Lady Athenry

Posted by JanetB, written by Turlough O'Carolan

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- Play count: 131

Size: 1,257kb, uploaded 2/3/2017 3:30:46 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Turlough O'Carolan wrote many of his harp tunes to honor the friends where he stayed at length, earning his living as a bard. Those friends are called patrons and the tunes are called planxties. Lady Athenry was one such patroness who hosted him as he traveled. It's written that this composition was one of his loveliest. I found that 2-finger picking was the easiest way for me to play this tune. It was exciting arranging a tune in 6/8 time in this style since I sort of make up my own rules as I go. If I want to pick something twice in a row with my thumb, I do. If I want to use my finger likewise I do! Not using picks, though, the tone may not be as bright as it could have been.

Lady of the Lake

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1209

Size: 1,489kb, uploaded 2/25/2014 6:13:00 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Three versions from my Skype lessons with Adam Hurt. The first one comes from the fiddling of "Uncle Norm" Edmonds (born in the 1890's) of Hillsville, Virginia and is one I arranged as an "extra credit" homework assignment. The other two come from Parley Parsons (born 1864) from near Galax, Virginia and from Paul Brown's recollection of the B part.

Lady on the Green (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 214

Size: 1,424kb, uploaded 12/19/2016 11:04:27 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 12/17/16, this Bob Walters tune, recorded by R.P. Christeson and notated in The Fiddler's Repertory, Vol. 1, has roots in a syncopated minstrel tune called Hell on the Wabash. It's a happy tune, though nobody seems to know what the title really means.

Lantern in the Ditch

Posted by JanetB, written by John Jones

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- Play count: 723

Size: 1,424kb, uploaded 1/31/2016 7:16:30 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Here's another tune heard from the great Alabama fiddler James Bryan. Per usual, he makes it sound so good I just need to try it. The story behind the title is that Missouri fiddler John Jones was walking home with his children after playing for a dance, humming this new tune, and their lantern fell in the ditch. They walked the rest of the way in the dark.

Last Chance/Rambling Hobo medley

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 998

Size: 3,582kb, uploaded 1/15/2015 6:18:39 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

These two tunes also are the names for the tuning they use, also called Old G tuning, which I've been studying this month. I'm tuned a step down to fCFCD. I'm finding that some tunes work well in this tuning, some work okay, and others don't work well at all!

Last Cold Whiskey (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB, written by Paul Brown

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- Play count: 135

Size: 895kb, uploaded 6/25/2021 9:03:50 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

In topics:
TOTW 06/25/2021 Last cold whiskey

Paul Brown is a living legend, a quiet one who has and still contributes beautiful music. I know that someone else gave his tune this title, and so it is The Last Cold Whiskey. I made a few changes because I learned it from another's tab and felt like it. In the discussion tab we haven't even heard Paul Brown play it yet. It's a beauty, though I don't know what I think the title should actually be...

Last Shot Got Him (TOTW) (open C tuning)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 149

Size: 2,154kb, uploaded 5/11/2018 8:56:35 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 5/11/18, Last Shot Got Him via the Mississippi Possum Hunters' 1930 recording. It resembles in melody Mississippi John Hurt's sung version called First Shot Missed Him. Hurt recorded as early as 1928, though this song isn't available to hear until a much later recording in the 60's. Hurt played it slower and didn't have the little tag ending on the A part. Music historian and fiddler Harry Bolick put the two together (see the current TOTW to hear that version). I think the Possum Hunters sound rather ragtime and I can imagine it being at one time a bar-room song about someone who was shot, an event not unheard of at that time in that place in Mississippi.

Lazy Kate (CB) (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 259

Size: 1,280kb, uploaded 7/9/2017 12:17:20 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 7/7/17 Lazy Kate was recorded at the beginning of the 1930's buy a Mississippi stringband called Leake County Revelers. In the key of D, I put it in what's equivalent to open G tuning on the cello banjo (dADF#A). For an easy-sounding tune, it was a bit challenging to arrange, but easier for me to play than in double D tuning. Easier playing makes for a better end-result, don't you think?!

