Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on August 13th 2008 by The Merry Highlander.
This tune has been added to 5 tunebooks.
X: 1
T: Stick Beat, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: d>c d>e | d>A F>A | d>c d>d | e>f g>e |
d>c d>e | d>A F>A | d2 f>e | d4 :|
|: c>A e>A | c/B/A e>A | B>G d>G | B>G d>G |
c>A e>A | c/B/A e>A | d>e f>e | d4 :|
|: d>c d>f | d>c d>f | e>d e>g | e2 e/f/g |
d>c d>f | d>c d>f | f2 f>e | d4 :|
You're safe here ~ never heard of it...
# Posted on August 13th 2008 by ceolachan
March
When "c" was talking about similarities between marches and polkas I thought about this march.
I rememeber hearing this one as a kid at parades. There was always a strong showing in our parades from pipes and drums. I dont remember if it was highland pipes or fife and drums though.
This tune is in Bayard's "Dance to the Fiddle March to the Fife" and he collected several versions. One was on fiddle and had more of a 4/4 feel to it. Some of the fife versions are more "notey."
I haven't quite worked out my take on it. It keeps changing, but I do like the ABC's Ive submiited here.
I enjoy the change of mode in the 2nd part while the whole thing is in 2 sharps.
If I remember correctly, Bayard said it was unique to the SW Pennsylvania region, but Ill have to check to see if he found other sources outside the mason-dixon line area.
# Posted on August 13th 2008 by The Merry Highlander
Addictive
cool tune aint it?
# Posted on August 15th 2008 by The Merry Highlander
Do you have any other information on it? It would be nice to see some of the other takes on it here in the comments. It has a familiar ring about it. I'm wondering if the melody was ever used for play-party dances?
It almost calls for lyrics, like a skipping rope ditty or children's playground rhyme...
# Posted on August 17th 2008 by ceolachan
Familiar
Yep it's very familiar, simply but catchy. . In his notes to tunes Bayard usually elaborated about tune families and if they were also in the play-party tradition. He wrote that he coudn't find a variant outside the general mason dixon line area, but was a standard fife tune from many fifers.
I dont have time right now but some of the takes were in 4/4--- and one on fiddle in 4/4.
# Posted on August 25th 2008 by The Merry Highlander