Annotation:Betty Baker (3)

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X:1 T:Betty Baker [3] S:Melvin Wine (W.Va.) M:C| L:1/8 N:GDad tuning D:Melvin Wine - Hannah at the Springhouse (1989) F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/betty-baker-1 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:G +slide+[d3d3][dd] [d3d3]||+slide+[dd]-|[d2d2][dd][de]d2B2|dddB A2G2|Bdde d2BA|GAAG EG3| B-[d3d3][d2d2] BA|dedB A2G2|B-[d3d3][d2d2]BA|GBAG EG3|| [G3B3]B- AD-GA|BGAG EG3|[G3B3]B- AD-GA|BGAG EG3| [G3B3]B- AD-GA|BdBG AG2A|B[dd][dd][de] [d2d2]]BA|GBAG EG3||



BETTY BAKER [3]. American, Reel (cut time). G Major. GDad tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune has been called a 'West Virginia standard' but versions also were played in east Kentucky. This version of the tune is from Copen, Braxton County, central W.Va., fiddler Melvin Wine [1] (1909-2003), and it was in the repertoire of Ernie Carpenter (related to, not closely, French Carpenter), who learned the reel from legendary fiddler Uncle Jack McElwain (1856-1938) of Webster County, W.Va. Wine learned the tune from Tom Allen [1] a member of a musical family from around Napier, Braxton County (for which see "Betty Baker (3)"). Gerry Milnes (Play of a Fiddle, 1999) says at least six members of the family were fiddlers, although all have since died. .

See also Kentucky fiddler Manon Campbell's tune of the same name, "Betty Baker (1)," a distanced but related version, but generally similar (allowing for considerable individual variation) to other Kentucky versions such as those of Hiram Stamper ("Pretty Betty Baker"--his "Indian Nation" [2] is a also a version of "Betty Baker (1)"), Clyde Davenport and Ed Haley.

Melvin Wine


Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : -

Recorded sources: -Augusta Heritage Records 002, Melvin Wine. Marimac AHS 2, Melvin Wine - "Hannah at the Springhouse" (1989). Christian Wig & Mark Ward - "Come Back Boys & Feed the Horses: Fiddling on the Frontier" (2011).

See also listing at:
Hear Melvin Wine's recording at Slippery Hill [3]



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  1. Gerry Milnes, "Play of a Fiddle", 1999, p. 34.