Daniel Decatur Emmett was a Northerner by birth, having been born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Capable of playing every instrument, but favoring the fiddle. At age 17, he enlisted in the Army. In 1832, he was trained at Newport Barracks, Kentucky on the fife and the drum. While serving in the army, he wrote the Drummers Manual. He was then discharged for being underage. He went on to write music for minstrel shows and circuses, eventually winding up on Broadway.
The tunes Emmett is best known for are “Old Dan Tucker,” “Jimmie Crack Corn,” and “Dixie’s Land.” The latter, better known as “Dixie” to Emmett’s great chagrin, became the national anthem of the Confederacy. To add insult to injury Emmett had sold the rights to the song for $500 many years earlier. In 1861, Emmett and George B. Bruce published The Drummers’ and Fifers’ Guide, which is about as standard a reference work as fifers and drummers have today.
When you first play the tune begin at a slow meter, because you will soon discover that the difficulty increases as you proceed. The third part, known as the "walk about" or "walk around" can be very tricky if you go too fast! It was during this part that minstrel performers would strut about the stage, bringing their audience to its feet.
(c)E.W. Boyle, 2002