For those who like, want to discuss, or want to learn to play traditional Ozark fiddle music.

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Administrators: M-D (owner) , canadianfiddler , fiddlemily

Obscure Tunes

From M-D on 2/28/2011 10:45:09 PM

Recently, I had to spend some time cataloguing some of the tunes I know, as to where they came from. All came from older fiddlers, most now gone on, but more importantly they were passed down through the generations. For some of the tunes, this was within families, for others they were confined to local areas. In each case though, they are not well-known tunes at all, as they're not widely known outside of the familial/local area.

Some of the tunes have no known name, having been long forgotten. And, some of the tunes are local versions of tunes that are known.

Here's a listing of names:

Bailey Waltz -- from Luke Hignight and the Ozark Strutters

Bill Grave's Waltz -- no known name, so named after the fiddler from whence it came

Black Mtn. Breakdown -- 1865, brought by Williamson A. Younger, as he returned from service to Arkansas and the Confederate States. This is the precursor to Black Mtn. Rag, and is known as The Lost Child in North Carolina.

Black Widow Waltz

Bodard Waltz -- Called Bardot Waltz by some. Most likely it is Bordeaux Waltz, transliterated.

Bunker Hill -- No, it's not Sugar Hill.

Coonie in the Creek

Cotton-Eyed Joe -- Yeah, but it's the "old-time way" of playing it.

Devil in the Straw-Stack -- one of the rare modal tunes in the Ozarks

Earl Blair -- Name not known, so named after the fiddler.

Fog on the Mountain

Good Morning Waltz -- Has but one part, and is in the key of A. Can play it on upper and lower strings when cross-keyed.

Indiana Hoe-Down -- No, it's not Sugar in the Gourd. Was a contest tune in 1910.

Indigo Waltz

Jasper Morris -- Named after the fiddler from whence it came. Uncle Dick Hutchison called it Little Daze Robertson for this same reason. Bill Graves recorded it as Fort Gibson.

Jay Bird -- Not like any other

Leslie Home-Coming Waltz -- Name not known, so named after the place and event where it was heard. Another waltz in A, which is unusual. Also has a shift to third position.

Limey -- From the Rag-Time era, though played as a hoe-down, naturally.

Midnight Waltz -- In C, but not the Stripling Bros. tune.

Missouri Mule -- But, this is the local name for Chinky Pin. Also known locally as Crooked Stove-Pipe.

Mockingbird Waltz

Natty's Ghost

Old Aunt Jenny

Old Granny Rattle-Trap -- Not like any other I've heard.

Old LIberty -- Resembles Liberty, but pre-dates the commercial recording. I've only come across two fiddlers who played this, and they lived 30 miles apart, and never knew one another. Both are long dead.

Old Miss Coleman -- Another rare modal tune

Old Mother Logo

Old Racoon's Got a Ring Around His Tail

Old Straw Bonnet -- A C tune, it is very similar to Creek Nation, in Thede.

Os's Waltz in G -- Named after the fiddler. He never knew the name, but said that it was "a real old-timer".

Pickin' the Devil's Eye

Polly Ann Waltz

Puncheon Floor -- Not a bit like any of the other four tunes by this name.

Run Little Lula, Run -- Similar to one of the Little Dutch Girl tunes.

Schottische in G -- One of many tunes known by one family, simply as Schottische. They'd add the key, in order to make the distinction.

Slap the Devil's Eye-Balls

Smokey Mountain Cakewalk -- It's no where near that slow, though.

Snow on the Mountain

Spanish Two-Step -- It wasn't from the Bob Will's recording, though. The fiddler I got it from learned it in 1914. It does differ from Wills.

St. James Waltz

Texas Starvation -- Pretty much Bear Creek Sally Goodin. Dont know why the odd name.

Unknown 1 and Unknown 2 -- Still working on these.

Warsaw 42nd -- A DDad tune

Will Packett's Horn-Pipe -- Os's name for what is essentially Willott's Horn-Pipe, which is derived from Dubuque.

Simple to write this out, but this list represents year's worth of gathering, and researching. There still a lot of music out there, but it's being lost. As the old-timers die, they take their knowledge of the tunes to the grave. And, what recordings remain are in danger of deteriorating.

If any have the inclination, time is of the essence in collecting this material.

6 Comments
	M-D says: 3/1/2011 9:12:29 AM Forgot to include: Rye Straw -- Not much like the tune commonly known by this name. Much like Pigtown Fling, with that minor in it, which is also relatively rare in the Ozarks.
	M-D says: 3/14/2011 4:20:22 AM And, another addendum: The tune Smokey Mountain Cakewalk was also known as Rye Straw, though bears no resemblance to the tune commonly known by that name, nor is it all like the one mentioned above. Learn sumthin' new every day. :o)
	willigoehring says: 8/25/2011 1:33:04 PM What a great collection! I'm digging in. Any favorites, M-D?
	M-D says: 8/25/2011 1:41:14 PM Hi, and welcome to the group. No, I dont really have any favourite tune, or tunes. If I'm playing it, I pretty much like it, or I'd not play it.
	Elliott says: 2/16/2012 1:26:12 PM To add a bit about sources for Ozark Fiddle Tunes, I did not find mention of the the "Echoes of the Ozarks" albums among the resources listed. The albums focus more on string band music and not all bands were located in the Ozarks but there are some good tracks there including the Morrison Twins and Dr. Smith's Hoss Hair Pullers among others. Has it been done, or is there a place on this site where a list of names of favorite old time Ozark fiddlers is listed?
	M-D says: 2/16/2012 3:35:57 PM It's not been done that I'm aware of, Elliott, and the only list is not very complete, under the topic "Ozark Fiddler's, in this group. You've commented on that previously, though.
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