Miller’s Reel – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 75

I like Miller’s Reel. It’s simple and straight ahead, and it’s just plain fun to play. And, if it matters, Irish people play it too.

MILLER’S REEL [1]. AKA and see “The Dawn [1],” “Dawning of the Day [5]” (Fáinne an Lae), “Dusty Miller [5]” (floating title), “The Spirit of 1880,” “Twenty-Eighth of January,” “The Twenty-Second of February.” AKA – “The Miller.” Old‑Time, New England, British Isles; Reel, Breakdown. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Bayard, Silberberg): AABB (most versions): AA’BB’ (Phillips). Fairly common and widely known fiddle tune in America, although also popular Scotland (“The Miller”) and Ireland(“The Dawn,” “Dawning of the Day”). Very similar to “Spirit of 1880 Reel,” and in modern times is also known as “The Twenty-Eighth of January.” The melody appears as “The Twenty-Second of February” in George P. Knauff’s Virginia Reels, volume II (Baltimore, 1839). Composition credited to New England bandleader and tune composer Zeke Backus in Ryan’s/Cole’s 1000. Backus was also a minstrel performer, and apparently spent at least some time in San Francisco. It was published earlier, however, in Howe’s 1000 Jigs and Reels (c. 1867) as an untitled ‘reel’ included in the section of schottisches. See also the related “Big Tiger Special.” “John Sharp’s Hornpipe” is a distanced variant.