schlange - Posted - 09/09/2014:  09:39:38

Jay Ungar

This week's tune is a waltz in the key of D--so right away we see this is not your typical banjo tune! But it sure is a pretty one, and fiddle players love it. Ashokan Farewell, for me, is probably the most beautiful instrumental tune I've ever heard, so I'm glad we get to feature it even though it's not hugely popular among bluegrass banjo players.

Composed by Jay Ungar in 1982, this tune really gained fame when it was used as the theme for Ken Burns' 1990 documentary The Civil War. Many folks, in fact, think this is a Civil War-era tune because of its sound and association with Burns' documentary (it was the only modern tunes used in the film, after all!)

Ungar said the song was written out of a "sense of loss and longing" at the end of one of the annual Ashokan Music & Dance Camps that Ungar and his wife Molly Mason run at the Ashokan Center in the Catskill Mountains of New York. For many years it has served as a goodnight or farewell waltz at this camp.

A bit of geographic trivia for you: Ashokan was the name of a village in the Catskill Region which is now mostly covered by the Ashokan Reservoir.

Learn the Tune:

• Hear It using the GrooveShark playlist to the right.


• We have a video lesson from Casey Henry where she teaches you the break largely based on Tom Adam's arrangement from BNL. Casey teaches it in a step-by-step, no tab needed fashion. Only $6 thru the end of the week.​ Get it here >


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


• Tabs: several in the BHO archives.

Share!

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

VIDEO: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers - Ashokan Farewell (click to view)	VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell - nice banjo solo (click to view)	VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell (Pumpkin Ridge 1992) (click to view)	VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell - yoppykyabetsu (click to view)
VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell (click to view)	VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell Dropped C banjo tutorial (click to view)	VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell: Jed Marum Banjo, Samantha Violin (click to view)	VIDEO: Folk Alley Sessions: Jay Ungar & Molly Mason Family Band, "Ashokan Farewell" (click to view)
Ashokan Farewell Backing Track (D) 90BPM	Ashokan Farewell Backing Track (D) 110BPM	Ashokan Farewell Backing Track (D) 130BPM	Ashokan Farewell Chords
VIDEO: Ashoken Farewell - Excerpt from the Custom Banjo Lesson from The Murphy Method (click to view)

Jack Baker - Posted - 09/09/2014:  19:07:41

That was just beautiful Molly and Jay and family. I've known Jay and Molly for a very long time and they are wonderful people in every sense of the word....Please come and play in NYC at the Cornelia St. Cafe you guys...your good Friend...Jack

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Originally posted by schlange

Jay Ungar

Johnk - Posted - 09/10/2014:  05:41:44

Love this tune! Here's my take:

VIDEO: Ashokan Farewell (click to view)

KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 09/10/2014:  11:12:23

Anyone else having trouble downloading the Casey Henry video (the full lesson, not the preview)?

Patrick

schlange - Posted - 09/10/2014:  11:53:16

Give it a try now, Patrick. I fixed it.

KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 09/10/2014:  11:55:22

I think that's got it. Thanks!

Don Borchelt - Posted - 09/11/2014:  06:39:09

Nicely played, John, love the harmonics. Great picking!  Here's my take on it, performed in 1998 by Wry Whiskey, a band I was part of back then. We have all long gone our separate ways, but we are all still great friends.  Richie Chaisson is on the resophonic guitar, Brian Clancey on guitar, and Tom Speth on bass fiddle.

- Don Borchelt

VIDEO: Ashoken Farewell (click to view)

schlange - Posted - 09/11/2014:  10:24:50

Nice, Don--as always.

I'm working on learning it this week using Casey's video. I've got the A part down, and about 1/2 of the B part. Challenging piece because it's not just a bunch of Scruggs-style rolls and licks--but it's fun, and sounds great!

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 09/11/2014:  10:52:55

Here is my "far from the mainstream" approach, playing a duet with uke. The banjo is muted here, which helps with the sustain but makes it sound less like a banjo of course. And you are right Eric, it is not just a bunch of Scruggs licks, it is a different way of playing which lends itself to these slower tunes.

Ashoken Farewell

rickhayes - Posted - 09/11/2014:  12:00:31

Fine take on that tune Laurence.  Although I generally like tunes like this "straight", "far from the mainstream" works nicely here too.

Johnk - Posted - 09/11/2014:  12:05:56

Wow, fine versions Don and Laurence!

BanjerKen - Posted - 09/11/2014:  19:44:05

quote:

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Originally posted by schlange

Nice, Don--as always.

I'm working on learning it this week using Casey's video. I've got the A part down, and about 1/2 of the B part. Challenging piece because it's not just a bunch of Scruggs-style rolls and licks--but it's fun, and sounds great!

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I'm also working on Casey's version. The part where she walks the chords up the neck look hard but I've found that to be the easiest part. They played this at a jam I was at Saturday and I couldn't even play the chords much less the melody so I was pleased to see this was the TOTW this week  Thanks for posting these Eric. It has really stepped up my motivation to learn new tunes.

RawhideCreek - Posted - 09/14/2014:  22:06:24

Can someone tell me the proper pronunciation of "Ashokan"?  Emphasis on which syllable, and so forth?

Tom Berghan - Posted - 09/14/2014:  23:02:52

quote:

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Originally posted by RawhideCreek

Can someone tell me the proper pronunciation of "Ashokan"?  Emphasis on which syllable, and so forth?

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Americans pronounce is as follows. 

ah - show - can . . . uh - show - can

Either is fine. Each syllable gets the same weight. Or, the second syllable may have a very slight emphasis the way some Americans say it. 

schlange - Posted - 09/15/2014:  08:29:44

I've finally got Casey's arrangement locked into my head so I can play it by memory. But it's slow! It's a lot of different parts to memorize--I'm pretty sure it's the longest lead break I've ever learned. Fun to play though--gotta play it more so I can play it up to speed with my jam group soon.

g3zdm - Posted - 09/16/2014:  05:48:48

I occasionally sing this, accompanying myself with guitar (I can play the melody on either banjo and guitar).

Just tried a quick 1-pass recording using my Zoom H2N of me doing this and uploaded to my music page.

Most of the lyrics for the verses are from Grian MacGregor with additional verse by Cleo Laine/Johnny Dankworth . I was intrigued to find that Cleo had  performed this song at all - way removed from normal repertoire..  

I also love playing it in Irish music sessions where it is quite frequently played, usually towards the end of an evening.

Chris Muriel, Manchester, UK

Ashokan Farewell - sung version