janolov - Posted - 11/13/2020:  07:55:39

“Davy”, or sometimes “Davy Davy”, is a nice old tune. It has an easy and uncomplicated melody which gives a lot of opportunities to play both easy versions and more elaborated versions. The basic tune is based on a C major pentatonic scale (C,D,E,G,A) (when played in the key of C). For accompaniment  a simple C chord is enough (when played in the key of C), or a D chord when played in the key of D

It was first (?) recorded by the Weems String Band in 1928 . It has a little different set up compared to other string bands with two fiddles, a cello and a banjo. The banjo seems to be finger-picked.   

I first heard Davy by New Lost City Ramblers . I think It is Mike Seeger on fiddle and Tom Paley on clawhammer banjo. They refer to the Weems String Band in the liner notes, but they had only one fiddle and the banjo is clawhammered.                                                          

Weems String Band

I think the Weems String Band is interesting and a re worth some extra words.The band was made up of the Weems family based in Perry County, Tennessee including brothers Frank and Dick on fiddle, Jesse on cello and brother-in-law Alvin Conder on banjo and vocals augmented at times with two younger members, Atlas "Dodge" Conder, and Ray Hinson who is Dick Weems step-son, on guitar and banjo. The only known photo of the band is as a sextet, although they recorded as a quartet without the younger members.

They recorded one single for Columbia Records in 1928. The songs were versions of the standards "Greenback Dollar" and "Davy". Reportedly they had originally planned to record two instrumentals but were told to go home and returned to the studio the next day with lyrics.

Little is known of the lives of the Weems family after recording their one single they disappear from the historical record although Alvin Conder is known to have performed as a band member at the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s.

There was a thread in BHO about Weems String Band in 2008 which showed that they were far from forgotten: banjohangout.org/archive/124170

Lyrics

The lyrics to the song is (Weems String band version):

Davy, Davy, where is Davy,

Down in the henhouse eating up the gravy;

Davy, Davy, where is Davy,

Down in the chicken-yard, sick on the gravy.:

A nought is a nought and a one is a finger,

Why can't a white man dance like a N.....?

He can't do the quickstep, he tends for to linger,

That's why he can't dance like a N.....

The two last verses are racist and New Lost City Ramblers didn’t sing them. Brad Leftwich (see link below) added several new verses.

Recordings:

Weems String Band: youtube.com/watch?v=k7SJXSeiE1g

New Lost City Ramblers: youtube.com/watch?v=thTvgPgqmOc

Bob Carlin: youtube.com/watch?v=0JWGzfI3gbQ (tab is available in his book Fiddle Tunes Flr Clawhammer Banjo)

Brad Leftwich: youtube.com/watch?v=vnygH_dyZtE

Unknown: hangoutstorage.com/banjohangou...12020.mp3 (I downloaded this from Internet in about 2007 and I don’t remember from where)

Notation

Fiddle notation is avilable at Traditional Tune Archive: tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Davy_Davy

When doing the research for Davy I also found a notice on Bluegrass Messengers, but the link does not work today: bluegrassmessengers.com/davy-davy.aspx  

Tab

Tablature to Davy is available here:

Banjo Newsletter (tab by Dan Leveson): banjonews.com/2011-07/davy_davy.html

Clawhammer Banjo tab in UK: clawhammerbanjotab.co.uk/page2...A%20B.pdf

My own clawhammer version: banjohangout.org/tab/browse.as...p;v=24601 

My own two-finger thumb lead version: banjohangout.org/tab/browse.as...p;v=24602 

Related songs

Davy seems to be related to several other tunes and songs, for example Goin’ Down The River (check Hilary Burhans )  and one of the versions of Boatin’ Up Sandy by Hill Billies recorded 1927 .

The difference seems to be (except for the lyrics) the key – Davy is played in the key of C by Weems String Band and New Lost City Ramblers, and in the key of D in later recordings. Goin’ Down the River and Boatin’ Up Sandy is played in A (Hilary’s tutorial is in G).

Own Recording

I had planned to make an own recording in thumb lead style, but my left hand is damaged after a “clawhammer accident” during a hammer-on operation: I was putting up a piece of wood on the outside wall and missed the nail but hit the finger and thumb. It is still aching when moving the finger. But this TOTW is Friday 13!

Edited by - janolov on 11/13/2020 08:02:24

bjcole - Posted - 11/13/2020:  08:08:55

Looking forward to your thumb lead version in better times.

Emiel - Posted - 11/13/2020:  08:25:31

Nice story. I would say the melody is also related to Sally Goodin'…

Stephen Rapp - Posted - 11/13/2020:  10:20:28

Jan, when I click on the clawhammer tab link of yours it takes me to the Thumb Lead version. I've been learning TFTL style lately so that's fine anyway, but thought I would point that out for anyone looking.

janolov - Posted - 11/13/2020:  11:20:29

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stephen Rapp

Jan, when I click on the clawhammer tab link of yours it takes me to the Thumb Lead version. I've been learning TFTL style lately so that's fine anyway, but thought I would point that out for anyone looking.

---

Thanks! I have changed it, so now the clawhammer tab should be on the right place.

Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 11/13/2020:  11:38:33

Learnt this tune about 10 years ago when I was starting out from the Eric Muller and Barbara Kohler book. It was a very simplified version and I didn’t think much of it . From your links etc I now see what a fine tune it is.

JanetB - Posted - 11/13/2020:  14:18:29

Treasure after treasure comes out of the 1920's recordings. Thanks, Jan, for another. Your thumb lead arrangement from the 1928 recording is similar to this clawhammer arrangement I attempted today. If I was more into 2-finger picking, your arrangement feels very fun and flowing to learn from.

Davy (TOTW)

Davy (CH) tab

janolov - Posted - 11/15/2020:  00:24:40

Janet, that was a nice version, but a little tricky. I found much easier to play thumb lead.