Origins/Tune/Chords: Step by Step

Subject: STEP BY STEP need melody
From:
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 08:05 PM

Can any of you mudcatters offer up the melody to this song. I've got the beginning I think from my recolection of someone singing it but can't seem to get the middle part. Help me if you can (I'm feeling dooooown) not really. Thanks

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Step by Step need melody
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 12:02 AM

Not enough info to lock the song down solid. You might be referring to "The Garden Song" ("Step by step, row by row; I'm gonna make this garden grow...") by David Mallett. Pretty sure you'll find it in the DT by that title. For sure it's in the "Rise Up Singing" songbook.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Step by Step need melody
From: Stewie
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 01:58 AM

No, 'Step by Step' is right. The lyrics are part of the preamble to the constitution of the early coal miner's union. Part of it is on 'Carry It On' - Pete Seeger, Jane Sapp and Si Kahn Flying Fish. The tune is to the Irish 'The Praties they grow small, over here'. As I recall there is a thread on foot about that tune. I have a full version of the lyrics somewhere, but I can't recall where at the moment.

Regards, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Step by Step need melody
From: alison
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 08:25 AM

you can find the tune of the praties they grow small at Mudcat MIDIs under "p" for praties....

if you need the GIF of the dots, let me know.....

slainte

alison

Subject: Tune for Step by Step Please
From: GUEST,heather
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 11:27 AM

Does any one know the tune for the round 'Step by Step the longest march can be won?'Thanks.

Subject: RE: Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:16 PM

Well, I usually start it out of Am...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune for Step by Step Please
From: GUEST,Ian Pittaway
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:30 PM

You'll find it on Sweet Honey in the Rock's album, The Other Side.

Subject: RE: Tune for Step by Step Please
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:35 PM

Sweet Honey clip:

HERE

~S~

Subject: RE: Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Peace
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:38 PM

Link to the notes on sheet music. Pete Seeger put the melody to it.

from

unionsong.com/u030.html

Subject: Origins: Step by Step
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 03:48 PM

Here's what Pete Seeger says in his songbook, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?:

Waldemar Hille, editing the People's Songs bulletin in 1948, once showed me two short verses he found when researching U.S. labor history.

Step by step the longest march
Can be won, can be won.
Many stones can form an arch,
Singly none, singly none.

And by union what we will
Can be accomplished still
Drops of water turn a mill,
Singly none, singly none.


It was printed in the preamble to the constitution of an early coal miner's union. Says Wally, "good verse." Says I, "What's the tune?"
"I don't know," says Wally, "I suppose some old Irish tune might fit it. Like the song from the Irish famine of the 1840's, 'The Praties they Grow Small.'"
"Let's try it," says I. It fit. And has been sung to that melody ever since.

The Digital Tradition has these same lyrics, but no tune, and says the lyrics are "From Ruthie Gorton, from the preamble to the constitution of the United Mineworkers of America." The Seeger songbook says the author is unknown, from the preamble to the constitution of the American Mineworkers Association (1863); music arranged and adapted by Waldemar Hills and Pete Seeger (1948) from the traditional Irish song "The Praties They Grow Small."

---

So, is it Waldemar Hills, Hille, or both? In most things I've seen about People's Songs, he's Hille - but he's identified as "Hills" in copyright information for "Step By Step" in two Seeger songbooks.

---

Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Peace
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 04:15 PM

5.-   Pas a pas (Step by step) Ll: autor desconegut. Mús: Waldemar Hills i Pete Seeger/Rah-mon Roma

The site that's from

www.rah-mon.com/espectacles/espec/seegers.html

is Spanish, but that attribution appears there. This is a pic of Rah-mon Roma.

It's my lot in life to confuse situations.

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Peace
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 04:23 PM

Incidentally, the spelling 'Waldemar Hills' googled in quotation marks gives only that one site, so I suspect it's a misspelling.

