Annotation:Valse des Vachers

Back to Valse des Vachers

VALSE DES VACHERS (Cowboy Waltz). AKA – “Valse de Vacher.” Cajun, Waltz. USA, southwestern Louisiana. D Major. GDad or Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Fret/Doucet): AA(Vocal)BB(Vocal)BAA(Vocal)A(Vocal)B. Dennis McGee recorded the song twice in the 1st half of the 20th century, with different words. He used an open tuning. Related songs, according to Raymond Francois (1990), are Adam Hebert's "My Rope and Spurs" and Shirley Bergeron's "Valse du Passé." “Port Arthur Blues” is a duple-time version of the melody.

Source for notated version: Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee via Michael Doucet (La.) [Frets Magazine]; Dennis McGee (La.) [Francois].

Printed sources: Francois (Yé Yaille, Chère!), 1990; pp. 303-305. Frets Magazine, "Michael Doucet," September 1987; p. 49.

Recorded sources: Arhoolie 5036, Beausoleil - "Allons A Lafayette". Morning Star 45002, "The Early Recordings of Dennis McGee (La.) 1929 1930." Swallow Records SW-6030, Dennis McGee. Swing Cat 1612, “Al Berard & Friends” (appears as “Cowboy Waltz”).

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]

Back to Valse des Vachers