Old time tunes

[sgarrity]

Since I moved out here to VA from OK, I've been exposed to a lot more old-time music. Here's a few I've been playing and learning. What are you guys playing? Any suggestions on other ones to learn?

Dubuque, Waynesboro, John Browns March, Squirrel Hunters, Cluck Old Hen, Julianne Johnson, Spotted Pony

Shaun

[MikeB]

These sometimes are not all considered "old-time," but I play 'em as close to old-time as I know how...

Cold Frosty Morning
Angeline the Baker
Over The Waterfall
Bright Days (and dang near anything else by Norman Blake)
Pretty Little Dog
Barlow Knife

I love every one of them!

[JGWoods]

My list is about 100 long, but you asked what am I playing now-
Sarah Armstrong's tune
Walking That Pretty Girl Home
My Own House
Twin Sisters
Johnny Get Your Hair Cut
Spring Creek Gal
plus a lot of standards- Arkansas Traveler, Bill Cheetum etc.

[tstackho]

...Squirrel Heads and Gravy, Chinquapin Hunting, Bonaparte's Retreat, Cold Frosty Morning, Blake's March.

[fatt-dad]

Shaun, Tripp just gave me guitar tab for "Possum up a Gum Stump". On the mandolin, I'm learning a few that you have listed and also Pear Tree.

f-d

[Perry]

Garfield's Blackberry Blossom....it's a workout.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[MikeB]

Perry--

Any leads on where I can find tab or a midi or a recording of GBB?

[Joe F]

I'm picking up a lot of tunes by ear at the local OT jams, but two tunes I've been concentrating on are "Mouth of the Tobique" and "Soapsuds Over the Fence." The latter is a very crooked challenge, but I'm slowly getting it.

[sgarrity]

The Nashville Bluegrass Band recorded Garfields BBB on the Twenty Year Blues cd. And I think there is tab here in the tab section. I just found Pear Tree. That's a fun, easy little tune.

[David M.]

Yeah, Pear Tree is a good simple tune. #Tim O'Brien does it in a set on one of his records.

Lately, preparing for a gig in a week, I've been doing some Chrismtas and Winter themed tunes: #As I Went Out Upon The Ice/Cold Frosty Morn; Christmas Hornpipe/Bottom of the Punchbowl; Snowflake Reel; and Breakin' Up Christmas. #The hornpipes on mando, mostly, and the reels and B-downs on fiddle.

Pres. Garfield's Hornpipe's a workout, too, in Bb. #great tune.

Others lately on mando and fiddle: #Camp Meeting on the 4th of July; Sullivan's Hollow; Robertson's Reel; Little Dutch Girl.

[David M.]

oh, forgot about Rock The Cradle Joe. Learned it from a cd by Lone Mtn. Band outta N. Ga.

[fatt-dad]

I like the Snowflake Reel and I also like Twinkle Little Star (Wayne Henderson does a great version). I also like Harvest Home.

f-d

[mingusb1]

Jeez, I wish I knew half the tunes you guys did! But I have been working on a few new ones:

--kickin up the devil on a holiday
--the darker the night (c tune)
--julian johnson
--wheel hoss! (not oldtime but really fun to mess with!)

Z

[dj coffey]

Others lately on mando and fiddle: #Camp Meeting on the 4th of July; Sullivan's Hollow; Robertson's Reel; Little Dutch Girl.
I like Camp Meeting too!

How about Hunting for the Buffalo and Walk Up Georgia Row?

I kindof like Liza Jane too... anything that you can work a double stop drone accompaniament.

[GBG]

Grandpa's in the Outhouse
Snaggle-toothed Sally
Turpentined Tomcat

[luckylarue]

I just picked up the Fiddler's Fake Book - what a great resource and provides much needed practice in reading notation.
Currently working on:

Bonaparte Crosses the Rocky Mountains
Temperance Reel
Haste to the Wedding
Liza Jane
Frosty Morning

[fatt-dad]

Oh and "Little Rabbit". . .

f-d

[Seth Austen]

I've been working on a few new tunes this week; two different versions of Indian Ate a Woodchuck, one in C from John Sayler and another version in D from Ed Haley, Snowbird in D from Bruce Greene, and Old Seth (had to learn it since it has my name) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif from Sammy Walker and Bruce Greene.

Seth

[jeffyork]

Hey Shaun,

Round C-ville way there are many "odd" oldtime tunes I've been working on (meaning i don't meet alot of folks outside the area that play them, but then again, I don't go too far...) and some not so odd ones as well.

Quince Dillon's High D Tune
Santa Ana's Retreat
Sandy Boys
Greasy Coat
The Girl I Left Behind
John Brown's Dream
Crook Brothers
Kitchen Girl
Breakin' Up Christmas

Great pickin' with you in Richmond. You should come visit if you want to play old time - it's huge up here....literally jams 5 days a week sometimes..

