Sheet Music: Dixie

TitleDixie
Alternate titlesI Wish I Was in Dixie's Land
ComposerDan Emmett (1815–1904)
InstrumentationFlute and Piano
KeyC major
RangeC5–E6
Time signature2/4
Tempo100 BPM
Performance time1:30
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (76 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (1.3 MB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (1.3 MB)
Date added2009-05-10
Last updated2009-05-10
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 2.6 (popular)
Categories
American Civil War, Campfire songs, Minstrel songs, Show-off pieces, Traditional/Folk

Performances

  • Alexey — Soprano recorder and synthesizer.

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Sunday 10 May 2009

Tune of the Day: Dixie

aka “I Wish I Was in Dixie” or “Dixie's Land”
General Lee

Yes, that's the car horn tune of General Lee, from The Dukes of Hazzard. It is one of the most distinctively American musical products of the 19th century. Although not a folk song at its creation, “Dixie” has since entered the American folk vernacular. It likely cemented the word “Dixie” in the American vocabulary as a synonym for the Southern United States.

Most sources credit Ohio-born Daniel Decatur Emmett with the song's composition, though many other people have claimed to have composed “Dixie”. Over his lifetime, Emmett often recounted the story of its composition, but details vary with each account. For example, in various versions of the story, Emmett claimed to have written “Dixie” in a few minutes, in a single night, and over a few days.