questions on two American fiddle tunes
bogus address
1. I am pretty sure "The Four Poster Bed" is American, but I have no
idea how to prove or disprove it. When & where did it originate?
2. What is "Hell on the Wabash" all about? Where, what or who is or
was the Wabash and why is or was he, she or it hell to be on?
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Joel Shimberg
wrote:
>1. I am pretty sure "The Four Poster Bed" is American, but I have no
> idea how to prove or disprove it. When & where did it originate?
I believe that it is originally Scottish -- it is also found in the
French-Canadian tradition, as Les Quatre Coins de St Malo. I don't know of
its existence in any other American tradition.
>2. What is "Hell on the Wabash" all about? Where, what or who is or
> was the Wabash and why is or was he, she or it hell to be on?
The Wabash is a river in central and western Indiana. It's generally
fairly placid, flowing through lovely countryside. I expect that the title
arises from some flood or other, although it could have referred to the
pleasures of the farmer's life.
Best wishes,
Joel Shimberg
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Carl Baron
These descriptions were obtained from the "Fiddler's Companion"
http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc/
bogus address wrote:
> 1. I am pretty sure "The Four Poster Bed" is American, but I have no
> idea how to prove or disprove it. When & where did it originate?
>
FOUR POSTER BED, THE. AKA and see "Four Corners of St. Malo," "Four Corners
Reel," "Four Posts of the Bed," "Les Quatre Coins du Lit," "Les Quat'
Coins de St Malo." English, Scottish, Irish, Shetlands; Polka, Reel or 'Programme
Piece'. Ireland, Donegal. D Major. Standard. ABB (Phillips): AABB (Martin).
This tune's 'B' part dramatizes the four poster bed by giving four taps with the
frog-end of the bow on the each of the four quarters of the belly of the fiddle,
intersperced by a right-hand pizzicato. The melody is popular in the Shetlands,
though probably not of Shetland origin admits Cooke. On an early recording made
for Comhaltas, Donegal fiddler John Doherty relates the story of "The Fours Posts
of the Bed" and then plays the tune. His story tells of an itinerant fiddle
player
who finds refuge for the night in a cottage which lacks a bed for him. Not
wanting to be inhospitable, the man of the house fashions a bed, and in return
the fiddler
composes a tune to thank him. Under the title "The Four Corners of St. Malo" the
melody was recorded for Philo by French-Canadian fiddler Henri Landry. As has
been noted by any fiddler who attempts to play this tune in the traditional
manner, tapping the metal end of the frog on the belly of the violin often
produces nicks and
dings in the wood. To prevent this damage fiddlers in Donegal shout in Gaelic
"Aon, do, tri, ceathair" (one, two, three, four) as the tap the four corners of
the violin
with their bow in the vertical but with the fleshy part of their middle finger
covering the end of the frog. Source for notated version: Dave Swarbrick
(England).
Jordan (Whistle and Sing!), Vol. 1. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), Vol. 1, 1991; pg.
42. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg. 21. Polydor Special 236-514, Dave
Swarbrick.
T:The Four Posts of the Bed
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:220
S:John Doherty
R:polka
Z:Philippe Varlet
K:D
e2 ef e2 ef | edcB A2 E2 | A2 e2 f2 fe | g2 fe f2 a2 |
e2 ef e2 ef | edcB A2 g2 | f2 g2 e2 c2 |1 d4 g3 f :|2 d4 d2 Ad ||:
f2 gf e2 fg | abag fAde | f2 gf e2 fg | a2 ^gb a2 Ad |
f2 gf e2 fg | abag fAde | f2 gf e2 a2 |1 d4 d2 Ad :|2 d4 g3 f ||:
e2 ef e2 ef | edcB A2 E2 | A2 e2 z2 e2 | z2 e2 z2 e2 |
z2 e2 e3 f | edcB e2 eg | f2 g2 e2 c2 | d4 g3 f :||
FOUR POSTS OF THE BED, THE [1]. See "Four Poster Bed." Reel or Polka.
QUATRE COINS DU LIT, LES. AKA and see "The Four Posts of the Bed," "The Four
Poster Bed."
>
> 2. What is "Hell on the Wabash" all about? Where, what or who is or
> was the Wabash and why is or was he, she or it hell to be on?
>
ANN GREEN. AKA and see "Hell on the Potomac," "Hell on the Wabash," "Wake Up
Susan." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, central New York. A Major.
