Jameson Nordberg -- sorry to hear of that, son!! Now you're gonna have to get another fiddle so you can check out a version of BP by a fellow named Paul Kirk. It's played as an Irish reel, and is "Americanized", I guess. His version can be played for at least 20 or 30 minutes, letting everyone get a break, or 'til somebody yells " Last time". Now that's a damn fine way to play a great old tune!! ( With yer new fiddle, you should also learn one called "the Silver Spire" from Fiddle Castro or Peakfiddler on YT). Another great tune that would make you want to take that sweet baby to bed with you, maybe under your pillow. In a case, of course. Sweet dreams, dude. Ha, ha! Cheers, friend. Bob
I, too noticed that it is crooked. Harder for me to learn from, but it is Bruce's version (and a fine one) based on tradition. Every fiddle player I know (including me) has his or her own version. And it has been thus for probably 200 years.
MrMusicguyma,. Yes, I agree -- there are almost as many versions of this great old workhorse tune as there are fiddlers. It was originally composed as a durge by the Irish, who, fighting on the side of the French with Bonaparte, were defeated at Waterloo by the Brits. Their lot was bound to be less than pleasant in the eyes of the victorious British. This durge, or whatever form this tune took from those old days, has stood the test of time and has become an iconic classic, played in all parts of the world. This so called "dead man" tuning is the proper way it should be played, as it resembles that bagpipe drone of the D notes ( DDAD). One should have two fiddles, so one can be tuned standard, the other to DDAD, or some other cross tuning. It's hard to keep in tune by dropping those strings, unless it's tuned that way for at least a week and left that way. I'm told the British banned the bagpipes being played by the Scots, because it inspired too much anti- British sentiments and emotions. It was a powerful instrument, apparently, and the Scots, being "industrious and defiant", " invented" a way to get that feeling with a fiddle -- hense, the Dead Man tuning. Listen to John Specker's version on YT and see if this durge isn't one hell of an emotional piece of music. It's played as a march, so march off to defeat, if you must.... Cheers, my friend. Bob in Montana. PS -- I have heard perhaps five or six different versions of this tune, including Glenn Campbell's w/ Ms Tucker. 😰😰🙄😳💰😜🤭🤪
@@theancientmariner5418 I've always liked the country reinvention of the tune which if you listen to the lyrics references playing Bonaparte's Retreat. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BH3OPOnUpEs.html
I have read that this tune was written by Napoleon’s hired hand soldiers from Ireland as they retreated from Moscow with a great loss of life and solely injured compatriots. Napoleon made no provision for feeding his army and the Russians burned everything edible on their path out.
There are many versions, some of which are crooked www.slippery-hill.com/search-page?search_api_views_fulltext=bonaparte%27s%20retreat I think the first one is Luther Strong's followed by the Stepp version
@voilaviolamh A crooked tune means that it isn't exactly square, or it cuts off or adds a beat to a section of a tune. That's the best way I can describe it.
