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Annotation:Lonesome John
X:1 T:Lonesome John N:From the playing of John Morgan Salyer (1882-1952, Salyersville, Magoffin County, eastern Ky.) N:recorded at home 1941/42 by his sons on a disc player M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel Q:"Very Fast" N:AEae tuning (fiddle) N:Salyer's 'c' notes often seem in between c sharp and c natural. D:Berea Sound Archives https://soundarchives.berea.edu/items/show/4273 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:Ador [A,2E2]-|[A,E]EAB c2d2|edc2A2[A,2E2]-|[A,E]EAB c2d2| [e3e3][de]-[e2e2][A,2E2]-| [A,E]EAB c2d|edc2 A2gf|edc2 A2 G2|A3A A2:|| |:ef|g2ag e2d2|ed c2A2a2-|abag e2d2| [e3e3][de]-[e2e2]ef| g2 ag e2d2|ed c2A2gf|ed c2 A2 G2|A3 A A2:||
LONESOME JOHN. American, Reel (cut time). USA, Kentucky. A Aeolian (Krassen): A Dorian (Reiner): A Mixolydian (Titon). Standard or AEae tunings (fiddle). AAB (Krassen): AABB (Reiner, Titon). A popular east Kentucky tune, particularly in Magoffin and Morgan Counties. Jeff Titon (2001) notes that his source, John Salyer (1882-1952) played his 'c' notes at an intonation between a 'c' natural and a 'c' sharp. This is not a mistake or poor technique, but a legitimate characteristic of the tonality of many old-time fiddlers. Salyer himself called such intonation 'wild' notes. Mike Yates (2002) believes this tune to be related to "Salt Creek," "Salt River (2)" and Hobart Smith's "Pateroller Song (The)" (the latter is not the tune that is alternately called "Run, N....r, Run").
