Written/Posted by JanetB
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- Play count: 2176
Size: 1,220kb, uploaded 5/9/2013 5:40:17 AM
Genre: Other / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
In learning some tunes in the Cumberland Gap/Sandy River Belle tuning I wrote a little tune. It has a darkish sound so I named it after a neat place where big boulders form a little cave where the grandkids like to climb around. I checked later and realized I wrote it in the Aeolian mode in the key of G, played on a Mac Traynham Whyte Laydie openback.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 182
Size: 653kb, uploaded 4/17/2021 9:24:15 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
The Tune of the Week features a song and includes this banjo solo by Coon Creek Girl Lily May Ledford. The clawhammer techniques are standard and the tune would be a good one to combine skills of bum-ditty, hammer-on, and drop thumb. The lyrics, which you can hear on the discussion thread, tell of farmers trying to eliminate the threat of having their chickens eliminated by the hawk predator.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 955
Size: 644kb, uploaded 10/18/2011 6:05:49 AM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Learned from a Bill Monroe recording. A polka danced this fast must be easier than playing it.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Eric Merrill
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- Play count: 623
Size: 1,024kb, uploaded 11/6/2013 5:19:38 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the TOTW 11/1/13, Eric named his tune after his grandmother and called it Hell and Grace. I can understand how grandmothers could gently let their grandchild know the difference.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 199
Size: 1,508kb, uploaded 7/12/2016 11:41:06 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 7/8/16, this arrangement is from the fiddling of Arthur Smith. I found out from this TOTW that an explanation of the title is that yearlings referred to young cattle who stormed into a barn while the music was going on. I used to try to rope young steer and they were feisty....
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 162
Size: 1,707kb, uploaded 10/15/2022 12:03:30 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
From the playing of Georgian fiddler Lowe Stokes in the 1920's, this four-part tune won him fiddle contests and became popular. Check out the current Tune of the Week to learn lots more.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB, written by Trevor Stuart
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- Play count: 183
Size: 1,376kb, uploaded 12/13/2019 2:18:29 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the Tune of the Week, 12/13/19, Henry King (d. 1856 - 1914) is the many-great grandfather of the talented composer, Trevor Stuart, who passed away but is survived by his brother Travis. They honored their ancestor and educated us a bit about their family history (you can read the liner note in the TOTW thread). The tune has a familiar first part and is then new to me. I chose cello banjo to make the fingering easier in a tuning equivalent to double C.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Turlough O'Carolan
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- Play count: 70
Size: 2,118kb, uploaded 12/29/2019 3:44:47 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
The immense home of the MacDermott Roe family was Turlough O'Carolan's favorite place. It's where he returned after traveling as a blind Irish harpist and bard to pass his final days in 1738. Henry was the son of these patrons and a friend to O'Carolan, but he failed to live his life completely honorable and almost lost the blessings of his mother. However, all became well again and O'Carolan composed many of his songs in honor of the MacDermott Roe's. You can hear this story in the three settings -- first a happy life with the MacDermott Roes, then the shame of Henry's foibles in whom he married and how he squandered the family wealth, and at last the happy ending of forgiving and enjoying life. Of course, life isn't summarized so simply, but it helps to use one's imagination.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Turlough O'Carolan
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- Play count: 234
Size: 689kb, uploaded 1/14/2012 3:30:41 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Here's another lively song from O'Carolan.
