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Posted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1437
Size: 690kb, uploaded 7/20/2011 9:46:27 AM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Played on a Gold Tone Cripple Creek mini in modal tuning. Learned from Miles Krassen's Clawhammer Banjo, based on fiddling of Henry Reed.
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 97
Size: 3,455kb, uploaded 9/29/2024 4:21:10 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
A tune of the week to challenge us! Blackberry Blossom is certainly a favorite. Garfield's Blackberry Blossom is related, but another challenge. After having had a lesson on Ed Haley's version from Adam Hurt several years ago, here's my attempt to arrange one myself.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 802
Size: 963kb, uploaded 11/20/2014 6:23:44 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Kentucky fiddler Clyde Davenport was the source fiddler for this tune as Wild Goose Chase. Alabama fiddler James Bryan recorded this with Bob Carlin on the great Banging and Sawing CD. Recently Nick Hornbuckle recorded it on his new CD, Twelve By Two, Plus or Minus One. In my adventurous Skype lessons with Adam Hurt it became one of the tunes I chose to transpose to a new tuning for me that we've been working on, equivalent to f#BEAD. I call it Old Cumberland Gap tuning because it's described as such in Anita Kermode's huge list of banjo tunings. Adam and I tune it up one step for better string tension, so this is in the key of E. Lots of fun to play. Hope you enjoy!
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 857
Size: 854kb, uploaded 9/23/2014 6:12:51 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Learned off the new CD of BHO member Nickhornbuckle called 12X2 (+/-), it's fitting title for the first day of fall today. I've seen the geese flying overhead while at school and point out their V formation to my first graders.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Tommy Hunter
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- Play count: 78
Size: 1,448kb, uploaded 11/18/2019 8:54:43 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the Tune of the Week, 11/15/19, Gentleman from Virginia was written by a renowned fiddler who played in a band with Carroll Best. Tommy won a North Carolina Folk Heritage Award, amongst other honors. This arrangement comes from a bandmate, Roger Howell and from the Canote Brothers. You'll notice the difference. I like how the latter one expresses the melody.
1 commentPosted by JanetB, written by Turlough O'Carolan
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- Play count: 1650
Size: 873kb, uploaded 9/26/2011 6:11:26 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
The second air is played first, the first air is known as a drinking song. The Irish people must have enjoyed their get-togethers!
7 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 110
Size: 1,372kb, uploaded 2/11/2022 4:23:18 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Carl Baron learned this from an eastern Pennsylvania fiddler in the 1970's and still plays it with friends at a local folk festival. I know very few cotillions, but they all sound like good dance melodies, but also pretty tunes.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 893
Size: 2,094kb, uploaded 11/5/2017 6:49:38 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, Nov. 3, 2017, Georgia Railroad was popularized by Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers in the 1920's. It's been recorded many times since, sometimes with silly lyrics, which I like. The first version I heard was actually Adam Hurt's upbeat fiddle version on his new CD Artifacts. I combine three versions here, one from Riley Puckett, who sang and played guitar on the original recording, one from Adam, and one other related tune recorded by Fiddlin' John Carson and recently by Harry Bolick called Way Late Last Night When Peter Went a-Fishing.
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 772
Size: 843kb, uploaded 9/8/2013 1:18:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the TOTW, 9/6/13, this is from Kentucky fiddler Buddy Thomas. The actual Tune of the Week is Walking Down Georgia Row and is very different, in my opinion, but I like learning anything from Buddy Thomas' playing.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 173
Size: 1,291kb, uploaded 10/5/2018 4:30:32 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 10-5-18, "Git Up in De Morning" is in Thomas Brigg's 1855 Banjo Instruction book. I arranged it for clawhammer style from Joe Weidlich's minstrel tab. It's said that Bill Whitlock learned this in 1839 from Joel Sweeney himself. I hear Blue Tail Fly. There are lyrics, too, and we can hear them in the discussion thread link by BHO member Tim Twiss.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 209
Size: 1,141kb, uploaded 8/28/2015 5:59:23 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
From Kentucky fiddler John Salyer, this is a little known tune from home recordings in the early 40's. The title appears to come from a Gaelic term for "red-haired boy." The intense feel of the tune may resemble reputation often given to red-heads.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 795
Size: 1,388kb, uploaded 2/23/2013 4:26:36 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the Tune of the Week, 2-22-13. This tune's name is the name of a Missouri fiddler who played it. He must have been a happy fellow! It's in the Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes as played by Preston "Pete" McMahan (1918 - 2000).
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 898
Size: 1,926kb, uploaded 3/28/2013 4:44:14 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Two Celtic tunes to begin Spring break.
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1638
Size: 1,556kb, uploaded 3/4/2013 6:03:47 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Learned from Luther Strong in the Library of Congress. This tune was claimed to have earned him $500 in fiddle contest wins. Reading about him in Stephen Wade's book The Beautiful Music Around Us reveals much about Mr. Strong's life and music.
6 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Oscar Stone
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- Play count: 258
Size: 1,174kb, uploaded 9/17/2013 6:10:00 AM
Genre: Ragtime / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the TOTW, Sept. 13, 2013. The beginning does sound like Ragtime Annie. When Humphrey Bates' group, The Possum Hunters, plays it at the infant Grand Old Opry in the 20's you hear the caller shouting, "Everybody dance!"
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 104
Size: 2,625kb, uploaded 10/9/2023 2:35:00 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
It's said that fiddler James Bryan may have passed this tune along, but I can't say for sure. The other, perhaps older title is Gwine Down the Valley.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 83
Size: 1,759kb, uploaded 12/2/2024 5:13:32 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Here's one from Wilson Douglas, a great West Virginia fiddler. It also goes by the title Going Down to Lynchburg Town.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 118
Size: 1,472kb, uploaded 2/4/2018 2:50:42 PM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 2/2/18, this rare tune comes from the 1930 recording of Mississippi fiddler Alvis Massengale who played with the Newton County Hillbillies. It has some similarity to Going to the Wedding, Sally Ann, Great Big Taters in Sandy Land, and Mississippi Square Dance. I liked how the B part went and have used that fingering in its 4th measure for several unrelated tunes. For tab see the current TOTW.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Bill Monroe and Byron Berline
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- Play count: 273
Size: 698kb, uploaded 5/19/2012 1:57:23 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Happy tune. The era of the gold rush had a huge effect on the U.S.A. We still feel the impact. My little ghost town of a community used to be quite large and the "miner forty-niner" was quite real. Being that Bill Monroe performed it, does that make it bluegrass? Or is it old-time?
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 621
Size: 1,072kb, uploaded 9/8/2017 11:56:45 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
From the playing of the great Texan fiddler Bob Wills and for the old-time Tune of the Week, 9/8/17, it's a treat to have this tune with our old-time repertoire. Mac Benford plays it on banjo and that's good enough for me! The band leader I worked with for 14 years played steel-pedal at one time and his love for Bob Wills showed. He had us learning some of his instrumentals over the years, so here's one I can show him. :)
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