Banjo Hangout Top 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

TOTW 03/11/23: Waltz written by James Scott Skinner, also known as "The Rose Of Sharon Waltz" and "Rosebud Of Avonmore"

This traditional Cajun waltz sings of the sad loss of a loved one. I like its melody and found it easy to play on clawhammer banjo.

Clawhammer banjo in aEAc#e

Elizabeth Cotten learned this tune in 1910 from a man aged about 50. She added the words.

Two finger thumb lead. Banjo tuned fDGCD.

Clawhammer style, gDGCD (relative). 1964 Gibson RB-175.

Trad reel in G played CH style.

A fun song to play and sing, Forty Weight of Gingerbread uses some floating lyrics you can cater to your own tastes. It sounds like someone has a sweet tooth!

Rose Conley, 2 finger thumb lead, based on Grayson & Whittier's 1927 version, tuned a half step or so low out of standard "G"

Based on Doc Watson's banjo playing, he learned this as a child from his uncle Jake Miller and said it was a courting song. It was a pleasure to look at the video, hear his banjo and vocals, and learn his solo, as well as see him performing with his son Merle. The video is an entire live performance if you're interested. Nice TOTW choice by Neill Connor!

TOTW for 2/5/2021. Played CH in G tuning on a Wildwood.

I'm uploading this Marcus Martin tune as my contribution to the 1/29/21 old time Tune of the Week. The fiddler is my good friend John Maguire. We recorded it exactly one year ago, today.

Based on Ola Belle Reed's version for which you can read a lot of background on the Tune of the Week for 1/8/21. I used to think it was a bluegrass song, but it was old-time first.

Such a compelling old time tune handed down to us from the great Hobart Smith. I prefer to play it at this slow groove tempo.

Upload for the Old Time TOTW for December 4, 2020. The tune is generally called Too Young to Marry, but the fiddler I learned it from called it Buffalo Nickel.

Dock Boggs' Country Blues/Hustling Gambler in f#CGAD tuned a half step or so low...

A fine Tune of the Week from North Carolina with a crooked part that suits the title Green River.

A wonderful champion fiddler, Tatiana Hargreaves, plays the Tune of the Week and bases it upon the older fiddler Emma Lee Dickerson. In an interview Tatiana claims that's her doppelg?nger, a new word for me. They look alike in photos. The tune is very familiar to me, but Emma Lee's is unique, so I also include the more traditional one in this recording.

This is the one of the versions for the old-time Tune of the Week, differing from the famous Uncle Dave Macon song. My arrangement comes from Erich Schroeder (BHO's vrteach). I wish he was still active here and I really enjoyed learning a tune from his recording. The title, as we learn in the discussion thread, is probably not the real one. But if it were to be, I'm reminded of Old Sacramento where you walk on the historic old plank road as you visit the shops and museums and go on the old Delta King steamboat on the Sacramento River. At least, I nostalgically hope we can still do that....

Finger picked on a newly crafted 11"walnut and pecan open back banjo in open D tuning d a f# d f#.

Passed down through generations, northern Georgia banjo player Chesley Chancey (1913 - 1980) passed the tune Mulberry Gap from his grandfather on to Stephen Wade in 1979 while Art Rosenbaum recorded it at Chesley's home. He played it in the 2-finger style. I play it in the clawhammer style.

Roscoe's version of the old ballad in f#ADAD

CH banjo and guitar | Josh Turknett version

This version of Wolf Creek is from Harvey "Pappy" Taylor (b.1894), recorded in 1974. Slowed down from the original, it makes a pretty piece in fDGCD tuning. DOI stands for Dear Old Illinois, a compilation of songs and fiddle tunes by Garry and Steve Harrison and Jo Burgess. Wolf Creek is the old-time Tune of the Week for 3/13/20.

Paul Perkins on the 5 string and me on the fiddle. Recorded in my kitchen on a Tascam DR-05

2 finger picking my Pisgah longneck tubaphone. Double c tuning (3 steps down because it's a longneck)

Old Tom of Oxford (totw 1/10/2020). Double C tuning - CH on Wildwood banjo.

My friends Kent McDaniel and Tawl Paul Fredrick made a CD of Paul singing mostly blues with rock band backup. They asked me to provide some banjo licks for this Muddy Waters song. The CD is available on bandcamp with Tawl Paul after the slash.

A tune I learned while playing banjo to Melvin Wine's fiddling. aDAde

Tunaday #100 - In G Modal-f (fDGCD).

Tunaday #107 - In G Modal-f (fDGCD).

Inspired by RG for this week's TOTW and listening to Roscoe Holcomb, Bruce Molsky, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, here's a version of the ballad Hills of Mexico.

Hills of Mexico - mix of Rosko Halcomb and Bye Hutchins lyrics, banjo tuned eC#F#BC# (fDGCD tuned down a step)

played on new walnut and maple 11" open back in double C tuning

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 5/4/19, Lonesome Road Blues is also known as Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad. Check out the discussion thread for a very thorough coverage of this well-known song. I just sing a couple of verses here, out of many, many.

From a late night session at Rich Hartness's house in Greensboro, North Carolina in August of 2002. Rich Hartness, fiddle; Tolly Tollefson, guitar, Brendan Doyle, banjo. Complete with Rich hollering square dance calls, inspired by Asa Martin on the 1932 recording of Charlie Wilson and His Hayloft Boys.

Tunaday #28 - In Sawmill tuning - (gDGCD).

Tunaday #163 - G/D tuning (gDGAD)

For TOTW, 1/18/2019. CH. Double C tuning. Wildwood.