Annotation:Auld Cletten Roe

Back to 

 AULD CLETTEN ROE. AKA - "Auld Clett on Roe." AKA and see "I Went to the Well." Shetland, Wedding tune. Shetland, Hillswick area, Mainland (district). D Major ('A' part), D Mixolydian ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Shetland fiddler Tom Anderson (1910-1991) said: "This tune was used as a 'test' tune at weddings in the old days. If the fiddler couldn't play it, or his playing was deteriorating, his 'supply' was cut off until he recovered." Playing the tune in the style consists of using "shivers" as ornaments, produced by a stiffening of the arm muscles along with a rapid movement to produce a quick stuttering sound--difficult to produce when intoxicated. See also the different version "Cletton Rö".  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Anderson (Ringing Strings), 1983; p. 62.  Recorded sources: Philo 2019, Tom Anderson - "The Silver Bow: Shetland Folk Fiddling" (1976)  See also listing at: Hear Tom Anderson introducing and playing the tune at Tobar an Dualchais

Back to