Leather Britches is a great old breakdown, and one of the classic breakdowns in the key of G. I hope you enjoy this video of Matthew Hartz playing the heck out of it.
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Leather Britches according to the Fiddler’s Companion
LEATHER BREECHES/BRITCHES. See “Lord MacDonald(‘s Reel) [4]” which is thought to be the origin of the American version. AKA and see “Breeches On,” “The Irish Lad(‘s a Jolly Boy),” “Old Leather Britches [2],” “Oh Those Britches Full of Stitches,” “Lord MacDonald(‘s Reel) [4],” “McDonald’s Reel,” “Reel McDonnell,” “Slanty Gart.” Old‑Time, Bluegrass; Breakdown. USA, very widely known. G Major. Standard tuning. AB (Bayard, Silberberg): AABB (Brody, Lowinger): AABCC (Titon): ABCDD (Christeson): AABBCC (Shumway, Thede): AA’BB’CC’ (Phillips): AABCCDDC’ (Krassen). ‘Leather Breeches’ was a nickname in some parts of the American South and West for green (snap) beans dried in the pod and later cooked, although many verses connected with the tune have referred to garments made out of leather. Sometimes the beans would be pieced with a needle and thread and strung together, then hung to dry where they would last the winter (but would need to be soaked to re-hydrate them prior to cooking). Professor Samuel Bayard notes the tune is descended from, or related to, an Irish air called “The Breeches On” or “The Irish Lad” and a widespread Scottish reel generally called “(Lord) McDonald’s Reel.” Generally, the order of the parts is reversed from the ‘MacDonald’ tune. Paul Gifford believes that the earliest version of “Leather Breeches” in print (under that title) appears in numerical tablature in Music for the Piano Dulcimer by R.J. Rudisill (of Missouri), published by Stedman (New York) & Milton (Kentucky) with a date of 1859, sold by L.S. & H. Wade. The volume, says Paul, was apparently written to accompany the dulcimers manufactured by the Wades in Chautaqua County, New York.
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