Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

Tommy Jarrell's version of Little Maggie

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 12/29/17, this originally was recorded in 1949 by John Sharp, a Kentucky native living in Tennessee. It has resemblance to both Polly Wolly Doodle and a bit of Old Joe Clark. My arrangement comes from the Canote Brothers.

A little tune I composed a few days ago while working on my clawhammer style. Added a bit of guitar to fill in and that is about it. Nothing fancy here.

Here is a little tune I composed a couple of days ago while working on my clawhammer style picking. Nothing fancy but has a catching melody. I added a little guitar to it fill in and that was it.

Probably the best name for a song ever.

A-Scale sound sample

From the Bottomlanders via Garry Harrison, who comments 'This one comes from a couple of fellas down in Old Shawnee Town, down on the Ohio River side of Illinois, way down at the south tip (Gallitan Co.) They played the fiddle and banjo, Vince Uselton played the banjo and Ed Bradley played the fiddle and they called themselves The Bottomlanders and once again they didn?t have any name for it so we called it the Gallitan Special'.

I've been posting tunes for the last few holiday seasons so here I go again. Wishing all the best to my BHO friends for the season and the new year. In Double C.

I recorded it as I was bored, one leg in the plaster, after a motobike crash. I play a Slingerland banjo, a Takamine Guitar and a three string russian mandoline called Dumra. Thank you for your indulgence

Love this song. Here's my attempt at playing it on a Deering Americana Goodtime

As played on fiddle by banjo Bluegrass Boy Tony Ellis. Retiring from Bill Monroe's band in 1962, Tony now enjoys most fiddling with fiddles in his shop in his Ohio home. When I contacted him about his favorite tunes and what to learn, he didn't recommend this traditional Irish tune, Fox Chase Reel. Here it is anyway, and next will come more of his recommended original tunes.

Chinkapin Hunting. Based on Mary Z Cox's tab.

A second rendition of this tune played on the same, fretless Frog Banjo as version 1, but here the wooden brace has been removed and a new skin has been mounted. The new skin is thicker, and has been treated with Titebond lll waterproof glue. I play through the tune once using up-picking, and again using frailing. Listen to version 1 and compare.

Fretless Frog Banjo, tackhead with "gourd" made from recycled paper and glue. This version has a thin wood brace underneath the skin at the bridge. See also version 2 with the brace removed. I play through the piece once using up-picking, then switch to frailing for 2nd time through.

From the fiddling of Kentuckian Clyde Davenport -- one never can get tired of his style or tunes. This one has those little unexpected twists in meter and melody that delight us. I'm in good company with Joe Newberry and Don Borchelt who both uploaded this tune on BHO years ago. Jeff Titon claims it's related to an Irish tune called The Mullingar Races and that other tunes with different melody have been recorded with this title.