Banjo Hangout Top 100 Old Time Songs

For the Tune of the Week, Nov. 15, 2013, based on Melvin Wine's version. Melvin played it in A. I arranged this one in open G tuning.

For the Tune of the Week, Nov. 15, 2013, based on Melvin Wine's version. Melvin played it in A. I arranged this one in open G tuning.

This banjo/fiddle duet is an assignment from Adam Hurt for me to play along with his fiddle. His arrangement was challenging, so I've been attempting to master it better as in this recording. I recommend lessons with him. The Skype technology works well and he caters the lessons to my interests and needs. Currently he's helping me learn about Emmett Lundy's fiddled tunes, like Highlanders Farewell, and has shown me his clawhammer arrangements.

From the cd ~HOT~ Biscuit Jam - with Jack Pearson, Shad Cobb & Elizabeth Pearson

I first learned this tune in 1970, from a Voyager LP recording of fiddler Dick Barrett, playing at the Weiser Idaho fiddle contest. It was one of the first tunes I worked out in melodic style. This tape was made in 1975, with my friend Steve Harris on guitar. I am playing in standard C tuning. This is uploaded for the TOTW for 11/9/2013.

I first learned this tune in 1970, from a Voyager LP recording of fiddler Dick Barrett, playing at the Weiser Idaho fiddle contest. It was one of the first tunes I worked out in melodic style. This tape was made in 1975, with my friend Steve Harris on guitar. I am playing in standard C tuning. This is uploaded for the TOTW for 11/9/2013.

Played on an old Lange-Made 5-string that I used to keep as a travel banjo.

Played on an old Lange-Made 5-string that I used to keep as a travel banjo.

A classic old-time tune that I approach more like a bluegrass piece (breaks, chordal backup, etc). I added a harmony part for clawhammer banjo at the end of the piece. This was a test piece I threw together to try out a new piece of equipment, a Zoom R16...

For the TOTW 11/1/13, Eric named his tune after his grandmother and called it Hell and Grace. I can understand how grandmothers could gently let their grandchild know the difference.

For the TOTW 11/1/13, Eric named his tune after his grandmother and called it Hell and Grace. I can understand how grandmothers could gently let their grandchild know the difference.

I just learned this tune a few months ago from Boston area old time musicians Linda Henry and Jerry Dallal. It comes originally from Samuel P. Bayard's 1994 collection, Hill Country Tunes, Instrumental Folk Music from Southwestern Pennsylvania. I am three-finger picking in open D tuning (aDF#AD).

I wanted to learn a Franklin George tune after seeing and playing with him at the Berkeley Old-Time Music festival and happened to pick this tune after listening to it as I commuted. It turns out to be a tune he learned from a book and I believe that book to be Samuel Bayard's Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife, song #317. It's a song with a long history, some of it dramatically political. I listened to Cathy Fink's version, too, to come up with this one.

I learned this from a CD recommended on BHO to hear Samuel Bayard tunes called "Up in the Batten House" by Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers. It's turned out to be a great resource.

I learned this from a CD recommended on BHO to hear Samuel Bayard tunes called "Up in the Batten House" by Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers. It's turned out to be a great resource.