X:1
T:Walk Your Chalk, Reel
M:2/4
L:1/8
R:Reel
B:Coes Album of Jigs and Reels, something new, for professional and amateur violinists,
B:leaders of orchestras, quadrille bands, and clog, reel and jig dancers; consisting of a
B:Grand Collection of entirely New and Original Clog-Hornpipes, Reels, jigs,
B:Scotch Reels, Irish Reels and Jigs, Waltzes, Walk-Arounds, etc. (1876, p. 47)
N:Coes performed with the San Francisco Minstrels in California from 1852 to 1859.
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:G
D/C/|B,/D/G/A/ B/G/D/B,/|C/E/A/B/ c/A/F/D/|B,/D/G/A/ B/G/c/B/|(3A/B/A/ (3G/F/E/ (3D/E/D/ (3C/B,/A,/|
B,/D/G/A/ B/G/D/B,/|C/E/A/B/ c/A/F/D/|B,/D/G/B/ A/D/E/F/|(G/F/E/D/ C/B,/A,/)G,:|
|:g/a/|b/g/e/g/ d/g/B/g/|d/g/B/g/ d/g/B/g/|b/g/e/g/ d/g/B/g/|f/g/a/b/ ag/a/|
b/g/e/g/ d/g/B/g/|c/B/A/B/ c/d/e/f/|g/d/B/G/ E/c/A/F/|(G/F/E/D/ C/B,/A,/)G,/:|]
WALK YOUR CHALK. American, Reel (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The reel "Walk the Chalk" was printed in George H. Coes Coes Album of Jigs and Reels (1876), which contained a large number of tunes played by blackface minstrels. In the mid-19th century "Walk your chalk" originally referred to a procedure consisting in making a person walk on a straight line drawn with chalk in order to establish whether he or she is inebriated. However, it soon came to mean to "go away" or "to be off"--a synonym for depart, similar to 'make tracks' or 'make yourself scarce'.
Additional notes
Printed sources : - George H. Coes (Coes Album of Jigs and Reels, something new, for professional and amateur violinists, leaders of orchestras, quadrille bands, and clog, reel and jig dancers; consisting of a Grand Collection of entirely New and Original Clog-Hornpipes, Reels, jigs, Scotch Reels, Irish Reels and Jigs, Waltzes, Walk-Arounds, etc.), 1876; p. 47.
