Soldier's Joy

[Tim Twiss]

I wonder why this tune gets skipped over. I do not see many people do it.

[Paul Draper]

Good question. It kind of gets shunned in Old-Time circles as well. Tim, is there a "minstrel" version of this tune in one of the tutors?

[Tim Twiss]

No. I never saw it. I just read one out of "Social Dances from the American Revolution" which Al turned me on to. Straight fiddle tune, and easy to do. If we include Money Musk, this one also qualifies as a "core tune". 

[Paul Draper]

If you ever have time, could you post it? I'd love to hear / learn it. Thx.

[Andy Chase]

It's a great tune... but in old-time circles I always got the impression that it was right up there with 'Cripple Creek' in terms of groan-inducement at a jam; one of those tunes that everyone has heard and played so many times that they never want to hear it again.  I always assumed it hasn't had much play on the early banjo scene because it's not part of the "accepted canon" of early tutors.

[Rob Morrison]

We played it last night at an old-time jam here in Chapel Hill.  It has words, but is basically a dance tune you can play it about 100 miles an hour.  Because everybody knows it, you can have a whole bunch of people play it and still be tight.  Cloggers and square dancers love it.  It's one of the forty-odd D fiddle tunes I just learned in Briggs' high bass.  I guess I'm not easily bored, but I get your point, Andy.

[Tim Twiss]

I'm not near a scanner. Maybe Al could put it up?

Nice collection.

[Andy Chase]

(Personally, I never get tired of playing the old-time d-tuning version, but when somebody would call it at the couple of jams I used to play it, people would roll their eyes and heave a big sigh before launching into it.)

[Paul Draper]

I love playing the Fred Cockerham version - fun to play and a great tune.

[Paul Draper]

Ok Tim, I'll PM Al.

[Al Smitley]

I was about to respond..... I'm not up on acronyms.  If PM means pummel mercilessly, I think I'll skip Antietam this year.