Leap Frogging

Posted by JanetB, written by Paul Roberts and Janet Burton

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- Play count: 801

Size: 957kb, uploaded 8/19/2013 4:33:31 PM
Genre: Other / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

After hearing Paul's Leap Frog I found that I could easily play along with it. I tried composing some counterpoint melody to it, but forgot to re-set the slow-downer back up to the key of D. This came out in C with my banjo tuned to double C and I'm playing clawhammer. Paul is playing a mandocello tuned in 5ths and uses a flatpick.

Leather Britches

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 705

Size: 447kb, uploaded 6/28/2011 7:38:46 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Inspired by Megan Lynch. Also known as Lord McDonald's Reel.

Liberty (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 158

Size: 1,329kb, uploaded 9/17/2016 12:30:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, this version of Liberty is from a 1925 Okeh recording of Fiddlin' John Carson of Georgia, said by many to be the musician who recorded the first country record (Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane and The Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster is Going to Crow).

Liberty Two-Step (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 686

Size: 1,328kb, uploaded 9/17/2016 12:34:44 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This version of Liberty is also called Liberty Two-Step, which distinguishes it from another tune called Liberty. (Check out the current Tune of the Week for 9/16/16 for more info.) I learned this one from John Burke's Clawhammer Book for Banjo back in the 70's and it was a popular square dance tune then. I think it's a pretty tune.

Like a Songbird That Has Fallen

Posted by JanetB, written by Bobby Neuwirth and Henry Burnett

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- Play count: 234

Size: 517kb, uploaded 12/22/2011 10:18:28 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This song was used in the Cold Mountain soundtrack.

Lily of the Valley

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 960

Size: 1,376kb, uploaded 1/12/2016 2:13:44 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Virginia fiddler Luther Davis was said to play this in his 90's. Alice Gerard extensively recorded him and plays it with Gail Gilespie on the Hangout archive (http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/media-player/audio_player2.asp?musicid=3041&archived=%20). Unfortunately the album with Luther David -- The Old Time Way -- hasn't been reissued. I learned Lily of the Valley listening to an Adam Hurt and Christian Wig jam recording from last year's Clifftop.

Limping Sal

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 175

Size: 517kb, uploaded 11/11/2011 11:28:00 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This song title is one of an 1849 collection for Christy's Minstrels. It actually sounds like someone walking with a limp. Mike Compton teaches it to his mandolin students. I'm playing it on my older Tennessee open back.

Little Beggarman

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1949

Size: 1,305kb, uploaded 11/2/2011 5:45:09 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Just having fun remembering words learned long ago.

Little Billy Wilson

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1096

Size: 988kb, uploaded 12/29/2013 2:07:23 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For TOTW 12/27/13. I've been glad to learn a piece played by the great Uncle Jimmy Thompson of Grand Old Opry fame.

Little Birdie

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1219

Size: 1,987kb, uploaded 12/6/2016 1:33:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Inspired from Art Rosenbaum and Pete Seeger. I'm studying Art Rosenbaum's material, especially 2-finger style from Pete Steele's playing. Though his tab was for that style, I found that it worked equally well for clawhammer and was easier. :( Oh well, please don't call me lazy. :)

Little Boy Working on the Road

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 249

Size: 913kb, uploaded 12/29/2014 12:00:51 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 12/26/14, this tune is found in Jeff Titon's Kentucky Old-Time Fiddle Tunes book and notated from the recordings of J.W. Day (Jilson Setters) and B. Effie Pierson--the former in 1928, the latter in 1975. I like Effie's gentle version better, but chose to emulate Mr. Day's older recording. The notes are a little more "harder-working" in it, befitting the poor little fellow who has to work like a man to pay his board, as per the few lyrics available for the song. I suppose you could call those notes "myxolydian notes." However, the boy will grow to be a hard-working man--a valued trait in my book.

Little Dutch Girl

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 380

Size: 1,435kb, uploaded 9/24/2012 6:00:28 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Earl Collins learned this from his father, William. Earl was born in Missouri, moved to Oklahoma, and ended up in Southern California, where my guitar teacher hosted a jam where I remember getting to play as a new clawhammer player. Earl was kind and encouraging. He passed away soon not more than a year later.