Looking for Washington's March

[Mandolinespieler]

Does anyone know where I can find the sheet music/tab to Washington's March and Bonaparte's Retreat as it is heard on "Songs From The Mountain?"

[twaaang]

I worked them out but I don't remember if I got "nice" copies committed to TabRite before my computer died. I'll try to remember to check tonight. Won't be able to send them electronically, so will need your mailing address. Hope, hope. -- Paul

[Mandolinespieler]

Did you work out the whole medley with "Mountain Air?"

[twaaang]

No, sorry. I remember that it's pretty with nice sweet long fiddle notes, but it was the other two in that medley that really grabbed me at the time. When my tremolo becomes less tentative, maybe I'll come back to it! -- Paul

[David M.]

On the fiddle it's DDAD tuning (low to high) isn't it? #I worked out Washington's March in standard tuning for mando and fiddle. #Did it by ear and it wasn't too tough. #If I get ambitious, maybe I could tab it or something.

Dirk Powell did most of the fiddle on that album, so try to find an email address for him and ask him.

[David M.]

As long as you're thinking about these D tunes and this tuning, DDAD tuning on the fiddle is also the tuning Midnight on the Water.

[Mandolinespieler]

Are the 2 low Ds tuned to the same pitch?

[David M.]

No. For the fiddle, the D string stays as is. The G string goes DOWN to D as does the E string. very cool sound w/the octave between the low D's. The lowest D is a drone.

I think I've heard this tuning called "Dead Man's Tuning".

Of course, I wouldn't try to re-tune the mando to this tuning. I think it'd be a pain and be difficult to play due to the sloppy low strings.

[twaaang]

Behold! Tabbed transcripts of "Washington's March" and "Bonaparte's Retreat", ready to go. All I need is a mailing address and they're on their way (if you prefer to keep your address off the board, just send me a private e-mail at pwheeler@nationallife.com ). Postage is no problem, small price to pay to feel like I'm actually able to contribute to this community.

BTW, this "Bonaparte's Retreat" is not quite the version typically shown in fiddle-tune-books, copped by Aaron Copland for "Appalachian Spring", and featured on the "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" TV ads with the Robert Mitchum or Sam Elliott voiceovers. -- Paul

[acousticphd]

There must be some real old-time fiddlers here who can help us out. #Washington's March is one of my favorite tunes that I've learned in the last half year or so. #Here's a quote from a fiddle music site that came up in a search for Dead Man's Tuning:

"Old time fiddling evolved primarily for the accompaniment of dancing. As fiddle was often the sole instrument, double stops and drones are frequently used, giving more volume and a fuller sound. Some fiddlers raised one or two strings with matchsticks allowing the possibility of triple stops. A whole series of alternative tunings may be used, allowing the strings which are not fingered to drone or ring more freely. The simplest change would be ADAE (tuning up the bottom string a tone) for playing tunes in the key of D. With the "high bass" or "dead man's tuning", both G and D are tuned up, giving AEAE. Others include the Black Mountain tuning AEACsharp, and the Bonepartes Retreat tuning DDAD. "

I don't have my CD jacket with me, but I thought I remember the tuning being given as ADAE. #Maybe not though. #I know fiddlers who refer to ADAE as "old-time D tuning". #

I'm listening to the tune on my I-tunes, and there are two fiddles playing together on the tune which increases the drone combinations. One may be playing with the low D tuning. #I don't think the melody fiddle is using a low D drone string much since he is up on the 2nd string much of the time. #For mando or playing the lead line, standard tuning works well. #The cool, and tricky part, is the variation the fiddles do (alone or combined) in the B part #with the rapid alternation between the high a and d notes double-stopped on the 5th fret: (d-e-f#-d-a-d-f#-d-a-f#). #Is that what your tabbed version does, Paul?

[acousticphd]

There must be some real old-time fiddlers here who can help us out.

That came out sounding bad - I mean others who have done a lot of old-time fiddling. David obviously sounds like he plays.

[David M.]

[twaaang]

Aha. Here's something else I can share, that sinking sensation that I managed to miss the point altogether! My ear didn't pick up on any of the fiddle nuances you guys are discussing. I've tabbed these in standard tuning, just melody lines that only find the G string (C#) once or twice as part of an A run. Any double-D tuning variants were lost on me.

But yes -- redemption! -- I do have the B-part line you mention (two d-e pick-up notes, then the first, third, and fifth measures as played against a D chord), though I don't hold the double-stop throughout these measures, since I finger the F# on the first string.

I do have the CD jacket here, and can confirm the entire medley is in "dead man's tuning" according to the notes which, thanks to you guys, means more to me now than it did then. By the way, Dirk Powell has fiddle credit throughout the album, others get fiddle credit for individual cuts none of which are this medley. -- Paul

[LeftCoastMark]

I learned Washington's March from Brad Leftwich, and Bonaparte's from various recordings, including Bruce Molsky.

I've experimented with various tunings for these tunes, including dropping my G strings down to D, and split tuning the G string, one down to an F# and the other up to A. That tunings kind of cool and fun.

These tunings are good as well with Dry and Dusty.

[devilstone_the_bard]

Is this different than Bonaparte's March ?

[Shana Aisenberg]

I learned Washington's March from the Edden Hammons recordings, check out his version, it's fantastic! I've been playing it in DDAD on octave mandolin.

Seth