Bill Cheatham
Notation:
Standard Notation
ABC Notation
Accomp. Notation
Banjo Tablature
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
traditional
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Standard Notation
Accomp. Notation
Banjo Tablature
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
Tune Sheet
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Mandolin Tablature - wide
Violin Tablature - wide
American
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Bill Cheatam" is an old-time breakdown in A Major. The parts are played AABB or<br> AA'BB' (Kaufman).<br> Krassen and others note this is a common fiddle tune throughout the Southern part<br> of the United States, where it probably originated (Christeson says he did not hear<br> the tune in Missouri until the mid-1940's).<br> The tune was a fiddle contest "category" tune in 1899 in Gallatin, Tenn.: each fiddler<br> would play a version, with the best rendition being awarded a prize<br> (C. Wolfe, The Devil's Box, Vol. 14, No. 4, 12/1/80).<br> The earliest sound recording of the tune is by Texas fiddler Eck Robertson, in 1922,<br> played as part of his “Brilliancy Medley”.<br> It was printed in Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983),<br> R.P. Christeson's Old Time Fiddler's Repertory, vol. 1 (1973),<br> Kaufman's Beginning Old Time Fiddle (1977),<br> Krassen's Appalachian Fiddle (1973),<br> Lowinger's Bluegrass Fiddle (1974),<br> Phillips' Fiddle Case Tunebook: Old Time Southern (1989),<br> Phillips' Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1 (1994),<br> Reiner's Anthology of Fiddle Styles (1977) and<br> Thede's The Fiddle Book (1967) (appears as "Bill Cheatem").<br> It was recorded by Sandy Bradley on Potluck & Dance Tonite! (1979),<br> Blind Joe Mangrum on Nashville: the Early String Bands, Vol. 2 (originally recorded in 1928),<br> Kenny Baker on Portrait of a Bluegrass Fiddler (1968),<br> Fennigs All Star String Band on The Hammered Dulcimer Strikes Again (1977),<br> John Burke on Fancy Pickin' and Plain Singing (1977),<br> Kyle Creed on Blue Ridge Style Square Dance Time (1972),<br> Vassar Clements on Crossing the Catskills (1973),<br> Jerry Douglas on Fluxology (1979) and<br> Graham Townsend on Le Violon/The Fiddle (1976).<br>
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