A google of "waldemar Hille" provides scads of sites showing Hille as an author of articles and contributor to various publications. There is a NYT article (July 12, 1990) that mentions him here. The pertinent part is quoted below:

"Waldemar Hille joined the Communist Party 48 years ago believing that the movement would create a more compassionate and humane America.

Today, as Communism falters in Europe, the 82-year-old Mr. Hille is fighting to preserve ''an important people's institution,'' a retirement home for political activists.

We're not just wallowing in resignation here,'' said Mr. Hille, a pianist who is one of nine residents of the home, Sunset Hall in downtown Los Angeles. ''We're fighting for our rights.'' Other residents said their building offered them a special environment of humanistic intellectualism."

Subject: Tune Req: step by step
From: GUEST,blether
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 06:22 PM

Does anyone know the tune to the round 'Step by step the longest march can be won?'

---

Hi - I moved you over here to the previous discussion.
-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-

Subject: RE: Tune Req: step by step
From: Peace
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 06:37 PM

Step by Step

Step by step the longest march
Can be won, can be won
Many stones can form an arch
Singly none, singly none
And by union what we will
Can be accomplished still
Drops of water turn a mill
Singly none singly none

Sound sample here.

I think you should be able to extrapolate the balance of the music from what's in that sound sample. G'luck to ya.

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 03:10 AM

I meant to do a MIDI for the previous request, but I forgot. Here 'tis:

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Canyonguy
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 09:43 AM

Heard a nice version on Amy Goodmans show democracy now

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune for Step by Step Please
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 09:51 AM

The site Peace linked to is Catalan, not Spanish. Looks like an interesting project.

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune for Step by Step Please
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 02:21 PM

There is another wonderful song by the same name. I oughtta post the lyrics, unless Rasmussen beats me to it. We do it often in worship. I may have a soundfile if I can find it.

~Susan

Subject: Chord Req: STEP BY STEP union song... longest march
From: open mike
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 01:23 PM

We are approaching the 100th anniversary of the killng of Joe Hill in Utah. Many people and groups have been commemmorating the centenieary with celebrations and memorials. We are holding an event in Chico CA with songs and the story of Joe Hill's life. Joe was a union organizer and sogngwriter who has inspired and influenced many. I plan to sing a couple of songs....
one is STEP BY STEP, a song for miners in a minor key

Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won
Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none
And by union what we will can be accomplished still
Drops of water turn a mill, singly none, singly none.

I would appreciate any advice on the chords to this....thanks!
I can be reached at: [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune/Chords: Step by Step
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 04:54 PM

Here are the chords from the Pete Seeger songbook, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

   Dm                             Gm    Dm   Gm     Dm
  Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won
                                  Gm    Dm   Gm     Dm
  Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none
                                Gm                A
  And by union what we will can be accomplished still
            Gm           Dm    Gm     Dm    Gm     Dm
  Drops of water turn a mill, singly none, singly none.
  

You can also find chords in the Rise Up Singing Songbook.

I'd suggest that you might want to sing this song a cappella.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune/Chords: Step by Step
From: open mike
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 06:39 PM

https://vimeo.com/21558278
this is a great round....acapella, yes
...from the preamble to the constitution of the
American Mineworkers Association (1863)

I find that i prefer these chords (capO ON 2)
Am G Am Em Am / Am Am Dm Dm E

Subject: RE: Origins/Tune/Chords: Step by Step
From: CupOfTea
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 09:16 PM

I always hear this in my memory with John McCutcheon singing it with hammer dulcimer that has been muted to sound like a marimba at first, then fully ringing out. John is a superb Union organizer, and one of the reason Local 1000, the traveling musicians union, exists. If he wants to play instruments with it, more power to him. A song so simple can swell marvelously when a great musician takes it on.

When I sing it, I always wonder if my carpenter union president grandfather would have known it back in the 50s and 60s,msnd sung it as well.


Joanne, sadly at a non union job