Booth Shot Lincoln

[yankees1]

What key is this song normally played in at old time jams ?

[Tobin]

It's in A. I've never heard it played in any other key.

[Shelagh Moore]

I play it in A.

[maj34]

I agree that it's an A tune, but I'd also suggest that you get comfortable with it in G. Fiddlers often play Booth cross-tuned (AEAE), and some fiddlers prefer to cross tune down to GDGD instead of up to AEAE.

[Phil Vinyard]

Anybody know the story about such a happy tune for such a sad event? Written by someone from the Confederate perspective?

[Charles E.]

A little history........

http://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:...ot_Lincoln_(1)

[JeffD]

It is basically in A, but I first heard in in GDGD cross tuning.

I play it in standard tuning. In A.

[Beanzy]

It also gets called "Waiting For The Federals" over here. Is that the case over in the USA or did it get mixed up on the journey over to here?

[JeffD]

It also gets called "Waiting For The Federals" over here. Is that the case over in the USA or did it get mixed up on the journey over to here?

I think there is a mix up. The tune I know as "Waiting for the Federals", is primarily known as "Seneca Square Dance" around here.

[Beanzy]

That's it! The mix up is mine. Thanks Jeff.