Lost Indian is a cross-tuned reel in A major, played in AEac# (the “Black Mountain Rag” tuning), and belongs to a widespread family of imitative fiddle tunes carrying the “Lost Indian” title from Virginia to Texas. These tunes are held together less by a fixed melody than by the tuning and by the tradition of a hollered whoop. Canonical settings of the family were recorded by Texas fiddler Eck Robertson and Kentucky’s Ed Haley, and the flatpicking showpiece “Black Mountain Rag” descends from the same tradition. E.F. Adam printed a setting in this tuning in 1928, an unusually early appearance in print for a tune family that otherwise survived by ear.
Not to be confused with Lost Indian in D major, a distinct tune in standard tuning, associated with Clark Kessinger’s recording. The “Lost Indian” title attaches to a whole family of unrelated tunes, so matches on title alone are unreliable. Key and tuning are the distinguishing features.
