Annotation:Indian Ate the Woodchuck (1)

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INDIAN ATE/EAT THE WOODCHUCK [1]. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee. C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAAA'BB (Phillips): AABCC (Titon). Jeff Titon (2001) gives its provenance as eastern Kentucky and explains the confusion of titles between the substitution of 'eat' and 'ate' and 'woodchuck', 'woodpecker', 'woodcock' and 'woodhen'. The melody was in the repertoire of Kentucky fiddlers John Salyer (1882-1952), Estill Bingham (1899-1990), Owen "Snake" Chapman, and bluegrass fiddler Kenny Baker (who called it "Indian Killed a Woodcock"). Baker's tune is similar to the tune J.P. Fraley of Rush, Kentucky, plays idiosyncratically called, "Sail Away Ladies (2)" (not the tune usually known by that title, and one he obtained from Ed Hayley (1883-1951), who did call it by the "Indian" title--see "Indian Ate the Woodchuck (2)"). Titon seems to think that the Baker/Fraley tune is distanced from the Hayley and Salyer versions, however, and he points out that "Indian Ate the Woodchuck" (and variants) is something of a floating title, noting the similarity, for example to the unrelated "Indian and the Woodhen." Salyer's version is a two-part one that is not as "busy" or 'notey' as Haley's tune. The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. African-American fiddler Frank Patterson recorded the tune under the title "Indian and the Woodchuck" for the Library of Congress around 1942.

Sources for notated versions: John Salyer (recorded 1940-41, Salyersville, Magoffin County, Ky.) [Milliner & Koken, Phillips]; Ed Hayley (Ashland, Boyd County, Ky.) [Titon]; Mark Gaponoff [Silberberg].

Printed sources: Milliner & Koken (Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes), 2011; p. 318. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 69. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2011; p. 318. Titon (Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 68, p. 97.

Recorded sources: Berea College Appalachian Center AC003, "John M. Salyer: Home Recordings 1941-1942, vol. 2" (1993). Rounder 1131/1132, Ed Haley - "Forked Deer" (1997).

See also listing at:
Hear John M. Salyer's recording at Slippery Hill [1]
Hear John M. Salyer's recording at Berea Digital Content [2]

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