For this tune of the week, I’m again picking another selection from the repertoire of Israel Welch (1912-2003), Pay Me Up Eleven Pence. This is a simple yet catchy D tune. I hear a slight similarity of the A part to the B of Can You Dance a Tobacco Hill/Old Tobacco Hills, though I don’t believe they’re related.
The only recordings I’m aware of, and from where I learned it, is this interview by Gerry Milnes from 1997 (starts at about 7:08 — Israel mentioned this tune coming from Sperry’s Run in Rio, Hampshire County, WV, from a Westfall Buckley, who married his aunt. He also mentions an uncle that whistled the tune as well for him and his brothers to learn it, likely his uncle Judson Welch, having mentioned in the Goldenseal article that he was a “great whistler”.): https://augustaartsandculture.org/document/israel-welch-fiddle-tunes-and-talk-10-2-1997/
And the other by Joe Herrmann from 1996 (starts at about 28:00 — In this interview, Israel says he thought it came from someone in Inkerman, WV, which is west of and not too far from Rio.): https://augustaartsandculture.org/document/israel-welch-interview-and-tunes-2-of-2-6-19-6-27-8-1-1996/
My take on fiddle and banjo. I ended up coming up with a high strain of both A and B parts for variety. On the low strain of the B part, I walk down the bass string to the D note, as opposed to the fiddle coming up to the D (though after recording the banjo part following the fiddle, the fiddler could’ve played it a hair slower…): https://youtu.be/hOqQXZCEnWE?si=oruUwEKJrqzwLxLq
Please feel free to share your take, or if you might know of any other existing recordings of this tune.
Nice tune, thanks, Noah. I think I could play it right away on either instrument.
Interesting fiddle that you have there...
I wrote the tune out in standard notation, and it includes a QR code that points to Noah's fine writeup on this tune.
"From Andrew Alexis" at the bottom I include because certain people I play with forget who suggested tunes that I have provided from week to week..in part because these people don't memorize these tunes. Memorize, folks, and put the sheet music away.
Musescore 3 file available upon request from me.
Edited by - ndlxs on 04/25/2026 05:36:05
Your dueting reminds me of Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman -- very skillfully done. That little fiddle of yours contrasts with my fat-headed cello banjo, which is what is heard in this mp3. You get a loud, clear sound on the fiddle, don't you. That's what William Sydney Mount was going for.
This tune went easier for me in the equivalence to open G tuning, tuned down five steps.
quote:
Originally posted by JanetBYour dueting reminds me of Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman -- very skillfully done. That little fiddle of yours contrasts with my fat-headed cello banjo, which is what is heard in this mp3. You get a loud, clear sound on the fiddle, don't you. That's what William Sydney Mount was going for.
This tune went easier for me in the equivalence to open G tuning, tuned down five steps.
Sounds great, Janet! Reminds me of the time I took my gourd banjo along to a jam session, playing D tunes I would've normally played in double D but transposing them into open D much like you have your cello tuned. Some worked better than others depending on the parts whether they went high or not. The fiddle is fairly loud, even with the smaller body. Have considered trying gut strings on it for the full effect of fiddles in Mount's day, but the perlon composites I have on it are nice sounding on their own.
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