Annotation:Rippling Water

Back to Rippling Water

X:1 T:Rippling Water M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G g2g gfe | dBd edB | DFA cBA | GAB def | g2g gfe | dBd edB | DFA cBA | GAG G2z :| K:D |: afd fdA | Adf a3 | Ace gfe | def afd | afd fdA | Adf a2f | gag f2e |1 ded d2f :|2 ded =cBA ||

RIPPLING WATER(‘S JIG). Canadian, American; Jig or Quadrille. USA, northern New York, Arkansas. Canada, Prince Edward Island. G Major ('A' part) & D Major ('B' part){Bayard}: E Major (‘A’ part) & A Major (‘B’ part) {Perlman}. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Bayard): AABB’ (Perlman). Maritime fiddler Don Messer (1909-1973) popularized the tune, which is associated with him and is now widespread in Canada and the northern United States, and even parts farther south. The second strain is reminiscent of "Portland Fancy (1)," although the parts are reversed in various versions. The title appears in a list of traditional Ozarks Mountains fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954.

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Bradley Grimshaw (fiddler from northern N.Y., 1958) [Bayard]; Leonard MacDonald (b. 1933, Emyvale, Queen’s County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman].

Printed sources : - Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 570, pp. 508-509. Mark O'Connor (O'Connor Violin Method, Book 3). Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 145.

Recorded sources: - Apex 26297-B (78 RPM), Don Messer & His Islanders (1947). Banff SBS 5306, Graham Townsend - "I Like Don Messer" (1969). Rounder CD7014, Leonard McDonald – “Fiddlers of Western Prince Edward Island” (1997).

See also listing at:
Hear Don Messer's 1947 recording on youtube.com [1]
Hear Graham Townsend's recording on youtube.com [2]