Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

I originally learned this from Wade Ward's version on County 701 "Clawhammer Banjo," incorrectly by pulling off notes on the 2nd string. Eventually I learned how to play it like Wade, but I returned to playing it the way I first played it, because the pull-offs seemed to fit well with my two-finger style

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 6/10/16 this is a combination of Ralph Stanley and Rufus Crisp. Ralph says it was the first tune his mother ever taught him. Rufus turns out to be the first person to ever teach Pete Seeger frailing (see page 10 of How to Play the 5-String Banjo by Pete Seeger).

Two-Finger Banjo picking with Thumb and Index Lead. The Melody is the same as "Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane"

My CH take on Byss-Kalle’s Slängpolska for TOTW

Another Reiter Fretless tune, this time will fiddle accompanyment by Eric Prust and Bill Dwyer

Tennessee fiddler Charlie Acuff played this one and told the story of the 1886 campaign for governor between two fiddling brothers of different political parties. Bob Taylor won and this was one of the tunes linked to that famous campaign. Charlie said the tune was first called "Old Squeaking Fiddle." It's waltz time, not march, but it all seems to fit in with an unusual story, and very appropriate on this election day.

A snippet played on my Bart Reiter Standard Fretless with Chris Sands nylon strings

Played on my Bart Reiter Standard Fretless with Chris Sands nylon strings

From the 1930's recording of the Mississippi Possum Hunters for the old-time Tune of the Week. I'm partial to possum tunes, and anything Bigfoot plays....

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 5/27/16, this dance tune comes from Sweden in the early 1800's. The composer was well-known for playing the nyckelharpa, which slightly resembles a violin, but is more complex in structure. (Check out the TOTW to learn more.) The structure of the tune itself is foreign to my ears, but sounds typical of other European tunes I've heard. They're not "square," as so many of our fiddle tunes, thought the AABB parts are repeated in a similar way. The tune is fun to play and fits in well with clawhammer, thanks to the arrangement that helped me learn it by Jan-Olov Sundqvist, a Swedish BHO member who posted this week for TOTW.

CH take on a Trad Scottish reel. This is a recording of my current favorite morning clawhammer trance tune and it goes on and on, mistakes and all, for about six minutes. I probably don't play it like they did back in 1784. Double C tuning. Wildwood.

some more clawhammer metal

This Tune of the Week, 5/19/20, is from the fiddling of West Virginian's Scott Prouty via Harvey Sampson's earlier recording with the Big Possum String Band. My playing's probably not too sour and it's actually a rather pretty tune if played slowly. It has a tense driving rhythm which I think comes from its syncopation.

This cheerful tune comes from West Virginian Wilson Douglas, though I learned it from Bobby Taylor. I found it examining the very first old-time Tune of the Week dated 7/26/08 and suggested by Erich (vrteach) who never guessed that the TOTW list has way over four hundred tunes now. Fair Morning Hornpipe was offered as a related tune to the original topic, Nancy, and even favored by Erich. It's cheerful and fits the morning today!

As played by Rhys Jones, this tune is sourced to Kentucky fiddler George Lee Hawkins. Rhys is able to play intricate melodies on fiddle. Playing them on clawhammer banjo is a good challenge!