Dark as a Dungeon

Posted by JanetB, written by Merle Travis

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- Play count: 1378

Size: 773kb, uploaded 7/26/2011 8:32:51 AM
Genre: Popular / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This song reminds me of my dad who grew up in the coal mining town of Ashville, PA.

Dark Eyes Reel (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB, written by Albert S. Bowman

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- Play count: 291

Size: 1,016kb, uploaded 8/16/2014 5:33:51 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 8/15/14, learned from BHO member ajisai's fiddling. She learned it from an old violin instruction book of the early 1900's. Without a historic recording to go by, this reminds me of the manner in which Turlough O'Carolan's tunes were learned and carried on. Someone notated them and published them and we're all better off for knowing his beautiful music.

Darling Corey/Liquor Seller

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 818

Size: 1,213kb, uploaded 6/23/2014 11:06:13 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Liquor Seller came from James Bryan's fiddling, but I discovered that Roscoe Parish of Virginia recorded it on both banjo and fiddle and assume he's the source. I chose Darling Corey because of its similar theme and the fact that I was looking for a tune with the mixolydian mode to go with Liquor Seller.

Davy (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 144

Size: 1,005kb, uploaded 11/13/2020 2:07:47 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Often accompanying by some silly lyrics about Davy and gravy, here is just the instrumental as learned from 1928 recording by the Weems String Band. They only made two, yet many outstanding banjo players have recorded Davy and credited the family band.

Davy Come On Back and Act Like You Oughta (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 913

Size: 1,400kb, uploaded 8/4/2017 1:41:33 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 8/4/17, West Virginia fiddler Delbert Hughes (1905 -1982) recorded this one. It sounds like Davy is responding in the B part with his grievances, which he finds reasonable enough. I think this story ends where he comes back home....

Davy Dugger

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 66

Size: 2,505kb, uploaded 8/5/2023 6:05:21 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Clyde Davenport's Kentucky fiddling is the inspiration for this arrangement. Rather than use open G tuning, the first string is tuned up to an E note, called "guitar tuning." I preferred staying at the 7th fret and below for the B part.

Dead Man's Peace

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 820

Size: 884kb, uploaded 1/21/2013 12:28:49 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

As played by Dwight Diller who learned it from Lee Hammons.

Dead Man's Piece--cello banjo

Posted by JanetB, written by Lee Hammons

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- Play count: 1068

Size: 851kb, uploaded 1/27/2013 1:46:26 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

As played by Dwight Diller who recorded Lee Hammons' banjo piece in the 70's. I'm trying to get a good tone on cello banjo recording.

Dear Someone

Posted by JanetB, written by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

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- Play count: 233

Size: 1,119kb, uploaded 11/6/2011 2:19:42 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This is one beautiful song when performed by Gillian and David. Kit and I were inspired when we saw them on the Chieftains Nashville Session and wanted to do this duet. Kit's mandolin on melody was so nice I chose to stay with harmony and hope it supports him.

Decatur Reel

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 66

Size: 2,888kb, uploaded 12/13/2024 11:33:40 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This clawhammer arrangement is from Charlie Walden's fiddle recording, linked on Tune of the Week for Decatur Reel. It's following him pretty closely, though in a string band you wouldn't need all these notes. Charlie connects the tune to Missouri's fiddler Dwight Lamb.

Deep Ellum Blues (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 107

Size: 1,739kb, uploaded 11/25/2023 12:30:38 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

A song we used to play with the Rough & Ready Fruit Jar Pickers. Here's the 3-finger solo I worked out at the time.

Denver Belle

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1131

Size: 2,616kb, uploaded 12/16/2016 6:33:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This tune comes from the repertoire of Bluegrass boy Kenny Baker. He learned it from his father, Thaddeus, and said he only heard it played by his family. I used Garage Band to combine my Mac Traynham Whyte Laydie openback with my Gold Tone cello banjo.

Devil in the Haystack

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1168

Size: 1,304kb, uploaded 5/25/2013 2:00:32 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the Tune of the Week, 5/24/13, from the fiddling of Pappy Taylor of Illinois.

Dick's Handspike (CB)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 926

Size: 820kb, uploaded 5/4/2014 4:05:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Samuel Bayard collected this tune from fiddler and fifer Isaac Newton Morris. It's tune #45 in his book Dance to the Fiddle and March to the Fife. I learned it from the excellent recording by Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers in their CD Up in the Batten House. It's one of these tunes where the melody is embedded within some wandering passages. I'm playing in SRB tuning with tab in the BHO archive.

Dixie Hoedown

Posted by JanetB, written by Jim and Jesse McReynolds

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- Play count: 742

Size: 781kb, uploaded 10/2/2011 5:37:38 PM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Listening to a David Grisman collection called Mandolin Extravaganza, this one caught my attention.

Doc Corn's Tune (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 231

Size: 1,017kb, uploaded 1/29/2017 7:31:10 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 1-28-17, I listened to an Illinois fiddler John Ray "Doc" Corn recording, made on his birthday in 1976. The tune was also recorded by Lynn Chirps Smith, a fiddler whose work I respect and enjoy. There's not much other information yet on this tune other than it had another title that isn't so nice.

Doctor, Doctor / Folding Down the Sheets medley

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 43

Size: 3,542kb, uploaded 4/21/2026 9:37:24 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

In topics:
TOTW - April 17, 2026 - Doctor, Doctor

Hope you enjoy this medley. Check out the Tune of the Week for April 17, 2026 for details.

Don Tremaine's Reel (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB, written by Graham Townsend

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- Play count: 105

Size: 1,528kb, uploaded 9/6/2021 9:02:33 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Graham Townsend, Canadian winning dance fiddler and prolific tunester till his death in 1998, wrote this reel and played it rapidly and notes. I simplified the A part, but not as much the B part, and slowed it down here.

Don't Drink Nothin' But Corn (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 225

Size: 968kb, uploaded 12/2/2016 10:52:20 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 12/2/16, from the playing of Virginia fiddler Taylor Kimble (1892 - 1979). I wouldn't know much at all about this kind of corn, so I'm sure this version won't "set your head on fire," as the lyrics said.

Double File (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 715

Size: 1,640kb, uploaded 11/14/2017 10:17:22 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 11/12/17, Double File was recorded by Gaither Carlton. Anything that brings me closer to Doc Watson's family makes me hapy. I added a bit of cello banjo accompaniment.