[Dave Reiner]

Perry--

Any leads on where I can find tab or a midi or a recording of GBB?

Garfield's Blackberry Blossom is sometimes called the "Old" Blackberry Blossom. #My source, with a fine modal version, is my son, but he learned it from Bruce Molsky, who recorded it on his "Contented Must Be" CD. #It works great on mandolin.

Dave

P.S. I do have an MP3 of my son playing GBB on mando, slowly.

[Perry]

Perry--

Any leads on where I can find tab or a midi or a recording of GBB?

I am using this book for my version Kentucky Fiddle Tunes (http://www.amazon.com/Old-Time-Kentucky-Fiddle-Tunes-Titon/dp/0813122007)

It's in standard only though. For listening I refer to John Hartford's version on "The Speed of the old Long Bow"

Here's tab on this very site Garfield's Blackberry Blossom (http://mandolincafe.com/tab/gbb.txt)

Great tune (but not easy) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[Fred Keller]

Here's another version in standard notation:

Garfield's Blackberry (http://home.hiwaay.net/~eabaggot/EdHaley/garfield.htm)

I heard a great version done by a guy named Ed Morrison on the 7-volume Kentucky Mountain Music set. He claims it's a civil war tune that General Garfield used to whistle when riding to battle.

[Gary S]

Excellent tune Garfield's Blackberry Blossom. Burnett and Rutherford a great duet from Kentucky back in the 1920's did a fine version as well.

I few of the fiddle tunes I have been playing lately are
Three thin dimes
Ship in the clouds
Money Musk
Little Jackie Wilson
Joke on the puppy

All fall out nicely on the mandolin and are fun to play.
Gary S

[Dave Reiner]

The Molsky version of GBB is wilder than the above transcriptions and tabs, and includes both C's and C#'s. Also B's rather than Bb's!

Dave

[Tripp Johnson]

Lots of great tunes mentioned here. Here's a few that we've been working up lately...

- Possum Up a Gum Stump (in one of the Portland books, I think)

- Green Willis

- Breakin' Up Christmas

- Ducks on the Millpond (Rayna Gellert does a smokin' version of this on her cd)

So many great tunes to work on!!!!!!!!!

[John Flynn]

I actually keep a notation on my tune list of "faves." FWIW, here are my all time favorite OT tunes on mando:
Around the Horn
Billy in the Lowlands (Clyde Curley’s version in G)
Bonaparte Crossing the Rockies
Bonaparte’s March
Candy Gal
Cape Breton Wedding March
Cumberland Gap (Clyde Curley’s 3-part version)
Flying Indian
Hog Eyed Man
Houghton House
Jawbone
Johnny’s Gone for a Soldier
Josephin’s Waltz
Jump in the Well, My Pretty Little Miss
Lady of the Lake (the version in D)
Little Rabbit
Meg Grey
Mississippi Snag
Monkey on a Dogcart
Old Joe (Not “OJ Clark.” This is a Missouri tune in C)
Pretty Little Dog
Queen’s Polka
Sally in the Garden
Screamer
Ship in the Clouds
Squirrel Hunters
Star of the County Down
Twenty-eighth of January

[fatt-dad]

And don't forget "The Eighth of January"!

f-d

[JeffD]

Nail that Catfish to a Tree, Chinquapin, Julianne Delaney, and reviving Ricketts Hornpipe and Needle Case.

[sgarrity]

What a great resource. I hope we can keep this thread goin for a bit. I have LOTS of tunes to learn now!

[JeffD]

I just picked up the Fiddler's Fake Book - what a great resource and provides much needed practice in reading notation.
It is a great book, and the first place I look when I hear a new OT tune and want to learn it. I use it as a true fake book - I figuer the written version is the starting point, and then I try and emulate how I heard the tune, or how I think I heard it.

[fatt-dad]

HERE (http://www.mandozine.com/music/search_results.php?searchfor=&tuneselectby=C&mandolevel=&category=Old-Time&songkey=&artist=&transcriber=&sortby=T&sortorder=A&submit=Find+TableEdit+Files) are the mandozine tabedit files for "old-time" music. Download the "tabedit viewer" and you can play each of these files and also have the tab to learn from.

You can also look for old-time tunes right here at the mandolincafe. Check out the tab link at the home page.

f-d

[Gary S]

Hey Mando Johnny,
Star of the County Down and Josephin's Waltz are 2 tunes I have enjoyed and learned from The Buckhannon Brothers recordings. Ship in the clouds is also a great tune I often play. Keep playing those great Old Time #s...Gary