Just ran across this link from a friend on the Acoustic Guitar Forum. Lots of tunes!
Just ran across this link from a friend on the Acoustic Guitar Forum. Lots of tunes!
As I look through the tunes, I'm struck by how a great many people aren't shy about putting their name on a traditional tune. If you write down a traditional tune, it's one thing to say "Soldier's Joy, traditional/ arrangement, John Smith," as many did, but it's not acceptable to write "Soldier's Joy/ John Smith," as though John Smith wrote the tune. (Apologies to any John Smith's at Mandolin Cafe.) Good collection.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Ranald: I would not jump to the conclusion that those names are the composers of the tunes. It is more likely that the owner of this site put those names on the tunes, and is just referring to versions "as played by" or the source of the tune or the version of it. If he was more careful, he would have some explanation. OTOH most of the folks who would use his site (which I have used for years) would have some inkling of which of the tunes are composed and which are traditional.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Thanks, Jim. I just think that if you post or print a sheet of music with the name of the tune and your name beneath, it implies that you're the writer. If you buy a sheet of commercially published music that says: "Me and Bobby McGee/ Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster," you can assume Kristofferson and Foster wrote the song. I suppose not everyone understands that.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
The site is subheaded: "Transcriptions and audio files of over 600 traditional fiddle tunes from old recordings, festivals, jams and workshops - notated by John Lamancusa" I did notice that when there are original tunes he tags them with "by" as in Safe Harbor Rag by Dick Walton. I think most folks who use the site know that the vast majority are traditional. OTOH if it truly bothers you, maybe you should contact John Lamancusa.
I do understand it could be a problem. I wrote a waltz quite a few years ago and recorded it for one of the Comando discs. Someone transcribed it in the Tabledit archive as being a traditional tune. I did write to him and he corrected it. Maybe John can post some explanation at the top of the index page to clarify that point.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I fully believe the author should get full credit - but it should say "arranged by" ( or maybe deranged by?) when it's traditional
I have also written a fiddle tune or two, lets face it - no one is getting rich off of fiddle tune copy rights.
Stormy Morning Orchestra
My YouTube Channel
"Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"
John Lamancusa (a friend of mine for many years) consistently says "by" to credit composers. For example, Sadie at the Back Door (by Jere Canote). The other names are the sources/versions. His transcriptions are quite accurate, in my opinion.
BTW, I own one of John's violin bows, and it's excellent.
'04 Gibson F3, '04 Gibson A4, '06 Gibson F4, '26 Gibson F5, '27 Gibson F4, '87 Givens A6, 2017 Kimble A5
Author, Anthology of Fiddle Styles; Co-author, Oldtime Fiddling Across America
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just discovered this as well, pretty cool
North Atlantic Tune List
Stormy Morning Orchestra
My YouTube Channel
"Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"
I was passing through Madison, Wisconsin and got to an old time jam, helped someone named John set up the chairs. Nice guy, and he played great fiddle. Only later was I told that was John Lamancusa. Also, a fiddle player sat next to me and said, "Hi, I'm Chirps." And it WAS! Here I am sitting next to one of the gods of old time fiddle and across the room from someone whose transcriptions I have been playing for years--wow! It just doesn't get much better than that.
Rob Ross
Apple Valley, Minne-SOH-tah
1996 Flatiron A5-Performer, 1915 Gibson F-2 (loaned to me by a friend), 2008 Kentucky Master KM-505 A-Model
1925 Bacon Peerless tenor banjo (Irish tuning), 1985 Lloyd Laplant F-5, 2021 Ibanez PFT2 Tenor Guitar (GDAE)
and of course, the 1970 Suzuki-Violin-Sha Bowl Back Taterbug
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
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