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Beebop - Posted - 08/12/2023: 02:41:59
Hi everyone, I've been playing alot in AEAC# recently and was trying to research the history of the use of the tuning in oldtime music but not finding much. I was wondering if any of you knowledgeable folk had any information about this?
I read somewhere that it might have been inspired by a Scandinavian fiddler who toured the US in the 19th century
wilford - Posted - 08/12/2023: 06:06:46
Not sure of the origin but I use it for Black Mountain Rag. I have called it Sawmill Tuning after hearing someone else call it that but I am not sure of it.
UsuallyPickin - Posted - 08/12/2023: 06:29:54
Well, the thing about tunings and bowings is that different folks call them different things. Not really a problem I guess. Confusion seems to be a part of my fiddling anyway. R/
Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 08/12/2023: 12:21:56
I learned a decent number of Sawmill Tuning tunes from David Bragger. They're simple and extremely fun to do. As for the name, I never researched it but it's pretty obvious to me. You essentially just saw your bow back 'n forth in rhythm. The strings you need to bow are never far away from each other from a bowing position perspective, and you're usually happily sawing away simultaneously on several strings, anyway.
wilford - Posted - 08/12/2023: 14:06:50
I guess the most popular is AEAE for Sawmill and the 1st string lowered to C# might have another name. Not sure.
DougD - Posted - 08/12/2023: 14:09:27
Beebop - I don't crosstune, so take this with a grain of salt, but I got interested in this topic awhile back, but didn't end up very enlightened.
First of all, I think of "sawmill" tuning as more on the banjo, but I guess people call AEAE or GDGD tuning on the fiddle "sawmill" as well.
When I was coming up we just called the tuning you're asking about (AEac#) "Black Mountain Rag" tuning because that was about the only tune we knew that used it. But if you use the search function on the Slippery Hill website, there are 108 pieces in that tuning, some old (The Stripling Brothers), and some recent (The Canote Brothers). So the tuning goes back aways, but I think the name "Calico" is more recent, maybe originating in the 1990's or so with younger fiddles in the Pacific Northwest (I could easily be wrong about that). The name comes from the tune "Calico," which Marcus Martin played in that tuning. However, I also read that the tune more commonly associated with the verse "Don't care where in the world I go, can't see nothin' for the calico" (ie, women's dresses) is more like the tune he called "Citago," which he 0layed in AEAE.
More confusing, the Kentucky fiddler Jim Bowles played a tune he called "Calico," but in AEAE. Bruce Greene recorded numerous tunes from him, and also a lengthy interview. Its interesting how well he remembered from whom he learned tunes and what tunings were used for them. This is very different from today, when people tune to AEAE and play for several hours. For Mr. Bowles, this would have been only for certain tunes, and sometimes only from certain players.
Here's a link to the Bruce Greene Collection at Berea. You can burrow around for yourself. berea.libraryhost.com/?p=colle...&id=89&q=
Edited by - DougD on 08/12/2023 14:17:25
DougD - Posted - 08/12/2023: 14:48:23
PS - The "Scandinavian" fiddler you're referring to might be Ole Bull, a Norwegian fiddler who was very popular in Europe and the US. He was a champion of nationalist music, and was heavily influenced by folk fiddlers in his compositions and technique, so he might have used this tuning. Here's a list of some of his compositions available online: imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Ole_Bull
You still see old mail order violins with his name on the back of the peghead.
DougD - Posted - 08/12/2023: 17:50:03
Beebop - Here's a previous discussion of this question from this site in 2010: fiddlehangout.com/archive/14985
If you follow the link to Bosco's page you can hear Marcus Martin describe and demonstrate the tuning.
The title of the Canote Brothers CD "Calico Pie," which popularized this tuning, refers to a nonsense poem by Edward Lear.
wilford - Posted - 08/13/2023: 07:52:06
quote:
Originally posted by DougD
PS - The "Scandinavian" fiddler you're referring to might be Ole Bull, a Norwegian fiddler who was very popular in Europe and the US. He was a champion of nationalist music, and was heavily influenced by folk fiddlers in his compositions and technique, so he might have used this tuning. Here's a list of some of his compositions available online: imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Ole_Bull
You still see old mail order violins with his name on the back of the peghead.
I played an Ole Bull at the recent contest. It belongs to a friend and looks and sounds great!
DougD - Posted - 08/13/2023: 10:46:05
Wilford - Around here people often think "Ole Bull" refers to the animal, and that these fiddles are strong and powerful!
wilford - Posted - 08/13/2023: 12:17:46
quote:
Originally posted by DougD
Wilford - Around here people often think "Ole Bull" refers to the animal, and that these fiddles are strong and powerful!
My buddy that played guitar with me at the contest up in Mountain View, Saturday has two Ole Bull fiddles and has owned several throughout his years of playing music and collecting and repairing instruments. His experience with them is that the darker colored ones don't sound as nice as the lighter ones. I told him that perhaps they were made by different builders. I've never played a darker-stained one but I sure do like the reddish-colored one he lets me use whenever I'm at his house. Nice, strong, powerful fiddle indeed!
DougD - Posted - 08/13/2023: 12:44:50
I think they're just old trade fiddles, probably from various sources, except they say "Ole Bull" instead of "Conservatory," "Windsor," or whatever. Not really made by a particular builder. Like all trade fiddles they probably vary in quality though, and some might be quite good.
'New Tuner' 5 hrs
