Annotation:Dubuque

Tune properties and standard notation

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DUBUQUE. AKA and see "Duck River," "Fiddling Phil," "Five Miles from Town [2]," "General Lee," "Hell Up Coal Holler [2]," "Lighthouse," "Mabel," "Muddy Road to Kansas," "Old Dubuque," "Phiddlin' Phil," "Sally in the Green Corn," "Trouble on the Nine Mile," "Village Hornpipe." Old-Time, Reel. USA, Missouri. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Silberberg): AABB (Brody): AABBAAB'B' (Phillips). Dubuque, Iowa, takes its name from Sieur Julien Dubuque, a French-Canadian who was one of the first white men to settle the area, which at that time was under the control of the Fox tribe of Native Americans and the Spanish monarchy. Dubuque dealt successfully with both, obtaining permission to mine lead in the latter 18th century. He befriended a local Mesquakie Chief named Peosta, and perhaps married his daughter, Potosa. Dubuque died in 1810 and was buried on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, just south of the town that bears his name. Interestingly, fiddler and musicologist Paul Tyler finds historical reference a man named Dubuque, a fiddler and dancer in M.M. Hoffman's Antique Dubuque: 1793-1833:

Naturally one would expect that such a wealthy and powerful personage would make somewhat of an impression on the inhabitants of the little city of St. Louis when he visited there. And such was the case. Antoine Soulard, who became the Surveyor General for the district of Upper Louisiana in 1795, was the friend and business representative of Dubuque at St. Louis. His son, James G. Soulard, born in 1798, in later years moved to Galena and there resided as a prominent citizen for many years. This pioneer had the good fortune to meet Dubuque and he has left with us perhaps the best picture obtainable of the great Miner of the Mines of Spain. He described Julien Dubuque as he appeared in middle life, as "a man below the usual stature, of black hare and eyes, wiry and well-built, capable of great endurance and remarkably courteous and polite, with all the suavity and grace of the typical Frenchman. To the ladies he was always the essence of politeness." Mr. Soulard well remembered that on the occasion of one of Dubuque's visits, a ball was given in his honor, attended by all the prominent people of the place. It was held in a public hall, in the second story of a building, and he as a small boy had crowded in to see the sights. At one point of the festivities the Sieur Dubuque took a violin from one of the performers and executed a dance to the strains of his own music, which was considered a great accomplishment, and was received with tremendous applause.

However, the tune "Dubuque," or "Old Dubuque," is a representative of a large tune family that appears to have its greatest currency in the Midwest, although can be found in other regions. There are numerous variants and titles (see above), but all have the general contour and most have the characteristic first few measures. Some see relationships to the "Off to California" family of tunes. Tom Verdot believes it may be derived from an 1840's minstrel tune called "Coonie in the Holler" (Howard Marshall). Christeson says the tune is similar to "Phiddling Phil" in Adam's book. "Old Dubuque" is one of '100 essential Missouri tunes' listed by Missouri fiddler Charlie Walden. See also the related "Possum Up a Gum Stump [1]." "Muddy Road to Kansas" is an Illinois title for the melody. In addition, Gus Meade (2002) finds the following related tunes: "Sweet Ellen/Ellum [2]," "Lonesome Hill," "Hell Broke Loose in Georgia," and "Indian Eat the Woodpecker." The earliest sound recording of the melody is by William B. Houchens (1923), under the title "Bob Walker," while Capt. Moses J. Bonner (1925) recorded it as "Ma' Ferguson." The earliest printed versions appear in Elias Howe's as "Village Hornpipe," and Ira Ford's (1940) under the same title.

Source for notated version: Fennigs All Stars (N.Y.) [Brody], Jay Ungar (West Hurley, New York) [Kuntz, Phillips]; Art Galbraith (Mo.) [Phillips]; Jack Link (Seattle) [Silberberg].

Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 93. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; p. 76. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 38.

Recorded sources: Front Hall 01, Fennig's All Star String Band- "The Hammered Dulcimer." Kicking Mule 209, Bob Carlin- "Melodic Clawhammer Banjo." Revonah RS-924, "The West Orrtanna String Band" (1976. Learned from the playing of Neil Rossi).

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index [1]

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Tune properties and standard notation