Red Prairie Dawn

Key of A (sometimes G). This tune is made for cross tuned fiddles: AEAE (or GDGD). The two parts are very similar, at least in old time. The second part starts an with an F#m chord, at least in old time. There is quite a bit of variation in the renditions listed below, possibly because the original recording is hard to find.

• Water Tower Bucket Boys [utoob] in A. They say, "An old fiddle tune" but it is not that old. They also say something else that we won't repeat here. We love their Greasy Coat [OTF].

• Foghorn Stringband live [utoob] fast in A.

• Fiddle & mandolin duet [utoob] slow in A.

• Slow instructional videos for fiddle in A: [slow] [slower]

• Solo fiddle [mp3] in G. This is one of many beautiful recordings at Centralia Parlor Pickers.

• A jam in Tuscon [utoob]. J-Walk blogged about the day those two fiddlers showed up and taught the old guys a whole bunch of tunes.

• Slow bluegrass in G [utoob] with more chord changes. The cinematography but reveals more noses than chord changes. 

• Chords in G [SlowerThanDirt] and tab in A [TaterJoes] but you can't trust either one.

Origins

• The tune was written by Garry Harrison of Illinois. He was interviewed by OldTimeHerald. He also wrote Dull Chisel.

• Garry Harrison's CD called Red Prairie Dawn is out of print and we cannot find it on-line. Have a copy?

• Garry Harrison played with the New Mules. We have this CD from the post-Harrison era with a great Jenny tune.

• Thanks to Heather who remembered the tune and assembled the links for OTF.