Annotation:Across the Plains

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X:1 T:Across the Plains S:W.L. "Jake" Phelps M:C| L:1/8 F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/across-plains Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:G +slide+[D3B3](A B2)A/B/A|GEDB, ([G,D]E)G2G2|{^A}[D2B2]AG [G,2E2][G,2E2]|DB,DE [G,2G2][G,2G2]| [D2A2][D2A2][D2A2] GE|DB,([G,D]E)G2G2|{^A}B2AG [G,3E3]F|[G,E]>D EF[G,2G2][G,2G2]|| bage dBGB|g2g2[D2d2][D2d2]|gage dBAG|EDEF [G,2G2][G,2G2]| gage dBGB|g2ga baba|gedg edBA|[G,2G2]{A}[D2B2]z2[G,2G2]| gage dBGB|g2ga (ba)(ba)|gedg edBA|[G,2G2]GE DB,[G,D]E |G4[GA]-[G3B3]||

ACROSS THE PLAINS. AKA and see “Old Red Rooster.” Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, Kentucky. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). ABB’. Source Phelps played the tune at a moderate tempo, slower that dance timing. Jeff Titon (2001) notes that Phelps learned his repertoire from other Todd County fiddlers, including Will Stegall (born c. 1869), a fiddler who had much of his own repertoire from the Purchase section of western Kentucky. According to Bruce Greene, the title “Across the Plains” was more common among fiddlers in the western part of Kentucky, while the alternate title “Old Red Rooster” was more common in the south-central part of the state. Greene notes the similarity of the tune with the better known “Fort Smith (1).” See also related melodies “Grey Cat on a Tennessee Farm” and “Big-Footed Man (in the Sandy Lot).”

Phelps also had a tune in his repertoire with a somewhat similar title called "Going Across the Sea."

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - recorded in the field in 1973 by Bruce Greene from the playing of W.L. “Jake” Phelps (1885-1977, from Todd County near Elkton, Kentucky) [Titon].

Printed sources : - Titon (Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 1, p. 32.

Recorded sources: -BG-CD1, Bruce Greene.

See also listing at:
Hear Bruce Greene's 1973 field recording of Jake Phelps at Slippery Hill [1] and the Digital Library of Appalachia [2]

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