AEAE. AABB. Bronner (1987) says "Ann Green" is a version of the tune usually
known as "Wake Up Susan," "Hell on the Wabash," and "Hell on the Potomac,"
which Jabbour (in American Fiddle Tunes) has ultimately related to the Irish
"Mason's Apron". The second part of this tune is quite similar to the 'Hell'
tunes, while
the first part is what Bayard called a "foreshortened," "condensed" or
"telescoped" strain of the same tunes. Source for notated version: Woodhull's Old
Tyme
Masters (New York State), 1949 (Bronner). Bronner (Old-Time Music Makers of New
York State), 1987; No. 14, pg. 77. Victor 28-0439B (78 RPM), and
Woodhull's Old Tyme Masters, 1949.
CAMP MEETING [1]. American, "Jig" (2/4 time). A Major. Standard. AABBC (Cole):
AA'BBCCDE (Kerr). A synchopated tuen composed by 19th century
minstrel Dan Emmett. Listed as "Hell on the Wabash" in Emmett and Bruce (pg. 80),
"Negro Jig" in Hans Nathan, and "Negro Sand Jig" in Kerr--the jig was a term
for a type of banjo tune rather than the Irish jig. Cole (1001Fiddle Tunes),
1940; pg. 82. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 2; No. 428, pg. 49.
COTTAGE BY THE SEA, THE. AKA and see "The Red Headed Girl," "Picnic Romp," "The
Night We Paid the Rent," "Lady On the Green," "Jack of Diamonds"
(Thede), "Hell on the Wabash," "Wake Up Susan" (first strain only). American,
Reel. USA, southwestern Pa. D Major. Standard. AABB. Bayard (1944) states
that the tune wass fairly well known in western Pa. and seemed to be common in
the South (a southern form is in Ford, 1940, pg. 47 as "Picnic Romp"). In his
1981
work he was undecided whether the tune belongs to a small tune family (see
alternate titles) with "divergently evolving cognate tunes", or whether the tunes
he cited
were original but shared influences or perhaps small parts. He long believed that
the main tune group is American-fashioned using strains from old country dance
music and said "It is possible that the first part of (this tune) is derived from
the opening strain of some version of the old Irish dance and march 'Gearran
Buidhe'
(The Yellow Horse); cf. for example a version of that air in Petrie, No. 1457"
(Bayard, 1944). See also his note for "Hell on the Potomac" (Bayard, 1981; No.
352,
pgs. 352-353) for more information. Source for notated version: Mrs. Sarah
Armstrong, (near) Derry, Pennsylvania, November 18, 1943 [Bayard]. Bayard (Hill
Country Tunes), 1944; No. 70.
H-' ON THE WABASH. See "Hell on the Wabash."
HELL ON THE POTOMAC [1]. AKA and see "Hell on the Wabash" [1], "Wake Up Susan,"
"Hell on the Rappahannock," "The Night We Paid the Rent," "Picnic
Romp," "Jack of Diamonds" (Thede), "The Cottage By the Sea," "The Red-Headed
Girl." American, Reel. USA, southwestern Pa. G Major. Standard. AB. Bayard
(1981) identifies this as "one of the three or four" tunes universally known by
Pennsylvania folk musicians. The melody is usually known as "Wake Up Susan" or
"Hell on the Wabash" and it is sometimes found with other parts; Bayard is not
sure if this means the tunes with different titles are "divergently evolving
cognate
tunes" or the result of trading strains or "otherwise infecting one another."
Sources for notated versions: 17 southwestern Pa. fifers and fiddlers [Bayard].
Bayard,
1981; No. 352A-Q, pgs. 346-353.
HELL ON THE WABASH [1]. AKA and see "Lady on the Green," "Hell on the Potomac"
[1], "Picnic Romp," "The Night We Paid the Rent," "The Cottage by
the Sea," "The Red-Headed Girl." American, Breakdown. A Minor (Cole, Kerr): A
Major (Sweet). Standard. AABB. Listed as a 'jig' in Coles, referring not to the
Irish 6/8 jig but to a type of old-time banjo tune whose name came from
'jig-dancing' or perhaps a derogatory term for African-Americans. Supposedly this
was a
popular fife tune among the inhabitants of the Wabash environs. See note to "Hell
on the Potomac" [1] for more on this tune family. Cole, 1940; pg. 81 (appears as
"H_' on the Wabash"). Kerr, Vol. 2; No. 423, pg. 48. Sweet, 1964/1981; pg. 55.
HELL ON THE WABASH [2]. Old-Time, Breakdown. G Major (Ford): D Major (McMahon).
Standard. AABB. Ford, 1940; pg. 65. Missouri State Old Time
Fiddlers Association 001, Pete McMahan - "Ozark Mountain Waltz."
