Old Bob (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 67

Size: 2,744kb, uploaded 8/18/2024 6:04:36 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From the playing of Bruce Greene via Kentucky fiddler Gusty Wallace. The measure count is very unusual, but it's a neat tune. Bruce Greene has found good crooked tunes, many probably from Kentucky. Check out his Five Miles from Ellum Wood CD.

Old Christmas

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 204

Size: 1,484kb, uploaded 12/26/2015 3:05:02 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 12-25-15, luckily Old Christmas refers to the continuation of the Christmas celebration until January 6, the day of Epiphany, so I'm not late in posting this. :) I found out more speaking with my sister living in Spain. January 6th celebrates the day the Three Wise Men brought gifts to baby Jesus. It took them 12 days to walk there after His birth, therefore the January date. Those 12 days in Spain mean much to the people and the tourists who enjoy the many festivities. In the recent past most presents for Christmas weren't delivered until Jan. 6th, though that's changing these days to make room for Santa Claus and school vacation schedules. This arrangement comes from Bruce Greene, who recorded Kentucky fiddler Manon Campbell and also listened to the Lomax LOC 1937 recording of another Kentucky fiddler, Uncle George Custer Nicholson (1854 - 1941).

Old Christmas Morning (French Carpenter) (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 776

Size: 1,448kb, uploaded 12/2/2017 10:41:52 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This archaic tune has more than one related version, but this week's old-time Tune of the Week for 12/1/17 focuses on West Virginian fiddler French Carpenter (1905 -1965). I now know why January 6 is also celebrated as Christmas, or "Old Christmas," as the English calendar was changed in 1752 and 12 days were left out, bringing December 25th to January 6th. Learn something new every day....

Old Cumberland

Posted by JanetB, written by Pat Conte

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- Play count: 105

Size: 2,268kb, uploaded 7/15/2023 1:39:48 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

A new version of Cumberland Gap for me. I can hear a bit of the traditional one here.

Old Drake (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 335

Size: 849kb, uploaded 4/10/2015 11:20:29 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, this comes mostly from Burl Hammons, then Dwight Diller and Jimmy Tripplett, then David Margolin and Yigal Zan. That makes it 4th generation here! It's in modal tuning (gDGCD), but if you check out the current TOTW you'll learn of another beautiful tuning to try it in: http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/302159

Old Granny Rattletrap/Rattletrap medley (CB)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 196

Size: 1,903kb, uploaded 9/22/2015 7:23:45 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Since the current old-time Tune of the Week, Rattletrap, is said to be related to Old Granny Rattletrap I thought it would be interesting to compare the two. I discovered that within the first part of the Granny version is the second part of the Rattletrap tune. Old Granny Rattletrap was recorded in the 40's by a fiddler, Bill Hensley, originally from eastern Tennessee, born in 1873. Rattletrap was recorded much later by the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, a group from eastern Tennessee begun by the Birchfield family in the 70's (though the founder, Joe Birchfield, born in 1912, had learned fiddling with his family as a youngster). I'd conclude Bill's Old Granny Rattletrap influenced Joe's Rattletrap, a tune said to be the group's theme song.

Old Grey Cat (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 165

Size: 1,564kb, uploaded 12/16/2022 11:40:50 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

A nice Celtic tune used as a contra dance tune here in America, it is in Em and only uses two chords (also a D, but it has a dramatic, catchy melody.

Old Grey Eagle (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 157

Size: 1,304kb, uploaded 10/14/2017 10:20:30 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

As played by Ozark fiddler, Cecil Snow, this is the old-time Tune of the Week for October 13, 2017. It's called a hoedown and its style is compared to Texas swing style with slurred notes. I found it was easy to play because it only used open strings and the second fret. It also has a neat ascending melody in the B part.

