Rick "RG" Hocutt has been around the old-time scene quite a while.  In today's Tune of the Week he gives us some of his history, as well as connecting us to several other names we've at least heard of, as well as a still valuable newsletter that had a great hey day.  The source of his tune is a Missouri fiddler and the tune is named for a great river that flows through that state.  Have some fun hearing RG play on the TOTW, 2/14/25, Nile Wilson's Mississippi Snag.

Some obscure tunes have rich histories. Generous presenter Mtngoat offers us the story of a Kentucky town whose fortune rose and declined, but whose legacy lives on in an annual event you've all heard of -- the Kentucky Derby. See if you can sense the excitement in the TOTW, 2/21/25, Crab Orchard Quick Step.

It's always a treat when Noah Cline posts one.  It's often a West Virginia tune and sometimes from the repertoire of Israel Welch, a fiddler in his family background.  Here we might be learning one that dates back to the Civil War and its very title is intense.  So join in and listen to the outstanding links Noah provides and his own takes, including one with his homemade gourd banjo, on this week's tune, TOTW, 2/28/25, Hell on the Potomac

Jim from Virginia has given us an Illinois tune named for an African nation. The style is called "Midwestern" and the flavor tastes of ragtime. Come and enjoy this tune in the key of C, TOTW, 3/7/25 in Little Egypt.

A beautiful Irish tune written by Dubliner's fiddler John Sheahan, shared for Tune of the Week by Andy Taylor, invites us to contribute our own recordings.  Andy provides two of his own videos -- one to listen to and one to show us how he plays.  Tab is also provided. It's said to be an easy-to-play arrangement and that no one besides Andy has posted it on-line on banjo.  It sounds like a fun challenge this week, so let's go ahead and learn TOTW, 3/14/25, Christ Church Cathedral, named for an actual church in Dublin.

John D has offered an Irish jig that has a title sounding as if it's from the Old West.  It's a typically delightful one also found in the 1940's book Cole's 1,000 Fiddle Tunes.  John does a nice version with clawhammer and provides listening links.  One is a solo mandolin and plays the straight melody, good for us melodic players for learning.  John says that it's not reminding him of nostalgic Hollywood productions, but is a good listen and fun to play: TOTW, 3/21/25, The Cowboy Jig.

It's great to have Lyle Konigsberg once again posting his favorite old-time tunes.  The new Tune of the Week is a hornpipe and the examples shared are numerous, including some from Hangout members Donald Zepp, Victor Furtado and Noah Cline. Lyle also posted his own skillful rendition with himself on fiddle and banjo.  This is a tune some of us have heard, but never learned, so now is the time!  TOTW, 3/28/25, Staten Island Hornpipe.

Mark Gentry has offered us an old tune with a title most of us needed to look up.  It describes a river or stream morphological phenomena which is actually pretty to see in the photos.  The tune is pretty and active, too, and Mark provides one of his pleasing banjo videos, plus a tab and links to others' versions.  Kentucky tunes are amongst the best to learn, and Mark learned it from afar at a workshop in the United Kingdom!  TOTW, 4/4/25, Sand Riffle.

It looks like I forgot to announce my own tune last week.  It's one that appeared to me on Facebook as a "notification" because I follow Bruce Molsky. He posted a video of a tune medley played with the great fiddler Darol Anger.  The two of them had just put out a new CD called "Darol and Bruce: Lockdown Breakdown."  The tune and their performance entranced and delighted me and this TOTW is the result.  BTW, after I posted it last week and sent Bruce a link, he said that in a hundred years he never thought that the banjo could pull of this Scandanavian/Celtic tune.  That made my day!  TOTW, 4/11/25, Hjaltadans.

It's always a treat to get an old West Virginia tune, especially from the Hammons family.  Our presenter, Porter Branch, offers one from Burl Hammons named for an important river in the days of water travel.  The links Porter shares are from some of the living legends of the old-time fiddlers world, and tabs are there, too.  Enjoy the TOTW, 4/18/25, Three Forks of Cheat.

Adam Schweigert has chosen one of the prettiest Hammons family tune, which surprisingly hasn't yet been a Tune of the Week.  Listen for yourself and see if you don't agree.  TOTW, 4/25/25, Calloway.

A Kentucky tune comes our way for Tune of the Week, with a fiddle tune by J.W. Day, recorded in 1937 by the Lomaxes.  Mtngoat often presents tunes most of us haven't heard of, yet there are a large amount of links to recordings by known musicians.  In other words, why haven't we heard of them yet?! This week's tune is crooked and lively, though the alternative title is on the sadder side.  It sounds a bit challenging, but fun to learn, so let's give it a try -- TOTW, 5/2/25/ Sweet Susan.

Presenter David Brooks is rich in tunes and tabs and has elected to do a "rerun" on a Tune of the Week that was presented in 2012.  This is a good thing, encouraging us to re-discover good tunes, especially ones still making the circuit.  It's a tune popularized once by WV fiddler Melvin Wine and you can find many floating lyrics to liven up an already lively tune.  Plus, it features a little animal many of us are fond of.  Here we go with TOTW, 5/9/25, Possum's Tail is Bare.

