Native American Fiddle Music

Subject: Native American Fiddle Music
From: Chicago's Fiddlin' Turtlers
Date: 25 Oct 98 - 05:13 PM

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and have a doozie of a question for ya'll...

A few yrs ago, when I was taking fiddle lessons, I was introduced to two Native American fiddle tunes. The teacher had learned them at a camp he'd gone to, where ~ I forget.

He couldn't pronounce the name of the Nation.... something with "a lot of vowels... mostly O's"

The 2 tunes were.. "Off She Goes" in the key of D and Squash Fields... Any idea where I could get a recording or lead on these?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Lisa.

Subject: RE: Native American Fiddle Music
From: Bruce O.
Date: 25 Oct 98 - 06:56 PM

"Off She Goes" is undoubtably not native American. Here's a copy from a book of mixed Scots and Irish, and a very few English tunes (this apparently being Scots). There's an earlier Scots copy (1789), but I don't have it.
[Campbell gave a different one of this title in his 19th book, but this is the only one that lasted.]

X:1
T:Off She Goes
S:Wm. Campbell's 20th Book of Country Dances (c 1805)
Q:120
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:D
A|F2AG2B|ABcd3|F2AG2B|AFDE3|F2AG2B|ABcd2e|f2dg2f|edcd2||g|\
f/g/afd2f|e/f/gec2e|f/g/afd2f|edcd2g|f/g/afd2f|e/f/gec2e|\
~d2fa2f|gecd2|]

Subject: RE: Native American Fiddle Music
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 26 Oct 98 - 11:05 AM

I wonder whether the name of the nation was Onondaga. They're in New York (and Ontario?).

Subject: RE: Native American Fiddle Music
From: Barbara
Date: 26 Oct 98 - 02:12 PM

Lisa, I wonder if your teacher was also a tale teller? (or a leg puller) There are some songs in circulation that either tell the NA point of view, or have tunes that come close to Indian chants, but I have not run into any information on fiddle crossover tunes. Just offhand, I wouldn't think that NA tune structures would lend themselves to fiddle. Possible some of Carlos Nakai might translate.
Anyone?
Blessings
Barbara

Subject: RE: Native American Fiddle Music
From: Fiddlin' Turtlers
Date: 04 Nov 98 - 11:02 PM

Thanks, folks.... Will have to look into these further. :-) Lisa.