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lifeinajug - Posted - 03/02/2007: 14:35:57
Hey all. I've been listining to the version of Ramblin Hobo on Clarence Ashbey and Doc Watson recording, the second version on the first disc, and was curious about the tuning used. I've also heard the John Cohen version that sounds like the aforementioned Ashbey (sp?) version. Anyways, lovely tune and I'm wantint to try to figure it out.
Thanks!
Travis
clawhammerist - Posted - 03/02/2007: 15:15:33
Hey Travis,
I'm pretty sure this tune is played in "Old G" tuning: gDGDE. Perhaps tuned down one step to F...I don't have the version you mention to reference at the moment, but I know that a number of people keep this tuning tuned low.
Cheers,
Adam Hurt
www.adamhurt.com
www.cdbaby.com/cd/adamhurt
sound samples at www.myspace.com/adamhurt
Edited by - clawhammerist on 03/02/2007 15:16:30
bnjomn - Posted - 03/02/2007: 15:48:28
Hey Travis,
I play Rambling Hobo in gDGDE. I have an MP3 of it uploaded to my homepage on this site. I'm afraid though, that it won't hold a candle to the recordings you've been listening to.
Cheers,
Len
"A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame or money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well."
G. K. Chesterton
oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 03/02/2007: 16:45:08
We got Rambling Hobo from the Watson/Carlton recording on Doc Watson & Family. It is also on High Atmosphere, and the "OTM at Clarence Ashley's" set.
It is done in Old G (gDGDE) Tuning or F tuning capoed 2, however you want to look at it. Some people also call it Sandy River Belle tuning. We always played it in G and I have to admit I have not listened to the originals in years and don't remember the actual pitch Watson was at. In fact we haven't played Rambling Hobo for a couple decades.
We still play "Roustabout" - also from the Watson Family records - which is in the Key of G using F tuning (capoed or raised).
I'm a major advocate for Old G tuning. You can get there from Double D simply by dropping the "As" to "Gs" - no capo change necessary if you play the keys of D and A with a capo on the 2nd fret. It is even better for A scale players as you only have to tune down 2 strings instead of 5 to go from D to G. Going from A to G is a little more complicated as you are best going to D from A and then going to G - a total of 4 strings have to be retuned for that but you can always insert a few D tunes between the As and Gs and it doesn't seem as complicated.
When I had a stage band we had a set where I started with the banjo in A, moved to A modal (1 string), from there to D (1 more string) and from there to G (2 more strings) to finish off the set. Getting out of Old G tuning was always more complicated than going into it, so I did that between sets.
The Whiskey Before Breakfast variations and a few tunes in "F" tuning are now available on the web at:
http://home.thegrid.net/~fjbrad/id20.html
oldtimer - Posted - 03/03/2007: 01:45:17
I love that "F" tuning. My favorite version of Ramblin' Hobo is Joe Newberry's. I learned it by watching Joe play it on a video shot at Clifftop in the 90's.
Best regards,
Glenn Godsey
1998 Riley Baugus
1923 Whyte Laydie
Prust 13" fretless tackhead
Early Ramsey fretless
1878 Henry C. Dobson
"Time passes unhindered"
'1995 Stelling Masterpiece' 59 min
'Good Thursday Morning' 9 hrs
