Bonaparte's Retreat - fast DDAD version (fiddle)

Here's "Bonaparte's Retreat" with the fiddle in Dead Man's Tuning again, only this time I'm playing a traditional version of "Bonaparte's Retreat" similar to that played by William Stepp. This version of "Bonaparte's Retreat" was appropriated, in heavily modified form, by Aaron Copland for his "Rodeo" ballet in the "Hoedown" sequence.

It seems as if everyone plays "Bonaparte's Retreat" completely differently. I'm starting to think of it as not a single fiddle tune, but rather a family of fiddle tunes that fall under the "Bonaparte's Retreat" categorization.
Bonaparte's Retreat - fast DDAD version

by Ivan Rorick
1/12/2011

Category:

Music

Tags:

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• William Stepp
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[burrelsk]

That was great. The dead man's tuning brings it to life. This is a version everyone can recognize.

[ivanrorick]

@burrelsk Yeah, William Stepp was awesome. I can't play it as well as him, but I can come sort of close.

[moonlightandlove]

This is a great tune, but sadly I cannot see your fingers only your face ! I would like to see your fingers so I can pick up the technique !

[ivanrorick]

@moonlightandlove Okay, due to popular demand, I will put up a video of myself playing this with my hand visible.....

.......some day.

[JupiterIV]

Does anyone know where I can get a PDF of the William Stepp edition of Bonaparte's Retreat? I'd like to make an edition for Piano Solo of Copland's Hoedown, using this as a good starting point.

[ivanrorick]

@JupiterIV My dad picked this melody out on the mandolin and showed me how to play it. I don't have sheet music for it, sorry. If you're really interested I could write out some sheet music for you easily enough.

It's in the key of D, and the fiddle is tuned DDAD, if that helps.

[JupiterIV]

@ivanrorick That's alright, I've found it online, and revised it based on Stepp's rendition.

[JPhill9990]

well done, just wish I could see your hand to get a better idea of what to play a little quicker