity to focus on ornamentation (cuts and rolls) without the pressure of a fast dance tempo.

Frequently Asked Questions