Looking southwest along the narrowed spine of Clinch Mountain, toward Big Moccasin Gap in southern Scott County, Va., where Daniel Boone blazed a road in March 1775.
This week's tune is that classic crooked instrumental from Ralph Stanley: Clinch Mountain Backstep. Released in 1959 on the King album "The Stanley Brothers And The Clinch Mountain Boys", this has become a hugely popular tune that shows up in jams all the time.
It's what we call a "crooked" tune because it has an extra beat in it--in the B part, if you listen and count off the measures, you'll hear a measure of 5/4 in the middle of all the 4/4.
Clinch Mountain is a ridge in Tennessee and Virginia which is part of the ridge-and-valley section of the Appalachian Mountains. It's not far at all from where Ralph was born and has lived ever since (in Dickenson County, southwest Virginia.)
Learn the Tune
Casey Henry's Murphy Method lesson is available for $6 through 2/22/14. Casey teaches you Ralph's rendition he played on a Stanley Brothers' "Rainbow Quest" television show appearance. Get it here >
John Boulding has created a very nice backup lesson for CMB, which you can purchase here for $5.
I've included a Grooveshark playlist of several versions.
BIAB backing tracks included below. I've included "woodshedding" tracks as well, which start at 65BPM then increase in 10BPM increments all the way up to 115. Let me know if you find that useful.
Great tune and again a well researched topic, Eric. Could you please upload two or three faster versions of the backing track, like 120, 130 and 140 bpm? Thanks for the nice TOTWs.
Great tune and again a well researched topic, Eric. Could you please upload two or three faster versions of the backing track, like 120, 130 and 140 bpm? Thanks for the nice TOTWs.
Your wish is my command, Joe! Just added 125 and 135.
You chose a good tab to work with and I'm glad you like end result of Jim's, and my work on it. This is a tab I put together and added a bass and guitar part as well as modified it to my taste. Jim Crowley and I worked on this piece together. Jim liked how I edited and modified his work and I've done several with Jim Crowley as I remember...Nice guy for sure.
Sean Ray's backup has nothing to do with this tab or, he invented a backup for the song I guess...Jack p.s. wherever did you find this thing and who is the person who posted my tab who calls himself "Bandzo?
Hey Eric, thanks for posting this. I went and bought the lesson from your link to Casey Henry's lessons. I also, since I was there, purchased Down the Road.. Question I have, how do I download it to my computer, so I can do this offline or away from any Internet connections? I've viewed them online from the link that was sent in email after purchase.
Thanks for the great post, and as a true freshman to the banjo, these don't seem too difficult!
It is great to see people like you who are just starting their banjo journey, purchasing Casey's wonderful work. Eric has devised a wonderful, profitable and helpful way to produce better players...good luck to you...Jack Baker
It is great to see people like you finally purchasing Casey's wonderful work. Eric has devised a wonderful, profitable and helpful way to produce better players...good luck to you...Jack Baker
Thanks Jack. I actually have the Murphy Method Beginner 1 and 2 and the Vamping DVD's. They have helped this noob tremendously! I've done a couple different lesson things, never real in person lessons yet, and have found the Murphy Method to be the best thus far.
Great tune,wonderful forum!Anyone up to Sleepy Man Banjo Boys speed?Man,they rip it! Thanks for everything through BHO.Nice to have the encouragement.Now to practice... Chas
For anyone who isn't aware, the player is the first video is a young David Lindley, the string genius who later became Jackson Browne's right-hand man through most of his classic albums.
I've been talking to John Boulding about creating backup vids for our TOTW, and he's just posted his first one--for CMB.
You can purchase it for $5 here. It's a great lesson, full of good backup ideas for CMB and lots of concepts that transfer over to playing backup for other bluegrass tunes.
Awesome! Purchased. I love getting both backup and lead for the same song, it helps me understand the tune much better than just the lead break, or just the chord structure. Thanks!
Awesome! Purchased. I love getting both backup and lead for the same song, it helps me understand the tune much better than just the lead break, or just the chord structure. Thanks!
I completely agree. I was working through the lead and backup videos for "John Henry" (this week's tune) just this morning, and it was nice really wrapping my head around all the elements of the tune like that.
I completely agree. I was working through the lead and backup videos for "John Henry" (this week's tune) just this morning, and it was nice really wrapping my head around all the elements of the tune like that.
Oh thanks! I didn't realize he did a backup for that one as well, I just bought it too. I was skipping this week since I already have a break for John Henry, but learning backup will fill out the song for me. Excellent!
I just learned CMB recently and I think it is about my favorite tune to play - but I think I say that a lot of times when I learn a new tune. I definitely need to get hold of the backing tracks that are available. I tend to get stuck trying to download stuff and I give up from frustration with technology. But I'm going to try again.
Eric, it is 6 months since I wrote the above post and i have to tell you how much I am loving the backing tracks. Sometimes it takes me awhile to get it figured out but once I do I have so much fun with it and I think it really helps me get the timing down. What you are doing is awesome. Thank you so much!
...Jack
...Jack
