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:|

History

The Butterfly is one of the best-known slip jigs in the modern Irish repertoire. Its composition is generally credited to the Dublin fiddler Tommy Potts (1912–1988), though the story is more layered than a single-author tune.

Potts learned the first two parts from his father, John Potts, an uilleann piper. Those two parts are older than Tommy Potts himself, and turn up under other names, including “Skin the Peeler” and “Barney’s Goat,” in earlier printed collections such as Frank Roche’s Collection of Traditional Irish Music (1912) and Cole’s 1000 Fiddle Tunes.

The widely told story of the third part is that Potts was working in his garden and noticed a butterfly’s erratic flight. He began mimicking its rhythm as he worked, and this became the tune’s third part, with the first two parts then adjusted rhythmically to match. Whether this account is strictly literal or has been smoothed by retelling, it is the standard story attached to the tune and worth passing on with that caveat.

It is worth noting that there is a separate, older tune also called “The Butterfly” in Edward Bunting’s collection, gathered from harper Patrick Quin at the 1792 Belfast Harp Festival. That Bunting tune is a two-part piece in 6/8 and is a genuinely different composition from the slip jig discussed here, despite sharing a title.

The modern slip jig reached a much wider audience through recordings by Tommy Potts himself, recorded in 1972, and, significantly, through The Bothy Band’s version on their 1975 debut album, which helped establish it as a session standard. It was later used in the soundtrack of The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), where it appears under the retitled name “Fiona,” arranged by Mason Daring, further cementing its popularity outside specialist circles.

Musical Characteristics

• Three-part slip jig in 9/8, with a lilting, rolling triplet feel across each bar
• The first two parts sit close to the older “Skin the Peeler” material
• The third part is more angular and syncopated, often described as mimicking irregular, fluttering movement
• Structure is AABBCC, giving the tune a satisfying sense of build across a full playing
• Moderate technical demands: manageable for a confident beginner, but the third part rewards careful phrasing
• Notable for the contrast in character between the smoother opening parts and the livelier third part

Mode

• Mode: Dorian
• Scale: E Dorian (E F♯ G A B C♯ D)
• Modal flavour: the raised sixth (C♯) against a minor third gives the tune a slightly brighter, less closed sound than straight E minor
• Sessions occasionally play it simply “in E minor” without distinguishing the mode, which is harmonically close enough not to cause confusion

Harmony

Accompanists generally keep the harmony sparse and modal, favouring open fifths and drones over dense chord voicings. A D chord under the C♯ passing notes works well and avoids clashing with the Dorian sixth. Guitarists in DADGAD often lean on the drone strings here rather than fretting full chords throughout.

Interpretation Notes

• Played at a moderate, unhurried tempo rather than rushed; the tune’s character comes from its lilt, not its speed
• The third part is often given slightly more rhythmic emphasis to bring out its distinctive, irregular feel
• Ornamentation is usually light: rolls and cuts on the longer notes, rather than dense decoration
• A common mistake is smoothing out the third part until it loses its intended unevenness — the syncopation is the point, not something to iron out
• Regional and individual variation is common in exactly how the third part is phrased; there is no single “correct” version

Flute Approach

• Breath naturally at the end of each four-bar phrase; the 9/8 metre gives clear breathing points if you don’t fight it
• Keep articulation light in the first two parts, using tonguing sparingly and letting slurs carry the lilt
• The third part benefits from slightly firmer articulation to mark its syncopation clearly
• Rolls work well on the longer notes in parts one and two; avoid over-ornamenting part three, where clarity of rhythm matters more than decoration
• Watch the low register jumps in the B part, which can catch out players used to more stepwise reels
• Aim for a relaxed, singing tone rather than a driven one; this tune doesn’t need force

Guitar / Accompaniment

• DADGAD suits this tune well, allowing open drones under the Dorian mode
• Keep the rhythm supportive rather than busy; a steady, rolling right-hand pattern works better than heavy strumming
• Bass movement can walk gently between E and D, following the tune’s natural resting points
• Avoid major-key voicings that fight the Dorian sixth
• Fingerpicked or thumb-led patterns suit the tune’s lilt better than a driving strum
• Accompanists should be careful not to over-play under the third part; a simpler texture lets its syncopation come through

Session Notes

• Extremely well known and widely played; one of the standard slip jigs in the general session repertoire
• Commonly paired with other slip jigs, particularly “Foxhunter’s” or “Kid on the Mountain,” to make up a slip jig set
• Usual session tempo is moderate rather than fast, reflecting its lilting rather than driving character
• Because of its popularity, it’s often assumed everyone knows it — worth checking before launching in at unfamiliar sessions
• No strong regional divide in how it’s played, though individual variation in the third part is common

Similar Tunes

• Skin the Peeler — the older two-part tune from which the first two parts of The Butterfly derive
• Foxhunter’s, The — a slip jig frequently paired with The Butterfly in session sets
• Kid on the Mountain, The — another standard slip jig with a similar moderate, lilting feel
• Butterfly (Bunting’s), The — an unrelated older harp tune sharing only the title

Recommended Recordings and Versions

• The Bothy Band — The Butterfly (reference recording) — https://www.allmusic.com/album/1975-the-first-album-mw0000269956 — from 1975: The First Album, the recording most credited with taking this tune into the general session repertoire; a good benchmark for phrasing and tempo.
• Tin whistle lesson: “How to Play The Butterfly” (video lesson) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rx-gx89tOE — a slowed-down, note-by-note breakdown of the melody, useful for beginners learning the tune by ear.
• The Session — The Butterfly (slip jig) (tune database page) — https://thesession.org/tunes/10 — twenty-plus user-submitted settings plus extensive discussion of the tune’s history and variations, including the Bunting connection.
• flutetunes.com — The Butterfly (sheet music) — https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes.php?id=1021 — free flute-specific sheet music with a short written history, useful as a quick reference dot version.

References

• The Traditional Tune Archive, entry for “Butterfly (3), The”
• The Session, tune and discussion pages for “The Butterfly” (slip jig)
• Frank Roche, Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 2 (1912)
• Caoimhín Mac Aoidh, notes on Tommy Potts and the composition of The Butterfly

Personal Notes

This is a tune worth learning early, if only because you’ll be expected to know it. The trap is treating all three parts the same way. The first two want to flow; the third wants a bit of bite. Let that contrast show rather than smoothing it away, and the tune does most of the work for you.