Constitution Hornpipe (1)

 CONSTITUTION HORNPIPE [1]. AKA and see "Lone Appendicitis." American, Canadian; Hornpipe or Breakdown. USA, New England, Nebraska. Canada, Cape Breton Nova Scotia. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (most versions): AA'BB' (Kerr). The tune was perhaps named for the American naval vessel The Constitution, of the War of 1812 fame. The square-rigged ship still exists and is on display in Boston harbor. Christeson (1973) says the original version, as published in older tune books, is more difficult to play than the one he collected, and Bayard's (1981) source also thought the tune strenuous, saying "If you think that's not hard to play, just try it!" The first strain is also the same as the "Jinrikisha Hornpipe" and, in simplified form, Huntington's 3rd tune on his p. 23. (Cole, p. 93). The first strain shares some melodic material with the first strain of Frank Roche's "Black Horse (1)," and also with Ira Ford's "Exhibition March No. 1." See also the similar "Golden Wreath Hornpipe", also printed in Ryan's Mammoth. Sources for notated versions: Bob Walters (Burt County, Nebraska) [Christeson]; Winston Fitzgerald (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) [Phillips]. Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 138, pp. 75-76. R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddlers Repertory, vol. 1), 1973; No. 116, p. 83. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 116. Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; p. 95. Harding's All-Round Collection, 1905; No. 77. Jarman, Old Time Fiddlin' Tunes; No. or p. 28. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 336, p. 37. Messer (Anthology of Favorite Fiddle Tunes), 1980; No. 14. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddlers Repertoire), 1983; No. 103. O'Malley, 1919; p. 19. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 186. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 153. White's Unique Collection, 1896; No. 139.

X:1 T:Constitution Hornpipe M:C| L:1/8 K:F f2f2 fc af|g2g2 gc bg|ag fe dB ba|gf ga gc de| f2f2 fc af|g2g2 gc bg|ag fe db ge|f2a2f2c2:| Ac fc af cA|Bd fd bf df|ce ge bg eg|f2A2f2c2:||
 * Ac fc af cA|Bd fd bf dB|ce ge bg eg|fa gf ed cB|