cashwo_wv - Posted - 08/07/2009:  04:22:07

I thought for this tune of the week I'd share a version of Sourwood Mountain I learned from Frank George. What I like about the Frank plays this is that in the A part, the "SOURWOOD MOUNTAIN" part is played by 2 finger picking then switches back to clawhammer. So for that part my right hand is:

Sour = up pick with index finger first string second fret
Wood = Thumb on 5th string
Moun = up pick with index finger first string open
tain = up pick with index finger second string open

I hope that makes sense and everyone enjoys.

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...usicid=13921

------------------------------
Chad Ashworth

Hankulator - Posted - 08/07/2009:  04:29:05

good job Chad, that is a cool song.

Hank

g-hog - Posted - 08/07/2009:  04:59:08

Sounds very nice... good job!

I've always like the tune played that way, sorta happy mode, major scale version, I guess you could say... esp. on dulcimer played like that.

I also like the more modal sounding one the way Andy Griffith used to play it on his show... I couldn't find any examples of either on youtube this morning, unfortunately... seems every other Andy Griffith tune was up there except for that one, but I didn't spend a lot of time looking, either.

My daughter and I played Sourwood Mountain on our CD we'd made several years back to sell around at little local non-paying gigs, ya know... but we sang and I played guitar, but I played it the way I'm talking about that I like to hear it on dulicmer, mostly because I did not have a dulcimer at the time (and still don't!!!--- ugh, my problem has always been just getting good instrments to play on.... too much $$$$$$$ is needed!!!). Anyway... one of these days I'll have to get that version up on youtube.

foggers - Posted - 08/07/2009:  07:42:46

Yup that is a fave tune for me- nicely done there.

I do it on dulcimer currently but would love to do it on banjo too; do you have TAB for it?

foggers

crabbybob - Posted - 08/07/2009:  12:19:24

this is cool.. and since im new to banjo and have only learned a few tunes it werx well for me cuz i can play the s*** outta cripple creek... and there is alot of that song here in sourwood mnt...thanx...

Kitt - Posted - 08/07/2009:  12:52:47

Here is a rendition of the tune:
http://stringband.mossyroof.com/Sou...Mountain.mp3

Here is the tab that goes with that rendition:
http://stringband.mossyroof.com/Sou...Mountain.png

Here is the link to the website that carried that tab and tune:
http://stringband.mossyroof.com/#GTunes

Here is a rendition posted on youtube that says it by The Dillards, but I don't think it is, but it's a nice clawhammer rendition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h5dLVMc19Y

Kitt - Posted - 08/07/2009:  14:21:11

A tablature from Mike Iverson:
http://www.bluesageband.com/Tab%20p...rwoodmtn.pdf
Mike playing and singing the tune:
http://www.bluesageband.com/Tab%20M...woodmtn1.mp3

chip arnold - Posted - 08/07/2009:  14:46:08

This is a really good and often overlooked tune. There's a tab here which contains three levels of difficulty. http://tishandchip.tripod.com/
I wrote it for 2-finger players but all except for the B part in the third version can be played clawhammer style as written. You could skip the thumb/index crossovers in that part and play it clawhammer too. None of the three levels are very hard. Sorry, I don't have a sound file of it.


**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken

Chip Arnold

Don Borchelt - Posted - 08/07/2009:  15:39:48

Great job, Chad! I made a recording of this tune when I was jamming with BHO member Don Couchie last week at Clifftop. Don is equally talented on both fiddle and banjo, a truly gifted picker. His fiddle playing on this is really sweet.

Sourwood Mountain from Clifftop 09

I have the three-finger tablature posted on my website:

http://www.banjr.com/tablature.htm





------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don''t like to play it like he did. I try to play it the way I play it" - fiddler Lester McCumbers, interviewed by Erynn Marshall
Check out my webpage.

Edited by - Don Borchelt on 08/08/2009 05:05:56

chip arnold - Posted - 08/07/2009:  17:59:11

Fine playing Don & Don. Are you ready to go back to W. Va.? I'm rested up and ready. Hope your trip back was okay....we worried about you driving with no sleep.

**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken

Chip Arnold

RWJones1970 - Posted - 08/07/2009:  21:20:29

*** I remember singing Sourwood Mountain as a child in grade school. The book of songs that we sang out of as a class had this tune in it and I always loved it. Now, many years later I still love this tune and I play it for my daughter on my banjo. She smiles every time I pick that one. Here is the version I learned.

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...musicid=9799

*** Here is Fretlessinfortwayne's excellent version!
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...musicid=9633

"Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD and HE will have compassion on him. For HE will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways are higher than your ways, Declares The LORD." (Isaiah 55:7-9)

Edited by - RWJones1970 on 08/10/2009 15:02:12

Bisbonian - Posted - 08/10/2009:  18:08:26

Very nice. One of my favorite versions is by the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Hmmm. Sourwood chocolate drops, interesting candy idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3bn8a_GJeA

"When Banjos are Outlawed, only Outlaws will have Banjos."

foggers - Posted - 08/11/2009:  14:39:13

Thanks everyone for lots of great resources - more 'n I can shake a stick at!!

Am still a beginner at clawhammer so will set myself a goal of making this one of the first tunes in my repertoire once I am done with hours of right hand rhythm practice and can work on some tunes!

foggers

slabounty - Posted - 08/12/2009:  06:37:57

Chip, I had a great time with your versions last night. Thanks for putting them up.


Scott LaBounty
Orange, CA