Old Time Tunes?

[Eric Root]

But there are (or at least were) a lot of regional styles and even regional tunes, which I don't think you'll get from books.  Unfortunately, I'm not the expert when it comes to recordings.

 

There's been a lot of blending of styles over the past quarter century... and the words don't always mean the same thing.  "Old time" in New England often means old New England style tunes, not Appalachian tunes, though I know plenty of New Englanders these days who play both... and switch their playing styles to match the tune.  The more specific term I'm used to which designates only Appalachian playing is "old timey", not just "old time".

Terminology gets tricky. One of the problems is that the current fashion among serious old-time afficianados (sp?) is to hate the phrase "old-timey" the way serious SF fans hate the word "sci-fi"; they think it sounds disrespectful. If they don't act offended at the term "old-timey," next thing you know, they will have to leave their bib overalls unfastened on one side (of course, they _have_ bib overalls) and blacken in one tooth. And when it gets down to it, a search for old time music on the Web also reveals that fans of that old, rag-timey barrelhouse piano playing call their music old time, and in the northern great lakes, it means something like "polka without drums and electric bass."

[Helen]

Jim and Eric,

 

I agree about the blending of styles and the blurring of names. I usually say Appalachian (which I can say, but not spell) (well, there are different ways to say it too). Usually people know what I am referring to and if they don't. then they get my definition! Works for me.

 

Helen

[Daniel Bradbury]

Another HUGE online resource can be found at http://www.homestead.com/hetzler/music_2.html

 

It has hundreds of old time tunes arranged by key. They download midi files. Most have complex arrangements but by closing the extra tracks, you can get good melody lines.

[Jim Besser]

Missed this thread while traveling, but wanted to get my two shekels in. I play a lot of oldtime on Anglo c/g in various bands. Some great, concertina-friendly OT tunes that fiddlers seem to love:

 

Magpie

Fly Away my Pretty Little Miss (possibly the single easiest tune to play fast on an anglo)

Puncheon Floor

Over the Waterfall

Richmond Cotillion

Nail that catfish to the tree

Cold Frosty Morning

Colored Aristocracy

pigtown fling

 

Many more, can't remember names.