Sheet Music: Old Dan Tucker

TitleOld Dan Tucker
Alternate titlesOle Dan Tucker
ComposerTraditional American
Also attributed toDan Emmett (1815–1904)
InstrumentationFlute and Guitar chords
KeyG major
RangeD5–B5
Time signature2/4
Tempo92 BPM
Performance time1:05
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (60 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (907 kB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (907 kB)
Date added2010-01-26
Last updated2010-01-26
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.2 (relatively unpopular)
Categories
Dance tunes, Minstrel songs, Pentatonic, Traditional/Folk

Performances

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Tuesday 26 January 2010

Tune of the Day: Old Dan Tucker

Traditional American folk song

The origins of this popular American song are obscure. The tune may have come from oral tradition, while the original words are usually attributed to songwriter and performer Dan Emmett. “Old Dan Tucker” was first popularized by the blackface troupe of the Virginia Minstrels in 1843, and it became a minstrel hit. The song quickly entered the folk vernacular, and today it still stands as a bluegrass and country music standard.

The simple and malleable nature of this tune enables performers to begin or end it at any point, and to invent variations on the spot. This applies both to the melody and to the lyrics; in fact, hundreds of folk verses have been recorded.