JACK OF DIAMONDS. AKA and see "Fort Worth," "Clinch Mountain," "The Wagoner's
Lad," "The Cuckoo," "Robi Donadh Gorrach," "Johnnie Armstrong,"
"Todlen Hame," "Bacach," "Hell on the Wabash." See also related tunes "Mason's
Apron" and "Wake Up Susan." Old-Time, Texas Style; Breakdown. USA;
Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia. A Major. Standard or AEAC#.
AABB (Brody, Thede): AABCDD (Phillips). The title appears in a list of
traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance
Randolph, published in 1954. Sources for notated versions: Frank McCraw
(Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma) [Thede]: Benny Thomasson (Texas) [Brody,
Phillips]; Cyril Stinnett (Mo.) [Phillips]. West Virginia fiddler Ernie Carpenter
learned his version from Wallace Pritchard. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg.
142. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; pg. 120. Thede, 1967;
pg. 51. Augusta Heritage Records 003, Ernie Carpenter - "Elk River Blues:
Traditional Tunes From Braxton County, W.Va." County 724, Benny Thomasson-
"Country Fiddling." Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers Association 002, Taylor
McBaine - "Boone County Fiddler." Rural Records RRCF 251, Curly Fox (1970).
Voyager 301, Dwayne Youngblood- "Fiddle Jam Session." Voyager 309, Benny and
Jerry Thomasson- "The Weiser Reunion: A Jam Session" (1993). Voyager
319-S, Ace Sewell- "Southwest Fiddlin.'"
LADY ON THE GREEN. AKA and see "Hell on the Wabash," "Hell on the Potomac," "Hell
on the Pappahannock," "Wake Up Susan," "Picnic Romp," "The
Night We Paid the Rent," "Jack of Diamonds," "The Cottage By the Sea." Old-Timey,
Breakdown. USA, Nebraska. A Major. Standard. AABB. Source for
notated version: Bob Walters (Burt County, Nebraska) [Christeson]. R.P.
Christeson (Old Time Fiddler's Repertory, Vol. 1), 1973; pg. 4.
The melody lends itself to innumerable variations, and many fiddlers, even those
not particularly known for spontaneous expostulation, compose their own. Of the
two variations printed by Gatherer (1987), the first was composed by him, while
the second, "quite common amongst Scottish and Irish fiddlers, was claimed by
both Bobby McLeod and Sean Maguire." The latter, a famous Irish fiddler, has been
credited with taking (this) "rather common two-part reel," adding variations
and creating a virtuostic piece which impressed other Irish musicians who either
copied it or added their own variations, say the Boys of the Lough. Some fiddlers
play pizzicato notes during the tune as a variation.
**
The truth is, many fiddlers in a variety of traditions have used the tune as a
vehicle to display their skill at theme and variations. The melody is, for
example, widely
played in the French-Canadian fiddling tradition of Quebec (see "Le Tablier Du
Macon"), and variants can easily be found in several American regional styles.
Alan
Jabbour (1971), for example, sees associations with this tune and the "Hell On
the Wabash"/"Wake Up Susan"/"Hell on the Potomac" complex of American tunes.
Sources for notated versions: Boys of the Lough (Ireland/Scotland) [Brody];
fiddler Sean McGuire (Ireland) [Phillips]; fiddler Patrick Kelly, 1966 (Co.
Clare,
Ireland) [Breathnach]; Eddy Arsenault (b. 1921, St. Chrysostom, East Prince
County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; Kevin Burke (Portland, Oregon) [Songer].
Breathnach (CRE II), 1976; No. 211, pg. 110. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983;
pg. 185. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 485. Cole (1001 Fiddle
Tunes), 1940; pg. 50. Gatherer (Gatherer's Musical Museum), 1987; pg. 10 (with
variations). Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; pg. 27. Jarman (The
Cornhuskers Book of Square Dance Tunes), 1944; pg. 21. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune
Book), Vol. 1, 1951; No. 50, pg. 25. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 1; No. 3,
pg. 23. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 2. Mallinson (Enduring), 1995;
No. 22, pg. 9. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddler's Repertoire), 1983;
No. 84. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 122. O'Neill (1850), 1979; No. 1343, pg.
251. O'Neill (1001 Gems), 1986; No. 598, pg. 109. Perlman (The Fiddle Music
of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 96. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg.
36. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 174. Roche Collection,
1982; Vol.1; No. 1523, pg. 61. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 132.
Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 5. Surenne (Dance Music of
Scotland), 1852. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1965/1981; pg. 64. Avoca 139, Sean
Maguire--"Music of Ireland." Fretless 103, "Clem Myers: Northeast Regional Old
Time Fiddle Champion 1967 & 1970." Legacy 120, Jean Carignan- "French Canadian
Fiddle Songs." Green Linnet GLCD 3009/Mulligan LUN 021, Kevin
Burke- "If the Cap Fits" (1978. Learned from a recording of Paddy Killoran).
