Preview: The Devil Went Down To Georgia
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SKU: A0.845971
By The Charlie Daniels Band. By Charles Fred Hayward, Charlie Daniels, Fred Laroy Edwards, James Wainwright Marshall, John Thomas Crain, Jr., and William Joel DiGregorio. Arranged by Kyle Pudenz. Contemporary,Country,Rock. Score and parts. 44 pages. ViolinVagabond Music #5298645. Published by ViolinVagabond Music (A0.845971).Well... it finally happened. As a violinist, you've been dreading this moment your entire life, but deep down you always knew it was coming. Your client finally coughed up enough cold hard cash to get the infamous Devil Went Down to Georgia on your string quartet's setlist.
With the gig mere days away, you frantically begin scouring the internet for a chart that will satisfy your audience's unquenchable thirst for twangy tomfoolery, while still managing to preserve even the slightest ounce of your elite ensemble's musical integrity... And by this point, you've likely discovered that you have quite a multitude of options when it comes to string quartet arrangements of Charlie Daniels's magnum opus. So you ask yourself, what does this chart have that I can't find anywhere else on this site?
Well, my well-meaning, albeit procrastination-prone colleague, allow me to give you a quick run down. If you're looking for a cheap & easy arrangement that your quartet can sightread for one gig while expending as little effort as possible, you might as well keep on scrolling. This chart was NOT meant for you.
No, this is far from the easiest "Devil" arrangement you're going to find on this site today. However, I can't claim it will be the most interesting or outlandish either. That title unequivocally belongs with the dude that arranged this for handbell ensemble. For those about to avant-garde, we salute you, sir! All that I can promise you about this arrangement is that it will absolutely be the flashiest, most "Nashville" version of this tune you're going to find on sheet music. And how do I know this to be true? Simple: I am a fiddle player... from Nashville... with an infamous penchant for showboating. And this is my chart. So strap yourself in, keep your hands & feet inside the vehicle at all times, and get ready for the ride of your life!!
Yes, ladies & gentlemen, this chart is sure to keep everyone on and off-stage wildly entertained throughout its 3 minutes and 50 seconds of raw rockabilly glory. In the 40 years of musical evolution since Charlie debuted this fiendish fiddle feature, the musicians of Nashville have developed more than a few new "twists" on these timeless licks, and I did my best to cram as many of them as I could into this rendition, including twin fiddle solos, chopping grooves at breakneck speeds, stomping, clapping, heavy rock guitar riffs, and an extra helping of those quintessential nasty Charlie Daniels tremolo glisses. Indeed, this was an arrangement that was born for a high-powered live performance.
You'll also find that this chart is readily adaptable for a variety of instrumentation options. While it was originally conceived for 2 fiddles, viola, bass & guitar, the bass part easily translates to cello for performing as a string quartet, no bass or guitar required. Try substituting a 5-string violin for the viola part for some triple-fiddle-trouble! Or use the electric guitar part as a lead sheet for keyboards, drums, and more! The only limit to the possibilities is your own imagination...
And since this song, unlike many others, simply can't be pulled off without the story told by the spoken-word verses, I have included a lyric sheet at the end of the score for reference. Your quartet members can fight over who gets the last verse, or if you're REALLY feeling bold, try riling up the crowd and turn this one into an audience-participation number!
So don't settle for a middle-of-the-road transcription when you can bring your audience to their knees with an action packed, high-octane arrangement of the fiddler's most profitable bar-gig request. After hearing this one, your client is definitely going to think twice before asking for Wagon Wheel.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard’s global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
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