Pretty Little Widow
Notation:
Standard Notation
ABC Notation
Banjo Tablature
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
traditional
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Standard Notation
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American
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Pretty Little Widow" is an American reel in cut time and A Major (Phillips),<br> A Mixolydian (‘A’ part) & A Major (‘B’part) (Titon) or D Major. It is played in Standard<br> or AEae fiddle tunings. The parts are played AAB (Titon) or AABB (Phillips).<br> There are several versions of the reel with tonalities running from primarily major to<br> mixed-mode mixolydian/dorian.<br> The banjo tablature by John Letscher is in D Major.<br> The tune is known in Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia, north Georgia and Missouri.<br> It was famously recorded in October 1928 by The Skillet Lickers on Vocalion 02948-A.<br> North Georgia fiddler Clayton McMichen claimed his father composed "Pretty Little Widow".<br> "Pretty Little Widow" was recorded for the Library of Congress by<br> musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph from the playing of Ozarks Mountains fiddlers<br> in the early 1940's. The melody is similar to Hark Garland's 1950's hit “Sugar Foot Rag."<br> It was printed in Phillips' Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1 (1994) and<br> Titon's Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes (2001).<br> It was recorded by The Skillet Lickers (78 RPM)(1928),<br> Gid Tanner & Clayton McMichen on The Skillet Lickers, vol. 2 (1973),<br> Joe Drye on The Mountain Ramblers (1969),<br> John Ashby & the Free State Ramblers on Down on Ashby's Farm (1974),<br> Bruce Greene on Vintage Fiddle Tunes (1987),<br> W.H. Stepp (1937) (Library of Congress),<br> Delbert McGrath (1942) (Library of Congress),<br> Glen Smith on Say Old Man (1990),<br> A.A. Gray (appears as first tune of "A Georgia Barbecue at Stone Mountain")(78 RPM) and<br> Gerry Milnes & Lorraine Lee Hammond on Hell Up Coal Holler (1999).<br>
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