For the current Tune of the Week, I thought I'd give yet another tuning a try, and this one seems to be able to hit the notes without jumping around octaves and doing finger gymnastics (it's at least doable, anyway, not necessarily easy).Af JanetB

Polly Put the Kettle On isn't usually in a modal key, but this week's Tune of the Week appears to be in Gm. If I knew more, I could confirm the scale is G aeolian. To play it the most easily I used cello banjo and brought the notes down four steps, so that's even more complex. I suppose this is all a good cognitive exercise to keep my brain a bit s…

A fairly modern (1980) Shetland Islands tune for TOTW. The composer lived at a ranch with this name and it turns out that a few players actually do know it. Our presenter, Andy Taylor, often gives us an exotic tune, but always a delightful one.Af Ian Burns

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A tune of the week to challenge us! Blackberry Blossom is certainly a favorite. Garfield's Blackberry Blossom is related, but another challenge. After having had a lesson on Ed Haley's version from Adam Hurt several years ago, here's my attempt to arrange one myself.Af JanetB

Af gentrixuk

Af gentrixuk

Af gentrixuk

A clawhammer arrangement of Ralph Stanley's classic 3-finger style, played in modal sawmill tuning.Af JanetB

Chords are added to an older recording in the first time through for John Riley the Shepherd,Af JanetB

From the fiddling of West Virginia Melvin Wine, Eadle Alley remains a mystery as far as a real place. Playing his tunes is always an experience with a squared off, traditional fiddle tune that make good square and contra dance music.Af JanetB

Hornpipe with an Irish origin.Af jef

As played by West Virginia fiddler, Israel Welch, related to Noah Cline, who gives a fine history of the tune Price Bane Waltz on the Tune of the Week for 8/29/24. It's a pretty little waltz and was easier to play than I anticipated.Af JanetB

Named after my third-great uncle, as learned from Uncle Tom Thrush via Tom and Israel Welch.Af Noah Cline

Here's a tune from West Virginia with interesting timing. It has a bridge and also ends a half measure early if you repeat it, so you jump right into the water, rather the A part.Af JanetB

Key of D and played on a newly constructed open back 5 stringAf hudie

From the playing of Bruce Greene via Kentucky fiddler Gusty Wallace. The measure count is very unusual, but it's a neat tune. Bruce Greene has found good crooked tunes, many probably from Kentucky. Check out his Five Miles from Ellum Wood CD.Af JanetB

Tune of the Week explores Lost Girl. I've focussed on the Kentucky fiddler John Salyer version, but didn't include the Walter McNew version in the thread yet. In this mp3 you first hear McNew's version, then Salyer's as learned from Adam Hurt's piano playing.Af JanetB

Played according to the tab in John Burke's Book of Old Time Fiddle Tunes for Banjo.On YouTube the fiddlers play it on a much faster pace than I do.Af Kyle Creed

An Irish "traditional slide", meaning it's kind of like a jig, but it's not. I'm always learning something on the Tune of the Week. :)Af JanetB

Quick recording with my Zoom H2n handy recorder. I'm at home with a bad flu, so I'm a little congested. Recorded with my Gold Tone WL-250 in Sawmill tuning (gDGCD).Af stanley_

Quick recording with my Zoom H2n handy recorder. I'm at home with a bad flu, so I'm a little congested. Recorded with my Gold Tone WL-250 in Sawmill tuning (gDGCD).Af stanley_

This arrangement was very heavily inspired by Simon Robinson's version of this song. Recorded with my Zoom H2n field mic at my workplace courtyard (so I had to be relatively quiet) next to a fountain. Tuned down from G-Standard (relative) on my Recording King RKO-3S customized with nylon strings, fiberskyn head, and stuffed with two cotton shirts.…

Using my modified Recording King RKO-3S (with fiberskyn head and nylon strings) tuned relative to G-standard, probably about 3 half-steps down.Af stanley_

Chris Coole made this one as an exercise on "rolls".Af Chris Coole

As played by Kentucky fiddler John Salyer, it's good to have yet another one of his unique tunes. The A part is rather plain, but the B part has character. If Sallie Cooper was that kind of person, I think I would have liked her.Af JanetB

The lyrics are based on Doc Watson's recording. Recorded on my Gold Tone AC-12a tuned a whole step up from Sawmill (aEADE). Recorded in one take with one microphone. This arrangement is not based heavily on any existing tab.Af stanley_

Saturday, October 21,2023Last Sunday, as I was preparing to sing with the youth at Gwynedd Friends Meeting, I asked the teacher what the lesson was for today. He told me that they were going to learn about Indigenous People's Day. I looked through the list of songs that I'd been singing with them, for the past 30 years or so and thought, that of al…

Described as a fife and drum march during the Revolutionary War and given other similar titles, Murillo's Lesson has evolved over the years. This clawhammer arrangement uses the musical annotation posted on the Traditional Tue Archive.Af JanetB

This is Lynchburg Town, loosely based on an arrangement in Wayne Erbsen's "Clawhammer Ignoramus" book. Recorded with a Gold Tone AC-12a tuned to aDADE.Af stanley_

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An Ohio tune to enjoyAf JanetB

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From the fiddling of Alabama fiddler James Bryan in 1983, he learned from Mack Blalock, a Georgia fiddler, and the tune is older yet. I tuned to an open C tuning, something only done occasionally, so it changed the fingering from the better-known ways.Af JanetB

A tune I wrote and decided should be named after my wife, as a reward for putting up with my banjo playing!Af gentrixuk

Arranged from the O'Neill's Music of Ireland source. My son is a farrier and does blacksmithing ALL the time. Sometimes he's merry!Af JanetB

Lucy Farr (1911-2003) was Irish, but lived in England. She played the tune in the key of D, but here in jam sessions it's being played in the key of G. Lucy recorded an album at the age of 80!Af JanetB

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Reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.Af dbrooks

Thanks to Brendan Doyle for uploading the source recording for this week's Tune of the Week, Grey-Haired Dancin' Gal. I gave the tune another try. This version has a more Cajun swing flavor than the one I learned from, and Brendan shared with us the composer's background, so I thought it was worth another try. It's played slowly here and wants to b…

Learned from the fiddling of Mark Tamsula, a fiddler I respect a lot. Grey Haired Dancing Girl, however, is not one Mark learned from the collections of Pennsylvania's Samuel Bayard. The original source of the tune is still a mystery, but a 1990's jam in Maryland was Mark's source.Af JanetB

The source recording is from a 1930 recording of Seven Foot Dilly and His Dill Pickles. I learned from a modern recording of the Old Yeller Dog Band because I liked how the fiddle filled in the held notes.Af JanetB

Here's a Henry Reed version of Red Fox, recorded in the enormous collection of this West Virginia fiddler by the great Alan Jabbour. I went to gCGCE tuning for ease of playing down the neck.Af JanetB

My friend Doug's versiongDGbdAf passed via Henry Reed

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This version of Portsmouth Airs is based on Buddy Thomas' fiddling. He'd visit Jimmy Wheeler, leaving Kentucky to go to the neighboring town of Portsmouth in Ohio.Af Jimmy Wheeler

A Tune of the Week written in the late 1800's, considered a ragtime or tin pan alley tune. It's a tough one to play, especially having just learned it today, but it was also an unusual tune to figure out.Af Kerry Mills

What I worked out in gEADE tuning for playing clawhammer with piano at a contra dance. (it's for a dancing, so it's fairly long)From a couple of years ago, first dance from long break of Covid. Was a bit rough.Af banjoak