Banjo Hangout Top 100 Old Time Songs

This is a tune from western Pennsylvania fiddler Sarah Armstrong, as transcribed by musicologist Samuel Bayard in his Hill Country Tunes collection, published in 1944. This recording comes from the Clifftop jam I had this past August with Don Couchie and Tim Rowell. Don is playing the fiddle, Tim is doing that neat low, growley clawhammer picking, and I am doing the three-finger picking on my semi-fretless Tubaphone in open D tuning.

Playing it kind of fast, but it's fun.

Playing it kind of fast, but it's fun.

West Virginian fiddler Melvin Wine learned this from his father and never heard it played elsewhere.

West Virginian fiddler Melvin Wine learned this from his father and never heard it played elsewhere.

Melvin Wine, the great West Virginia fiddled learned this from his father and it goes back to one of his great-grandfather Smithy's favorite tunes. This is for TOTW.

I first learned this clawhammer, then recorded it 3-finger picking, now am re-learning it for clawhammer. It's tuned to double C.

Goldtone wl-250~ played in F

I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away

I really liked how Don Courchie fiddled this with Don Borchelt's banjo at their Clifftop jams, so I've learned it listening to their playing. Don's fiddle certainly had embellishments to challenge me.

I really liked how Don Courchie fiddled this with Don Borchelt's banjo at their Clifftop jams, so I've learned it listening to their playing. Don's fiddle certainly had embellishments to challenge me.

Tradesman fretless~

Goldtone wl-250~