When  Noah Cline posts a tune you know we're getting a thorough presentation of an authentic old-time piece of music.  He has chosen one from the late Christian Wig and Whitt Mead's CD series, Fiddling from the Frontier.  This last CD of four is from the collection of William Hamblen with tunes dating to the 1700 and 1800's.  The tune references a trade, but a similar melody has gone by other titles, such as Paddy on the Turnpike, Jenny on the Railroad and Peggin' Awl.  Another fine installment: TOTW, 5/16/25, The Jolly Blacksmith. 

Knowing my turn comes around every couple of months, I keep my eyes and ears open for a catchy or beautiful tune to learn.  When one comes along, there's the adventure of researching it, as well as choosing the best source to arrange a fiddle tune for clawhammer.  Today's tune is one of those beautiful waltzes you can imagine dancing to.  It comes from the Ozark Mountains where the fiddling tradition is rich.  Tune in to this TOTW, 5/23/25, Blackberry Waltz and see if you can see the couples dancing, maybe in a big barn with a nice wood floor.

Carl Baron has given us some personal musical history this week, plus a tune whose title we may have learned as a completely different melody.  This week's tune is in the key of A and has no hint of the minor or sawmill sound as in the other ones you may have heard from Henry Reed or Doc Watson.  With its source being West Virginian fiddler Melvin Wine, we can expect an upbeat cheerful dance tune.  For some of us, this will be the third melody associated with the title: TOTW, 5/30/25, Cold Frosty Morning.

Jan Olov Sundqvist pursues song history in great depth.  For this week's tune, Jan chose a song many of us associate with bluegrass, but he shows that it has an older history going back to the late 1800's.  Additionally, the famed old-time fiddler from North Carolina, Tommy Jarrell learned it in the first part of the 1900's, before bluegrass was created.  Grayson and Whitter recorded it in 1927.  Jan offers a tab with various styles to compare and has links to hear old-time well-known musicians.  Enjoy our TOTW, 6/6/26, Little Maggie.

A tune with a hunting connection is offered by Mtngoat, who admits childhood memories of such a hunt. The melody sounds a lot like Angeline the Baker, but some say may have preceded that popular Sephen Foster tune. It will be a fun little challenge to seek out and play, plus there are excellent examples from today's old-time greats to hear. TOTW, 6/13/25, Coon Dog

Bill Rodgers has come up with a very familiar tune, yet a banjo challenge with its 6/8 time signature.  It's associated with the  Civil War, but may have first been a Civil War drinking song and even something else much older across the sea.  There's on-line banjo presence for the song, but more would be nice.  Let's hear it for the heroic soldier who made it home -- TOTW, 6/20/25, When Johnny Comes Marching Home / Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye.

If you're a fan of Quebec tunes, here's a fun one presented by Mark Gentry which lends itself to a dance by virtue of its title.  Check out this week's discussion for a multitude of links and an exploration of other melodies with the very same name.  Mark offers his own banjo interpretation and tab, always well-received on the Hangout.  This is an example of how an old-time melody can travel and be enjoyed anywhere it goes -- TOTW, 6/27/25/Le Saut De Lapin'(Rabbit Hop).

Jim of Virginia is offering a tune from West Virginia "from the playing of Ellis Hall (1893-1977), a glassblower and fiddler from Morgantown, WV."  Jim heard James Bryan play and also says that bluegrass players have recorded it.  It's a three part tune, with a similar A and B part and originally was played in the key of A: TOTW, 7/4/25, My Little Home in West Virginia.

Andy Taylor once again delivers a gemstone presentation -- an 1800's hymn played and sung by well-known musicians in our old-time music world.  Andy offers two tabs, a video and an instructional video, and several listening links.  Our tender feelings for the theme expressed in the lyrics, plus the soothing yet dramatic melody, make this week's Tune of the Week extra special. Tune in: TOTW, 7/11/25, The Old Churchyard.

Lyle Konigsberg, a resident of Illinois, offers this week enough information and tunes to make this the Tunes of the Month!  Lyle chose to present two tunes from the only female fiddler included in the huge compilation of songs and tunes called Dear Old Illinois.  Her name is Stelle (or Stella) Elam and her family history is thoroughly researched in the discussion.  In addition there is more information presented about a past TOTW.  So join us in hearing and learning several tunes associated with DOI beginning with these two: TOTWs, 7/19/25, Grotts and Elam's Jaybird.

Thanks to Adam Schweigert we have a tune named for a state and an animal. While he's gone off to enjoy the Clifftop old-time music festival, we can hear and learn on the Hangout an old time Ozarks tune. From the 1928 Ozarks Mountains family string band recording, meet the Reaves White County Ramblers.  TOTW, 7/25/25, Arkansas Pullet.

Birthday boy Bill Rogers has us exploring that traditional song you hear at everyone's birthday before blowing out the candles.  This should be very interesting.  There are nice bluegrass versions on-line, but clawhammer arrangements are awaiting.  There's also history of this most popular birthday song that go deeper than you may think, with Mozart being sited in the mix.  Wish our faithful BHO moderator Bill a happy day here: TOTW, 8/1/25, Happy Birthday.