Annotation:Rosebud Reel

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X:2 T:Rosebud Reel M:2/4 L:1/8 C:George Saunders B:Saunders - New and Scientific Self-Instructing School for the Violin (Providence, R.I., 1847, No. 19, p. 55) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:C {A}(G/F/)|(E/G/).c/.d/ ec/e/|{g}(f/e/)(d/c/) .A{B}A/G/|E/G/c/d/ e/c/a/g/|e/c/c/e/ .d{A}G/F/| (E/G/).c/.d/ ec/e/|{g}(f/e/)(d/c/) .A{B}A/G/|E/G/c/e/ d/c/B/d/|ce/d/ c:| |:{a}(g/f/)|.e/(c/B/c/) A/c/G/c/|E/G/c/d/ .e/(c/B/c/)|a/c/g/c/ {ag}f/e/d/c/| A/d/d/c/ B/c/d/f/|.e/(c/B/c/) A/c/G/c/|E/G/c/d/ .e/(c/B/c/)|a/c/g/c/ {g}f/e/d/c/|B/G/A/B/ c:||

ROSE BUD/ROSEBUD REEL. AKA and see "Mountain Ranger Hornpipe (1)," “Rosebud Hornpipe.” New England, Old-Time; Reel and Breakdown. USA; Missouri, Nebraska. B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Christeson, Cole, Kerr, Page): AA'BB (Phillips). A reel-time setting of the “Mountain Hornpipe.” Seattle fiddler, researcher and publisher Vivian Williams discovered the tune in George Saunders’ tutor New and Scientific Self-Instructing School for the Violin (Providence, R.I., 1847), set in the key of ‘C’ major. In the publication, ‘Professor (of Music and Dancing)’ Saunders claims composition credit by his initials next to the tune. Vivian writes: “I think Saunders probably did compose the tunes he claimed. In his book he seems quite conscientious about marking his tunes with his initials, and leaving the rest unmarked. He comments that he wrote all the cotillion sets himself, and they are all initialed…On the other hand, he didn’t initial any of the standard ‘Contra, Spanish and Fancy Dances’ in the book, including his very idiosyncratic version of ‘Durang’s Hornpipe’, which is very different from the usual ‘book’ versions.” The melody was picked up by the Kerr’s publishing company in Scotland, presumably from American sources such as Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883), and included in one of the firm's Merry Melodies volumes, however, all indications so far are that it is American in provenance.

The tune was picked up by Mid-west fiddlers (probably from the Ryan's/Coles publications) and recorded by such regionally famous fiddlers such as Lonnie Robertson, Charlie Walden, Bob Walters and Cyril Stinnett. Guthrie Meade (Country Music Sources, 2002) records one early 78 RPM recording by Geoge Stehl (1920).

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Bob Walters (Burt County, Nebraska) [Christeson]; Becky Miller [Phillips]; Lonnie Robertson (1908-1981, Springfield, Mo.) [Beisswenger & McCann].

Printed sources : - Beisswenger & McCann (Ozarks Fiddle Music), 2008; p. 125. R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddler’s Repertory, vol. 2), 1984; No. 38, pp. 26-27. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 10. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 2), c. 1880’s; p. 44. Page (Ralph Page Book of Contras), 1969; p. 21. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 203. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 33. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), No. or p. 48.

Recorded sources: - Front Hall 03, Dudley Laufman - "Swinging on a Gate." Rounder CD 0375, Lonnie Robertson – “Lonnie’s Breakdown” (1996. Originally recorded 1966).

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