Annotation:Pete's Breakdown

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X: 1 T:Pete's Breakdown II [in C] C:Emilien "Pete" Couture N: M:C| K:Am |:"Am"a2g2 e2d2| c2 cB ABcA| "E"B2 AB edcB|"Am" ABcd e2 e2| "Am"a2g2 e2d2| c2 cB ABcA| "E"B2 AB edcB|"Am"Aaec A4:| K:Cmaj |:"C"C2 G,C E2CE|G2 EG cedc|"G"B2F2 FAGF| "C"E2C2 C4| "C"C2 G,C E2CE|G2 EG cedc|"G"B2F2 FAGF|"C"E2C2 C4:| W: Simplified version from the 1953 recording by Don Messer and his Islanders. W:https://youtu.be/S8IbdpRxyRo



PETE'S BREAKDOWN. AKA - "Peas Breakdown." Canadian, Breakdown. C Major (‘A’ part) & A Minor (‘B’ part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Composed by Edmonton, Alberta, fiddler Émilien "Pete" Couture (1903-1977). Couture was a college educated musician who studied violin in Winnipeg, followed by two years tutelage under Alfred Mergelin in Los Angeles. In addition to his various endeavors with his fiddle ensembles, he played with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and had a popular broadcast on Canadian radio and TV. See also his compositions "Y'Aye! Y'Aye! Roll Your Own" and "À la main gauche." The strains of "Pete's Breakdown" are sometimes played reversed.
Pete Couture (far right)



Additional notes

Source for notated version : - Vivian Williams (Seattle) [Silberberg].

Printed sources : - Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 118. Songer (The Portland Collection, vol. 2), 2005; p. 156.

The version in the Portland Collection is in B minor and D, from the playing of Richard Forest. The Don Messer recording is in C and A minor, with the part in C first.

Recorded sources - Apex 26375, Don Messer & His Islanders (1953). Apex AL 1613, "The Best of Don Messer and his Islanders, vol. 6" (1960).



See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Hear Don Messer's 1953 recording on youtube.com [2]

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Additional notes