schlange - Posted - 03/29/2014:  14:00:30

Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys on the Grand Ole Opry, circa 1947: Chubby Wise, Bill, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs.

This week's tune is a hugely famous crossover from "Big Mon": "Blue Moon of Kentucky."

Written in 1946 by Bill Monroe, he recorded it with his Bluegrass Boys for Columbia Records on September 16 and released it early 1947. (That original recording included a couple guys you may have heard of: guitarist Lester Flatt and banjoist Earl Scruggs.)

The song was written as a waltz (3/4 time), but Elvis recorded it in 1954 as in 4/4 time. (It was the B side on Elvis' first commercial recording, the A side being "That's All Right".) Wikipedia says "In 1954, The Stanley Brothers recorded a version of the song using Presley's 4/4 arrangement with bluegrass instrumentation, neatly bridging the stylistic gap between Monroe's and Presley's approaches. Bill Monroe subsequently re-recorded and performed the song using a mixture of the two styles, starting the song in its original 3/4 arrangement, then launching into an uptempo 4/4 rendition."

More fun facts from Wikipedia, "'Blue Moon' is the official bluegrass song of Kentucky. In 2002, Monroe's version was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2003, CMT ranked "Blue Moon" #11 on its 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music... Numerous artists have recorded the song, including John Fogerty, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Ronnie Hawkins, Rory Gallagher, Jerry Lee Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, Paul McCartney, Boxcar Willie, Ray Charles, Jerry Reed, Jimmy Martin, Brian Setzer, Patrick Wall and Raul Seixas."

Most of the recordings I've heard do it in Bb or B, so I've provided a backing track in Bb, as well as G (in case you don't have a capo but want to practice.)

Lyrics

Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shinin'

Shine on the one that's gone and proved untrue

Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shinin'

Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue

It was on a moonlit night

The stars were shining bright

And they whispered from on high

Your lover said goodbye

Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shinin'

Shine on the one that's gone and said goodbye

Learn the Tune

• Hear It: If you aren't familiar with the tune, be sure to listen to the various versions I've included in the playlist to the right


• Casey Henry has posted a Murphy Method lessons for this tune--only $6 thru the end of the week.​ Get it here >


• John Boulding has posted a backup lesson for this tune (including a discussion of playing in waltz time), on sale for $5. Get it here >


• Backing Tracks: Band in a Box tracks are included below at various speeds for your practicing pleasure


• Tabs: there are two in the tab archive if you want 'em!

Share!

I (and others) would love to hear (and see!) you play your version of this tune--post it in a reply below!

Blue Moon of Kentucky Chords	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 60BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 70BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 80BPM
Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 90BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 100BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 110BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 120BPM
Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (Bb) 130BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 60BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 70BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 80BPM
Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 90BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 100BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 110BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 120BPM
Blue Moon of Kentucky Backing Track (G) 130BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Waltz Time Backing Track (Bb) 90BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Waltz Time Backing Track (Bb) 100BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Waltz Time Backing Track (Bb) 110BPM
Blue Moon of Kentucky Waltz Time Backing Track (Bb) 120BPM	Blue Moon of Kentucky Waltz Time Backing Track (Bb) 130BPM	VIDEO: Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Excerpt from Banjo Lesson (click to view)	VIDEO: Elvis Presley-Blue Moon of Kentucky (click to view)
VIDEO: Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys - Blue Moon of Kentucky (click to view)	VIDEO: Blue Moon of Kentucky - Banjo Banjo Lesson (Preview) (click to view)	VIDEO: Blue Moon of Kentucky - Earl Scruggs Revue (click to view)

Debs - Posted - 03/29/2014:  14:12:08

Good choice, a lovely tune.   Janet Davis has a couple of nice versions of this in both 3/4 and 4/4 time in her 'Ultimate Banjo Songbook'.