I’ve chosen Bound to Have a Little Fun from Kentucky fiddler Robert Gustavus “Gusty” Wallace (1890-1984) for this installment of TOTW. Wallace said it was one of the first tunes he learned when he took up the fiddle at age seven. He progressed rapidly and was playing local dances by the time he was twelve and went on to play professionally with touring bands and on the radio for a spell. He died in a residential house fire at age 93.
Bruce Greene’s Fiddler Magazine biography of Wallace can be found here in the center of the page under Story Highlight: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KW8B-C8Z/robert-gustavus-wallace-1890-1984
The tune is well represented online and I’ve included links to some of my favorites below.
Wallace plays the tune here: https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/bound-have-little-fun
Here’s a twin fiddle version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szYeC6F7HWU
Here’s fiddle with guitar accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vDZ_nGsH5s
Here’s a string band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT4b0fm45yk
Cliff Top Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adk1ftL6rmI
Here’s a play along recording: http://www.stringband.mossyroof.com/BoundToHaveALittleFun.mp3
I learned this one at a jam in Kentucky many years ago. The tune is pretty straight forward once you realize the second part has twelve measures instead of eight.
Ken Torke has a banjo tab here: http://www.taterjoes.com/Warehouse/Banjo/G_BoundToHaveALittleFun.pdf
And a transcription is here: http://www.taterjoes.com/Warehouse/Fiddle/G_BoundToHaveALittleFunFiddle.pdf
Readers are encouraged to post observations, opinions, performances, and tabs contributing to this thread.
Edited by - Mtngoat on 09/26/2025 03:39:00
Great tune! I've been meaning to learn it for quite a while. Thanks for posting!
That's a really good one, thanks for sharing. I love the great rhythmic fiddle.
Great tune!
This is a fun tune, as in the title. Thanks for the 12-measure B part hint. Upon listening to the Gusty Wallace recording, I heard a certain chordal flavor, used in this arrangement. It's not in all of the available recordings, but in a few, if you listen enough on youtube, where there are many, many. I like that Mr. Wallace learned it as a 7-year old and that at 93 he was still alive -- the old-time musicians often had longevity.
Pat, Andy, RG, and Janet, thanks for your input. I was introduced to the tune back in the late 80s but it seems to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence today as I have heard it in several jams in the last year or so.
A great choice for Tune of the Week, old Goat, you have excellent taste! Janet, your picking is spot on, as always, beautiful playing. I just learned this tune last week, turned onto it by my friend and jam pal, fiddler John Reddick. Here we are playing it in my living room about an hour ago.
I have a tab of my picking posted on my website, which you can find here: https://www.banjr.com/tablatures.htm#tabBTHALF
- Don B.
Edited by - Don Borchelt on 09/30/2025 10:05:16
Don, thanks for the performance and tab. I'm always happy to hear different styles and interpretations. A lot of good music is made by friends on a porch or in the living room or kitchen.
