Posted by JanetB
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- Play count: 179
Size: 801kb, uploaded 8/26/2012 6:58:24 PM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This one's for Jim Reed's pick-a-thon, played ever so slowly and delicately for an old sailor to dance a hornpipe, actually because it's all I can do. You've got to respect these pickers who whip out this song like it's a ship in full sail.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 111
Size: 1,384kb, uploaded 7/10/2021 12:41:29 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Here's how Melvin Wine played a tune which is also found in the 1903 book of Irish fiddle tunes compiled by Chief Francis O'Neill, known as Mountain Hornpipe. I like this funny title given, though it sounds like skedaddling to me. If you hear how Melvin played fiddle in the recording with Carl Baron on banjo and Bob Carlin on guitar, you would hear how fast skedaddling really is. You can check out the current TOTW and hear it.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 132
Size: 1,268kb, uploaded 5/28/2017 2:49:02 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 5/26/17. I didn't really think I'd try to arrange Ed Haley's more complex version, but here it is anyway. I had read it wasn't a "notable" version, but when I heard a few good fiddlers play it, I thought it was worth trying. I sure wouldn't want to memorize this one -- 56 measures and at least four parts. Ed Haley knew the source fiddler, "Uncle Jack" McElwain (1856 - 1938) and they would "trade tunes." This was supposedly one of Haley's favorites to play, but for Uncle Jack it was his most winning fiddle contest tune. See the TOTW for more info.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 173
Size: 897kb, uploaded 5/26/2017 8:04:22 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, Old Sledge traces back to a West Virginia fiddler born in 1856 named Louis Johnson "Uncle Jack" McElwain, said to be one of the best fiddlers ever, though never recorded. The title could refer to many things, including a card game or a mule. This version comes from Burl Hammons, who learned it from his uncle, Edden Hammons.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 207
Size: 1,747kb, uploaded 5/26/2017 8:08:48 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 5/26/17, Old Sledge traces back to a respected West Virginia fiddler born in 1856, Louis Johnson "Uncle Jack" McElwain. He won many fiddle contests with the piece, including one at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. This clawhammer arrangement includes the versions of West Virginian fiddlers Melvin Wine and Ernie Carpenter, both who learned it from Uncle Jack.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 198
Size: 1,600kb, uploaded 5/9/2020 3:10:06 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
From the singing of Roscoe Holcomb, I admit having a hard time with his banjo 2-finger picking. Even his singing has a timing I can't get -- it's very irregular. But for the Tune of the Week I gave it a try and used his singing to arrange a clawhammer solo instead. Singing here is included, though it's not my fort? to sing solo, so be kind. The interesting thing about this song is that it's related to the familiar one via the lyrics and title, On Top of Old Smokey. There are many more lyrics.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 480
Size: 1,364kb, uploaded 12/14/2018 4:54:16 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 12/14/18, this sentimental song plays out in clawhammer rather than the Scruggs picking style I originally learned it in.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 191
Size: 1,208kb, uploaded 3/5/2017 8:00:34 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 3/3/17, this tune was once called Billy in the Lowground, but was given the prefix "Old Time" so as not to be confused with the other widely played tune. Mr. Gilbert played AB parts with crooked endings. These days it's played AABB. I arranged it for cello banjo in order to try a tuning equivalent to double C but would still remain in the original key of G.
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 111
Size: 1,288kb, uploaded 6/13/2021 8:14:18 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Via Bruce Greene in his Five Miles from Ellum CD, Bruce gleaned Old Time Brickyard Joe from James "Pop" Baker (b.1889 from Franklin Co., KY). Bruce said the fiddler James was part of a band called The Sixty-Fivers because they were all at least that age.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 139
Size: 1,663kb, uploaded 7/16/2016 11:35:48 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 7/15/16, the fiddler credited with the tune is Bill Livers of Owen County, Kentucky. He apparently was a well-liked character and entertaining performer. His grandfather taught him this tune and it's named after a dog, with the sharp barking being heard quite clearly!
1 commentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 230
Size: 1,077kb, uploaded 4/4/2015 8:38:02 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 4/3/15, this version comes from Parley Parsons of Galax, VA, playing with Alice Gerard's guitar back-up. Mr. Parsons also recorded Virginia Reel with Paul Brown, available on Slippery Hill website, but it's a different tune. I really wonder whether people dance the Virginia Reel to either versions and haven't heard them played when I've seen that dance performed....
2 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Leonard Bernstein
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- Play count: 139
Size: 572kb, uploaded 1/4/2012 10:42:20 AM
Genre: Other / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
My father used to play the West Side Story album where I heard this long ago. I discovered I could play all of it out of closed chord positions and find it's quite fun.
2 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 884
Size: 1,030kb, uploaded 7/5/2011 10:35:12 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
This tune is probably Canadian. It used to be popular at fiddle contests. There's something poignant about it.
7 commentsPosted by JanetB, written by Frankie Rodgers
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- Play count: 860
Size: 1,879kb, uploaded 9/14/2016 10:15:30 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
When I first learned this piece, 3-finger style, I hadn't checked out the composer's original recording. In this recording I play Canadian composer Frankie Rodgers' Ookpik Owl and then add the first version I'd learned. An Ookpik owl is the same as a Snowy Owl and is a main character in stories and legends, as well as being a popular Canadian stuffed animal. There are Inuit stories about Ookpik, which I think would be fun to collect. As my grandson is currently studying owls, this is a good time to re-visit and share Ookpik Waltz. It was a popular fiddle contest tune for a while and my grandson just began violin lessons. Good connections are made with a banjo!
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 754
Size: 967kb, uploaded 7/27/2011 9:43:58 AM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
The Civil War song with an Elvis touch.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 77
Size: 2,553kb, uploaded 10/21/2023 12:19:52 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Another arrangement of Orvetta Waltz using open G tuning rather than double C. I jump octaves to stay true to the melody.
Add CommentPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1247
Size: 1,226kb, uploaded 1/4/2014 3:15:25 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the Tune of the Week, 1/3/14, based on Franklin George's addition of a third part which may have been learned from Oscar Wright. The original seems to have been learned by Henry Reed listening to a steam-powered calliope! This is the first tune I ever worked out when first learning clawhammer in the 70's, so it's good to re-visit and learn more about it now. I start it off here in waltz time, then speed it up to 4/4 time to get ready to go over the waterfall.
3 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 251
Size: 1,436kb, uploaded 2/13/2016 10:21:57 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For the old-time Tune of the Week, 2/12/16, this was recorded on Thanksgiving Day, 1951, by Nebraska fiddler Bob Walters. I learned it listening to Dwight Lamb, who was befriended and mentored by Mr. Walters after hearing him on the radio in the 1940's and driving from Iowa to seek him out. This is tune #80 in R.P. Christeson's Old-Time Fiddle Repertory, Vol. 1 collection.
4 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 862
Size: 945kb, uploaded 3/17/2014 6:10:18 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
For Tune of the Week, 3/14/14, from the fiddling of Lotus Dickey, played on a Gold Tone cello banjo tuned dADF#A. The tune was apparently first played on a fife and later by fiddlers. The history of an Oyster River Massacre in present-day Durham, New Hampshire goes back to the 1690's.
7 commentsPosted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1876
Size: 1,339kb, uploaded 6/12/2014 5:54:47 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Learned from Yigal Zan's video with David Margolin's fiddling, Yigal attributes this version to Fiddlin' Arthur Smith. I've wanted to learn this ever since hearing Bill Monroe's instrumental. The title makes me think of Irish immigrants working on the railroad, but I don't know if that's the case.
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