That's My Rabbit, My Dog Caught It (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 134

Size: 1,264kb, uploaded 4/18/2022 10:21:48 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From the Walter family's 1930's recording and in the Milliner Koken book. This is a dance tune whose title can be literally sung in the B part.

The Blackest Crow

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 1240

Size: 1,043kb, uploaded 3/6/2012 5:55:07 AM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This old English ballad is powerfully emotional in melody and lyrics.

The Blue Goose

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 956

Size: 1,100kb, uploaded 11/17/2015 8:53:43 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Played by Kentucky legendary fiddler Buddy Thomas. Every time I learn one of his tunes I feel like I'm doing extra credit homework for a master's thesis. They're always challenging -- he was a heckuva a fiddler!

The California Stage Company

Posted by JanetB, written by John A. Stone

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- Play count: 191

Size: 1,110kb, uploaded 7/15/2011 8:55:14 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This song was a parody of the stage coaches of the Gold Rush era written in 1858.

The Cat Came Back

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 294

Size: 2,358kb, uploaded 4/8/2013 4:45:56 PM
Genre: Other / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

The Cat Came Back is the Tune of the Week for April 5th, 2013. This one doesn't sound like the TOTW, though I've now learned that this folksong from my childhood does have older roots. The closest one I've heard seems to be Fiddlin' John Carson's recording in the 20's. My first graders here sing it for the first time.

The Devil Eat the Groundhog

Posted by JanetB, written by Doc Chapman

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- Play count: 1713

Size: 1,184kb, uploaded 7/19/2013 6:44:17 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

For the Tune of the Week, July 19, 2013. Owen Snake Chapman learned this from his father. The title refers to an angry hunter after his dog ate the prepared meat.

The Eagle's Whistle/Bonaparte's Retreat march medley

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 315

Size: 811kb, uploaded 9/22/2014 6:23:05 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Researching more about the current old-time TOTW, 9/19/14, I looked for the Irish march tune linked to Bonaparte's Retreat through the research of Samuel Bayard. In a Fiddle Hangout link I found the notation by Patrick Weston Joyce in his 1909 book Old Irish Folk Music and Songs. The first part I'm playing comes from Joyce. The second part is my own interpretation of how Bonaparte's Retreat may have evolved from such a march. The Eagle's Whistle was said to be the marching song of the O'Donovan clan of Ireland.

The Fairy Queen

Posted by JanetB, written by Turlough O'Carolan

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- Play count: 890

Size: 1,448kb, uploaded 4/11/2015 9:55:25 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This tune of O'Carolan's has a classical, ethereal sound. I dedicate it to Laurence Diehl, friend of O'Carolan's music and inspiring to all us little folk.

The Fiddler or a Dram (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 215

Size: 1,304kb, uploaded 9/29/2017 11:50:13 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From the playing of Virginian fiddler C.B. Wohlford in 1938, this old-time Tune of the Week was recently recorded by Bruce Molsky, a favorite fiddler and banjo player of mine. My arrangement is based on the older source recording.

The Hog Went Through the Fence, Yoke and All

Posted by JanetB, written by Luther Strong

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- Play count: 173

Size: 456kb, uploaded 6/20/2012 11:46:54 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This Tune of the Week is a bit hard in deciding what to do with that one note, so I choked it. Imagine losing a hog in the wild and trying to get him back to the pen. I guess a couple of good hound dogs could do the job.

The Last of Callahan (TOTW 5/1/14)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 409

Size: 961kb, uploaded 5/3/2014 5:38:18 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From R.D. Lunceford's tab in Banjo Newsletter, Nov. '99;. I played it faster than this and than remembered that R.D. said it was pretty and melancholy, but not sad. Slowing it down seemed like the right thing.

The Mountain Road (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB, written by Michael Gorman

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- Play count: 165

Size: 2,281kb, uploaded 9/22/2023 2:31:52 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

In topics:
TOTW 9/22/2023 The Mountain Road

Written in 1922, this upbeat tune had six parts notated for fiddle and I play three here.

The Night That Paddy Murphy Died (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 217

Size: 801kb, uploaded 3/14/2015 4:55:24 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This week's Tune of the Week was in honor of St. Patrick's Day. It's actually a drinking song about a man who was disliked and the town celebrates upon his death. You've got to hear the lyrics to appreciate it, so tune in to: http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/300790

The Old Blue Bonnet

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 205

Size: 831kb, uploaded 7/29/2014 5:28:54 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From the fiddling of Bruce Greene who learned it from Uncle George Nicholson (born in Laurel Co., KY in 1854). This tune reminds me of another I've heard before. For some reason the tune gives me a deep sense of deja vu when Bruce plays it. It's on his solo fiddle CD Five Miles of Ellum Wood.

The Riddle Song (2-finger, TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 126

Size: 921kb, uploaded 10/29/2017 9:50:57 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

One more try for the old-time Tune of the Week, 10/27/17. This time it's in the 2-finger style -- a very simple, play-the-words version.

The Riddle Song (TOTW)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 151

Size: 1,172kb, uploaded 10/27/2017 11:25:54 AM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This traditional song is one dear to my heart, the old-time Tune of the Week for 10/27/17, also called I Gave My Love a Cherry. Since the poster, Cyndy, did such a beautiful job in open G tuning I thought to look for another tuning to try and found bDGAD. It's listed as "A Tony Trischka D/G tuning" in the Anita Kermode list of tunings I like referring to. Funny, but my 5th string didn't like being tuned down that low. It get tuning itself back up! I think it gives the song an old-time mountain feeling, which is good, since it was an old English song brought to Appalachia by settlers.

The Rights of Man (CH)

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 139

Size: 1,663kb, uploaded 3/16/2016 6:02:30 PM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

An emotionally charge title with a melody to match.

The Route

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 694

Size: 1,113kb, uploaded 8/24/2016 4:18:51 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

This old tune was in the well-known fiddle tune book Knauff's Virginia Reels, published in 1839. I've heard good "source recordings" from Burl Hammons and Henry Reed. My arrangement is from listening to Alan Jabbour with Tommy Thompson on banjo on The Hollow Rock String Band CD, recently re-released as a 2-CD set called The Hollow Rock Legacy. The Route is one of those tunes that has a familiar feeling, even the first time you hear it.

The Rusty Gun

Posted by JanetB

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- Play count: 589

Size: 815kb, uploaded 10/12/2013 4:32:01 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Learned from the banjo playing of John Herrmann accompanying Art Stamper's fiddle. For the Tune of the Week, Oct. 11 2013.

The Scale (or Dance with Me, Kenny)

Posted by JanetB, written by Kenny Baker

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- Play count: 197

Size: 2,581kb, uploaded 6/20/2017 6:09:11 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

It's always a challenge to arrange a Kenny Baker tune for clawhammer banjo, but his music is so good that it's fun to try. The cello banjo chimes in a bit, too.