Old Jake Gillie

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 238

Size: 1,160kb, uploaded 4/18/2015 4:34:32 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This version of the old-time Tune of the Week, 4/17/15, comes from the Kessinger Brothers. It has more of a swinging beat. I haven't listened a lot yet to Clark Kessinger, but in Jake Gillie I hear the skill and smoothness in his fiddling that's highly regarded.

Old Jake Gillie (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 57

Size: 2,784kb, uploaded 5/24/2026 2:50:53 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

In topics:
TOTW, 22nd May 2026, Old Jake Gillie

Two versions of many -- Dwight Diller and Clark Kessinger.

Old Joe

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1077

Size: 1,508kb, uploaded 4/28/2015 6:03:15 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

A second tune I've learned from the playing of Missouri fiddler Lonnie Robertson (1908 - 1981). Old Joe was also played on the Opry and possibly has some links (in its "odd metric patterns") to a minstrel tune of the same name.

Old Kentucky Whiskey (CB)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 287

Size: 1,041kb, uploaded 8/8/2015 3:14:43 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 8-7-15, this comes mostly from the original source, fiddler Noah Beavers who recorded for Gerald Harrison on the Dear Old Illinois collection. I also listened to the Indian Creek Delta Boys. I'm playing on a Gold Tone cello banjo just re-strung with nylgut minstrel strings.

Old Kentucky Whiskey (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 216

Size: 1,065kb, uploaded 8/9/2015 1:17:11 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Here is a second rendition of this old-time Tune of the Week for 8/7/15 played on a Mac Traynham Whyte Laydie. The first recording was on a Gold Tone cello banjo, an octave lower. Here's the link to the current discussion: http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/307438.

Old Man in a Rocking Chair

Posted by JanetB, written by Jim Reed

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- Play count: 212

Size: 1,436kb, uploaded 9/15/2012 10:01:59 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

An original Jim Reed tune played on gourd banjo.

Old Man Living at the Mill (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 207

Size: 1,269kb, uploaded 2/28/2019 12:06:48 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Learned from a Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson recording, Same Old Man Living at the Mill is the old-time Tune of the Week for 3/1/19. Mary Z Cox recently recorded this with all of the lyrics for her new CD Carolina Banjo and says she learned it from the Dillards. What I like about the song, besides its mixolydian melody, is the fact that it has square dance calls in some of the lyrics. I only sing the ones with the dance calls.

Old Man's and Old Woman's Quarrel (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 354

Size: 1,278kb, uploaded 9/18/2021 12:15:22 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

The tune's title meaningfully fits the music. I added some reconciliation at the end. The tuning is so different from what I normally play in the old-time genre -- f#ADAD -- which made playing it even more fun. Look it up on Tune of the Week to learn more and for tab.

Old Martha Kelly (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 137

Size: 1,364kb, uploaded 3/23/2019 11:06:22 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This Pennsylvania tune was tracked down by Carl Baron after about 45 years! See the current TOTW for 3/22/19 for its history and story. Rumor has it that Martha was a messy housekeeper...

Old Molly Hare (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 723

Size: 1,745kb, uploaded 9/30/2016 8:20:57 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For this good ole old-time Tune of the Week, here's a cello banjo/mini banjo duet. After learning that Old Molly Hare's roots go back to Fairy Dance, I couldn't help but thinking of my little Plucky mini-banjo as dancing fairies (I can thank my granddaughter for appreciating the Good People).

Old Mother Flanagan

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 264

Size: 689kb, uploaded 7/8/2011 10:27:55 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Learned from Miles Krassen's Clawhammer Banjo book. Played on a Bart Reiter Whyte Ladye open back.

Old Number Third (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 95

Size: 1,572kb, uploaded 1/15/2022 10:15:24 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

As played by A.J. Hoggs from the Samuel Bayard collections of SW Pennsylvania, I'm always glad to learn a tune from my father's neck-of-the-woods. This Tune of the Week has roots around the time of the Civil War. Perhaps it was played on fife as well as fiddle. It sounds like a good marching tune.