5 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1123
Size: 1,435kb, uploaded 4/10/2013 5:54:30 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This tune comes from Kentucky fiddler Owen "Snake" Chapman from his Walnut Gap 1999 CD. Paul David Smith played guitar for him. Both of them mentored to BHO member Jim Reed and that's how I heard about them. Hickory Leaf is the second tune if you go to the Slippery Hill website with over 1,400 tunes.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Greg Canote
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- Play count: 93
Size: 1,368kb, uploaded 7/30/2022 11:46:31 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Billy Kearney chose Hickory Smith for the current Tune of the Week. You can hear him play with his band as he fiddles. The Canote Brothers are truly legends and their original tunes are as good as any others they play.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 651
Size: 734kb, uploaded 1/8/2021 9:59:35 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Based on Ola Belle Reed's version for which you can read a lot of background on the Tune of the Week for 1/8/21. I used to think it was a bluegrass song, but it was old-time first.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Edden Hammons
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- Play count: 247
Size: 1,136kb, uploaded 5/10/2015 7:37:27 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Played at a relaxing tempo for the old-time Tune of the Week, 5/8/15, this tune is named for the Tug Fork River of West Virginia, known for its rugged beauty. It's the locale for the Hatfield/McCoy feud. The name is reminiscent of a failed effort to reach a battle site during the French Indian War due to rough terrain and poor hunting. The starving and mutinous soldiers were forced to eat "tug," or boiled leather strips. Here's the link for the TOTW to read and hear more: http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/303503
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 255
Size: 816kb, uploaded 10/5/2014 2:49:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, this tune comes from West Virginian fiddler Henry Reed via Alan Jabbour. I always like learning the historic tunes collected by Alan. I especially enjoyed his video performance with Ken Perlman where I heard a Southwest flavor and saw a very upbeat Mr. Jabbour. Henry Reed learned the tune from a mulatto fiddler possibly from Texas, which could explain that special rhythm.
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1638
Size: 987kb, uploaded 11/11/2013 6:28:52 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This banjo/fiddle duet is an assignment from Adam Hurt for me to play along with his fiddle. His arrangement was challenging, so I've been attempting to master it better as in this recording. I recommend lessons with him. The Skype technology works well and he caters the lessons to my interests and needs. Currently he's helping me learn about Emmett Lundy's fiddled tunes, like Highlanders Farewell, and has shown me his clawhammer arrangements.
5 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 596
Size: 3,232kb, uploaded 8/17/2019 11:44:13 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Inspired by RG for this week's TOTW and listening to Roscoe Holcomb, Bruce Molsky, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, here's a version of the ballad Hills of Mexico.
4 commentsWritten/Posted by JanetB
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- Play count: 820
Size: 2,616kb, uploaded 10/18/2016 7:47:10 AM
Genre: Other / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Sometimes an event and a new tuning combine to inspire a tune, like in Hillside. It's a tribute to my mother's neighbor, Mrs. Fields, who passed away in her late nineties. Growing up with good neighbors is a blessing, isn't it. Hillside is the final resting place for some of my family members and now for dear Mrs. Fields. The new tuning for me is f#DGAD, which I found in an Art Rosenbaum resource book. It's a "D variant" and he calls it "Little Black Train" tuning. This recording is my first effort using three tracks with Garage Band using my Mac Traynham Whyte Laydie and Gold Tone cello banjo.
4 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 159
Size: 692kb, uploaded 10/25/2014 11:22:05 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 10/24/14, this Celtic song has old roots and more than one set of lyrics. In both sets it's definitely a sea shanty. Hearing the youtube acappella version lets me imagine the beautiful music performed by sailors as a relief from the hard work and boredom of being at sea.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 185
Size: 1,857kb, uploaded 6/20/2015 8:22:17 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Learned from a 1974 Kenny Hall recording for the Tune of the Week, 6/19/15. I'm proud to say he was from California and will be looking up more of his bio and music after this interesting TOTW: http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/305343. He learned it while in Texas. There are two measures in the B part with six beats instead of four. This recording is a slow take on the tune.
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 174
Size: 1,764kb, uploaded 5/30/2020 12:58:46 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This week's tune, 5/29/20, has some confusing nomenclature. The medley here is from Virginia fiddler Luther Strong and WV banjo player Dwight Diller. However, some players call the tune Dwight plays "Hog Eyed Man." He calls it Sally a-Siftin' Sand. Then there's Sally in the Garden, related but different. The tuning here is aDGCD.
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