Annotation:Henry Reed's Breakdown
X: 2 T: Henry Reed's Breakdown R: reel M: 4/4 L: 1/8 F:https://thesession.org/tunes/17643 K: Amaj e/f/g|:a2g2 ed c2|A3 A3 e/f/g|a2g2 edcd|e3 e3 e/f/g| a2g2 ed c2|A4 cAc2|E4 GE G2|1 A3 A3 e/f/g:|2 A3 A3 B/c/d|| |:e2d2 cA c2|A3 A3 B/c/d|e2d2 =cA c2|E3 E3 B/c/d| e2d2 cA c2|A4 cA c2|E4 GE G2|1 A3 A3 B/c/d:|2 A3 A3 E/F/G|| |:A2G2 ED C2|A,3 A,3 E/F/G|A2G2 EDCD|E3 E3 E/F/G| A2G2 ED C2|A,4 =CA,C2|E4 GE G2|1 A3 A3 E/F/G:|2 A3 A3 e/f/g||
HENRY REED'S BREAKDOWN. AKA - "Breakdown in 'A'," "Reed's Reel." American, Reel (whole time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'CC'. This unnamed reel was in the repertory of fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968) of Glen Lyn, Giles County, southwest Virginia, who was recorded at his home by Alan Jabbour for the Library of Congress. Jabbour thought it was related to bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley's "Clinch Mountain Backstep". Reed himself, while not remembering the name, opined that it was "as old as the mountains." Compare also with "Pretty Little Cat," which, while a different tune, has similar melodic and harmonic content.
