As with any style of folk music (and much early classical music) the written sources are only a rough indication of what actually gets played. I have made only the most minimal indications of double-stops, and have omitted the unisons, slides, and other noises that are an essential part of the Southern fiddle tradition. You are also expected to know, or be able to guess, when special tunings are required.
A few brief notes on some of the tunes: "Tugboat" is Dwight Devane's reworking of a tune of the same name from Missouri. The story about "Lotus Dickey's Farewell" is that the last time he passed through Alabama, he was playing this tune, and was asking everyone if they knew what it was called. The name, and version given here, are from Lloyd Baldwin. The interesting five-part version of "Forked Deer" I learned from Dave Borland. "Anything you like" is said to have been composed by Bill Webb, but he claims not to know anything about this. "Sarah Armstrong" is usually called "The Old Tarheel" in North Florida, but Ed Baggott insists that the first name is the correct one; the tune comes from an 18th century tunebook from Pennsylvania, as do "The Old Town Band" and "The Old Virginia Reel." Finally, the 3-part version of "Durang's Hornpipe" is close to the original version written in 1785 by an itinerant German fiddle teacher named Hofmasler, for a student of his in Philadelphia, one John Durang.
It would be impossible to mention, let alone thank, everyone that I have learned this music from, but I owe special thanks to Kathie Aagaard, Lloyd Baldwin, Dave Borland, Dwight Devane, Bill Dudley, Tom Staley, and Mike Stapleton for many wonderful tunes, and many delightful hours of playing them.