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Clawdan - Posted - 08/22/2019: 12:23:19
Young Guns and Miners – Tuning Double D with a dropped 5th string: f#DADE (eCGCD capo 2) The 5th string is tuned to the second fret of the 1st string instead of the 5th
Written at Mt. Airy festival, Mt. Airy, NC (1988, 89 or 90?) by Dan Levenson, Bubba Hutch and others.
– The story – So, Mt. Airy was a one of the earlier festivals I attended as I moved into the rabbit hole of Old Time Music – festival style. That year I camped with a great group of folks including the likes of me, ol’ Bubba Hutch (Richard Hutchinson of Banjo Newsletter fame), Mike Ramsey, Cathy from Cleveland, and I think 1 other.
We were talking about a drop 5th string D tuning where the g on the fifth string was dropped to f# (second fret of the first string) resulting in this tuning. We had a great time experimenting with the tuning playing tunes we knew – Cindy, Mississippi Sawyer, Over the Waterfall and others – out of that tuning just to see how they sounded. Had a ball! Soon, someone said we should write a new tune! We decided to do just that by passing the banjo around and having each of us (5 folks if I remember correctly) add a measure or two and see what came out.
I think Hutch started by playing 2 measures, and then passed it to Mike who added two measures and so on through the first part (8 measures) when it came to me. Well the entire second part just came out and everyone loved the whole combination so there was the tune!
Now for the name. Discussion went around for a bit but it sounded so much like something that would be heard in the Young Guns movies that were out at the time, it just felt right. Not sure how the miners figured in but there ya go. Young Guns and Miners!
Oh, and about that tuning, seems the story was that a fellow was up to visit one of the old timers in the hills and he was playing a tune in that tuning. That fellow went home, worked on it and next time he came up to visit the old timer he played it for him, just like he learned it. The old timer asked him why his 5th string was tuned down like that and the young fellow told him that was how the old timer had played it when he was up last. The old timer busted out laughing and said, “Yeah, well my 5th string peg was busted and I’ve had it fixed since then!”
SO, enjoy this tune. It appears in my book, Buzzard Banjo, Clawhammer Style – Mel Bay 99126. It was my first Mel Bay publication/ and is still in print. I have a couple of copies around with the CD in them if you are interested. It was also recorded by my band, The Boiled Buzzards on our Early Bird Special album with full stringband orchestration! That CD is still available from me at my website and from CD Baby as a download.
I just finished up at another great Centralia Old Time Campout in Centrailia, WA, A wonderful event full of music and camaraderie and not much else. Not much else needed either! I am in Santa Cruz for the rest of August so if you happen to be around there, let me know!
Till next time...
Play Nice,
Dan Clawdan Levenson
Author of Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch – a Mel Bay Publication
Edited by - Clawdan on 08/23/2019 08:12:06
JanetB - Posted - 08/24/2019: 11:18:17
You picked a neat, bluesy tune, Dan, with an interesting and rather amusing history. Before I met my husband we had both purchased Buzzard Banjo. I continue to enjoy going through the tabs and it's one of very few tab books I open any more, as I prefer to learn by ear. (Snake River Reel in your book was a TOTW not that long ago.) The title Young Guns and Miners is a good name and has a personal association for me of an annual play, The Saga and Rough and Ready, which has a "bushwhacked" and shot gold miner. Perhaps I can fit in the tune next year....
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