Outlet 1031 and Outlet 1006, Sean McGuire- "Ireland's Champion Traditional
Fiddler." RCA 09026-60916-2, The Chieftains - "An Irish Evening" (1991). Rounder
3006, Boys of the Lough- "Second Album" (1974). Rounder 7002, Graham
Townsend- "Le Violin/ The Fiddle."
NIGHT WE MADE THE MATCH, THE (An Oidce Do Rinneamar An Reite/Cleamnas). Irish,
Hornpipe. A Mixolydian. Standard. AABB. Hans Nathan, in his
book about the American minstrel Dan Emmett, asserts that strains from this tune
contributed to the formation of the popular tune "Hell on the Wabash" (Bayard,
1981, pg. 352). O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 182. O'Neill (1850), 1979; No. 1636,
pg. 304. O'Neill (1001), 1986; No. 863, pg. 149.
NIGHT WE PAID THE RENT, THE. Irish. Bayard (1981) states this tune is a version
of "Hell on the Wabash."
PICNIC ROMP. AKA and see "Wake Up Susan," "Cottage By the Sea," "Red Headed
Girl," "Hell On the Potomac," "Hell on the Wabash," "The Night We Paid
the Rent," "Lady on the Green," "Jack of Diamonds" (Thede). Old-Time, Breakdown.
A Major. Standard. AABB. See Bayard's (1944) note for "Cottage By the
Sea." Ford, 1940; pg. 47.
WAKE UP SUSAN [1]. AKA- "Wake Susan." AKA and see "Belcher's Reel," "The
Breakdown," "Hell on the Potomac" (Pa.), "Hell on the Wabash," "Hell on the
Rappahanock" (Pa.), "Hop Up Susan," "Up Jumped Susie." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA;
Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Missouri, Texas, northern N.Y. A
Major. Standard. AB (Bayard): AABB (Christeson): AABBCC (Brody): AABBAAB'B"
(Phillips). R.P. Christeson (1973) states that "Wake Up Susan" is in most
of the older American collections in two-part settings, and Tommy Thompson (1974)
states it is a "fairly common American fiddle tune." Samuel Bayard (1981)
thinks "Wake Up Susan" to be of American black-face minstrel origin using strains
from the British Isles, but he is unable to find it in any old-country sources.
This is
curious and perhaps a rare lapse for Bayard, for Alan Jabbour (1971) has
associated this family of tunes (there are several related airs in American
fiddle tradition)
with the very popular Irish reel "Mason's Apron," while Hans Nathan thinks the
Irish reel "The Night We Made the Match" has contributed melodic material to the
tune family.
**
In addition to melody appearing under the alternate titles listed above, melodic
themes from "Wake Up Susan" appear in other American fiddle tunes. For example,
Howe (1864) published "Mountain Dew" (also in the key of A but having four
parts), and Christeson says he heard mixtures of the two over the years.
Similarly, the
first part of Picnic Romp" in Ira Ford matches the first part of "Wake Up Susan."
Guthrie Meade and Mark Wilson contrast two versions of the tune, calling Tommy
Jackson's rendition typical of Southern versions which emphasize the chordal
basis of the melody, while Ed Hayley's version has modal qualities which
characterize
West Virginia traditional fiddle music. In fact, the tune has been called an Ed
Hayley 'showpiece'. Some fiddlers play the tune featuring pizzicato notes. See
also
related tunes "Carton's Reel," "Fiagai an Mhada Rua," "Gallagher's," "Lady
Carbury," "Mason's Apron," "The Mason's Cap," "The Mason Ladie," and "Jack of
Diamonds." Sources for notated versions: Red Clay Ramblers (North Carolina)
[Brody]; Lee Vatty (Callaway County, Missouri) [Christeson]; Bradley Grimshaw
(northern N.Y., 1958) [Bayard]; Bud Snow (Putnam County, New York) [Kuntz]; Elmer
Barton and Pete Sutherland [Phillips]. Bayard, 1981; No. 353, pgs.
349-350. Brody, 1983; pg. 283. R.P. Christeson, 1973; pg. 5. Cole, 1940; pg. 21.
Kerr, Vol. 4; pg. 29. Kuntz, Private Collection. Phillips, Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 250.
