Annotation:Valley Forge

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X:1 T:Valley Forge N:From the playing of fiddler, songwriter and singer Jimmie N:Driftwood (1907-1998), Fayetteville, Arkansas. M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel N:AEae tuning (fiddle) D:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/valley-forge Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:Amix eg|:a2 ab a2e2|gega g2e2|gega g2e2|cABA F^GAA:| |:+slide+c2 cB A2A2|cAcA faee| +slide+c2 cB A2A2|BAcA BcAA| +slide+c2 cB A2A2|cAcA faee| BAcA BcAA|cABc A2A2:| |:+slide+G2GG- GEFE|GEFE B,CEE|+slide+ G2GG- GEFE|GEFE CB,A,A,:| |:=C-^CCB, A,2A,2|CA,CA, FAEE|B,A,CA, B,CA,A,|B,A,CA, B,CA,A,:|

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VALLEY FORGE. American, Reel (cut time). USA, Arkansas. D Major/Mixolydian. AEae or Standard tuning (fiddle). ABC (Silberberg): AA'AA"BB'CC' (Phillips). From the playing of Ramona Jones, who may herself have learned the melody from Arkansas singer and instrumentalist Jimmie Driftwood. Jones is credited with popularizing the tune among modern old-time fiddlers, although she apparently played the tune in the key of ‘A’ with fiddle cross-tuned in AEae. Most modern old-time fiddlers, however, play it in ‘D’.

Ramona Jones

Driftwood, born James Corbett Morris was a schoolteacher who gained fame with his song “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1962. However, he learned “Valley Forge” from fiddler Absie Morrison, whose repertoire contained numerous pieces named for events in American history (here named for George Washington and the Continental Army’s Pennsylvania encampment in the winter of 1777-78). Where Morrison obtained the tune, or if the title “Valley Forge” is his own, is unknown.