Big Mule (The)

Big Mule (The) Click on the tune title to see or modify Big Mule (The)'s annotations. If the link is red you can create them using the form provided.Browse Properties <br/>Special:Browse/:Big Mule (The) Query the Archive
Theme code Index	5L111 1565
Also known as	Duck River
Composer/Core Source
Region	United States
Genre/Style	Old-Time
Meter/Rhythm	Reel (single/double)
Key/Tonic of	D
Accidental	2 sharps
Mode	Ionian (Major)
Time signature
History	USA(Upland South)
Structure	AA'BCC'
Editor/Compiler	Biography:Jeff Titon
Book/Manuscript title	Book:Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes
Tune and/or Page number	No. 6, p. 37
Year of publication/Date of MS	2001
Artist
Title of recording
Record label/Catalogue nr.
Year recorded
Media
Score ()

<abc float="left"> %REPLACE THE NEXT 5 (FIVE) LINES WITH YOUR ABC NOTATION CODE X:1 T: No Score K:G %% simply paste your ABC code here! %% the rest, after the closed tag, is for formatting and copyright issues </abc>

BIG MULE, THE. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, Kentucky. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BCC'. Jeff Titon (2001) identifies this melody as in the same family of tunes as "Old Dubuque" (that also includes the tunes "Duck River," "Fiddling Phil," "Five Miles From Town (2)," "General Lee," "Phiddlin' Phil" and "Sally in the Green Corn.") Tom Verdot believes this family may have been derived from an 1840's minstrel tune called "Coonie in the Holler" Titon says a less closely related tune is Milo Bigger's (Glasgow, Kentucky) "Scott's Return." "Big Mule" was also in the repertoire of Kentucky fiddler Street Butler, who said his source was a man named Charley Latham. The melody features a 'crooked' or irregularly measured 'B' part.

Source for notated version: a field recording by Bruce Greene of the playing of W. L. "Jake" Phelps (Elkton, Todd County, Ky., 1973) [Titon].

Printed source: Titon (Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 6, p. 37.

__NORICHEDITOR__