County 762, Lyman Enloe- "Fiddle Tunes I Recall." Folkways FTS 31039, "Red Clay
Ramblers with Fiddlin' Al McCanless" (1974. learned from West Virginia
fiddler Frank George). June Appal 014, John McCutcheon- "The Wind That Shakes the
Barley" (1977. Learned from Richard Blaustein). Rebel 1552, Buck Ryan-
"Draggin' the Bow." Rounder 1010, Ed Haley (northeastern Ky.) - "Parkersburg
Landing" (1976). Rounder CD 0371, Mac Bendord and the Woodshed All-Stars
- "Willow" (1996).
This almost more than one can digest.
Carl
Steve Goldfield
Joel Shimberg <shim...@email.com> wrote:
>In article <58...@purr.demon.co.uk>, bo...@purr.demon.co.uk (bogus address)
#>>2. What is "Hell on the Wabash" all about? Where, what or who is or
#>> was the Wabash and why is or was he, she or it hell to be on?
#>
#>The Wabash is a river in central and western Indiana. It's generally
#>fairly placid, flowing through lovely countryside. I expect that the title
#>arises from some flood or other, although it could have referred to the
#>pleasures of the farmer's life.
#>
#>Best wishes,
#>
#>Joel Shimberg
There are various "Hell" tunes, including "Hell Amongst
the Yearlings." Since that just refers to some kind of
unrest or melee, I'd guess there was an incident that
triggered the tune.
Steve
(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>
-------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Goldfield <stev...@best.com> * Oakland, California
* Home Page--<http://www.best.com/~stevesag/stevesag.html> *
Maynard R. Johnson
bogus address wrote:
> 1. I am pretty sure "The Four Poster Bed" is American, but I have no
> idea how to prove or disprove it. When & where did it originate?
>
> 2. What is "Hell on the Wabash" all about? Where, what or who is or
> was the Wabash and why is or was he, she or it hell to be on?
The tune "Hell on the Wabash" is probably just one of the "Hell tune" titles,
and I don't think the tune is old enough, but in November, 1811, the Battle of
Tippecanoe was fought near Prophetstown, on the Wabash. William Henry
Harrison's American troops vs the Native American forces led, not too ably, by
Tecumseh's brother, known as "The Prophet". It was basically a failed night
attack on the American camp, but probably seemed like hell to both sides while
it was going on.
--
Maynard Johnson
Kitchen Musician WWW Site
http://members.aol.com/kitchiegal/
Jink and Diddle School of Scottish Fiddle
http://members.aol.com/kitchenboy/jink/jink.html/
James Stewart
Carl Baron <cba...@mail.med.upenn.edu> wrote in message
news:38DA627E...@mail.med.upenn.edu...
>
> These descriptions were obtained from the "Fiddler's Companion"
> http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc/
>
> bogus address wrote:
>
> > 2. What is "Hell on the Wabash" all about? Where, what or who is or
> > was the Wabash and why is or was he, she or it hell to be on?
> >
>
> ANN GREEN. AKA and see "Hell on the Potomac," "Hell on the Wabash," "Wake
Up
> Susan." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, central New York. A Major.
> AEAE. AABB. Bronner (1987) says "Ann Green" is a version of the tune
usually
> known as "Wake Up Susan," "Hell on the Wabash," and "Hell on the Potomac,"
> which Jabbour (in American Fiddle Tunes) has ultimately related to the
Irish
> "Mason's Apron". The second part of this tune is quite similar to the
'Hell'
> tunes, while
> the first part is what Bayard called a "foreshortened," "condensed" or
> "telescoped" strain of the same tunes
The title appears in Ryan's Mamouth Collection (AKA Cole's) which has
been in and out of print for more than a century and which is probably the
single most influential printed colelction in the United States. I would be
reticent to agree that it is a variant of any othe above titles,
particularly I don't see the resemblance to Mason's Apron. What is
interesting about the Ryan text is that it is eminently a minstrel tune,
showing almost all of the features commonly associated with that genre.
It's most notable element is the rest on the beat, a feature that is
entirely absent in Scottish, Irish, and English music, but not at all
uncommon in American fiddling.
The Wabash is a tributary of the Ohio flowing in Indiana and Illinois.
It is navigable over a considerable distance, at least as far as Terre
Haute, and was commonly used for steamboat traffic and is now still used for
barge traffic. The hell was probably a fanciful reference to high times and
exotic locations intended for the consumption of audiances of the minstrel
shows. The connection of minstrelsy to the Wabash would simply have been
that teh Ohio?Mississippi system was the great super highway of the mid
nineteenth cnetury and the Wabash would have been one of the landmarks on
the journey from New Orleans to Cincinnatti, teh town where Dan Emmit got
his start. It is probably, therefore, one of the bits of river lore that
survived to the minstrel stage.