Regarding Hangman’s Reel: As I have experienced this tune it is know with an Oldtime version, in A cross tuning AEAE and also as a French Canadian showpiece ( also AEAE) made famous by Jean Carignan. Here is a link to his masterful rendition of the tune, The clogging you hear is him using his feet as in the French Canadian clogging tradition.
As for a standard variation Jeans Version is a difficult version. The Oldtime version is a lot easier. A lot of folks will
re-invent the parts that are real hard and with the cross tuning it opens up to a lot of shuffle type bowing. Personally I love Jean Carignan’s version that is a real mastery of many violin techniques that you don’t see very often in fiddle tunes. Have fun and fiddle on. All the best, Roland
Hi BOWVALLEY, Thanks for posting the video as that is a great rendition of the Oldtime style. I have been able to play that without changing the tuning but you will need to engage your 4th finger on the D string for some of the drones and you may have to skip a note or two on the G string. Another option is to go AEAE and then you play it the same way on the low AE as you do on the high AE. Good luck and fiddle on!, Roland
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