Topic: Beaver Slide Rag - Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony

[Cleoma]

Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony's "Beaver Slide Rag" -- what key do you think this is in? I can't figure out whether they are in B or in C.  Fiddle is playing entirely in closed position, I'm not hearing any open strings that would give me a clue.  Maybe some of you guitar players can tell from the guitar part??  I am trying to transcribe the fiddle part and would love to have it be in the correct key!  They seem like they are somewhere in between -- either playing in C tuned a little flat, or in B tuned a bit sharp.  Or the speed of the recording machine or record player could be off too.
Do the Mister Eddie!!

Suzy Thompson

[uncle bud]

Hi Suzy,

Sure sounds like he's playing out of C position for the guitar part to me. Great tune!

Andrew

[frankie]

Actually, listening to this again, the guitar I hear best is tuned to spanish, capo'd high.  I'm on the fence as to whether there might be a second guitar playing C figures, although that was my first impression when listening to the tune.  Need to listen on a better system...

When Eddie Anthony fiddles, it sounds to me like he plays entirely out of 2nd position, with his index finger across the A & E strings of the fiddle, holding down the C & G notes and riffing from there...  he could do that in any key, as you point out, Suzy.

[eric]

Suzy,

If you figure out the right key, let us know.  I love this tune, and I'm just getting back into fiddle.

And, if anyone figures out how to, uh,  "Do the Mr. Eddie...," keep us posted.

[uncle bud]

Actually, listening to this again, the guitar I hear best is tuned to spanish, capo'd high.  I'm on the fence as to whether there might be a second guitar playing C figures, although that was my first impression when listening to the tune.  Need to listen on a better system...

When Eddie Anthony fiddles, it sounds to me like he plays entirely out of 2nd position, with his index finger across the A & E strings of the fiddle, holding down the C & G notes and riffing from there...  he could do that in any key, as you point out, Suzy.

Well, I'd trust frankie's ears before mine any day. Could be, Frank. When I was listening I thought there was some weird higher resonance for what seemed straight C position. I'd have to check the notes to see what they say about 2 guitars. I was hearing C7's and once or twice a suspended 4th that made me think, ah, gotta be C.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I believe Henry Williams is playing out of C in standard tuning and Peg Leg is capoed up and playing out of Spanish.  They used this set-up on several tunes.  I can hear the guitar out of C right at the beginning of the tune and as they get into it you can hear the Spanish turn-arounds.
All best,
Johnm