Monroe instrumentals

[manicmando]

I know its almost impossible to chose one but if you had to chose what would it be?

[Adam Tracksler]

Jerusalem Ridge. its best driving at night... in the rain.

[cooper4205]

"Come hither to go Yonder" off Masters of Bluegrass and of course, "Get Up John"

[AlanN]

I like to pick Southern Flavor.

[f5loar]

Well since I just got through doing "Get Up John" with my band tonight I'll go with that one for now although "Lonesome Moonlight Waltz" and "ES" come close.

[cooper4205]

Well since I just got through doing "Get Up John" with my band tonight I'll go with that one for now although "Lonesome Moonlight Waltz" and "ES" come close.
do y'all only play in the Asheville area?

[manicmando]

im currently playing "Evening Prayer Blues" its got so much feel i love it

[Joe Mendel]

McKinley's March.

[luckylarue]

So many great ones, here's a few favorites of mine:

Evening Prayer Blues
Watson Blues
Moonlight Waltz
Old Mountaineer
Old Dangerfield
Bluegrass Breakdown

...and I haven't even mentioned the "stomps".

[DryBones]

I'm not playing it, but I love to listen to it... My Last Days On Earth.

[sgarrity]

Just one??? Now you know that's downright impossible!

Bluegrass Stomp
Evening Prayer Blues
Jerusalem Ridge
Old Dangerfield
Kentucky Mandolin
My Fathers Footsteps

Ok, I'll stop there http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Milan Christi]

Jerusalem Ridge - it's been my favorite ever since I picked up a mandolin. I think the simpliciy of that tune demonstrates his genius.

[pathfinder]

Never could decide. #Katie Hill, Big Mon or Jenny Lind (aka Jenny Lynn).

[f5loar]

If you stick to instrumetals Monroe wrote then you only have "Big Mon". I'm more in Salisbury area then Asheville.
I only play the Asheville area with my partner in crime, comando extrodinare Evan Reilly. Look for us this summer at the Pickin' on The Green Sat. nights in downtown.

[cooper4205]

post something when you'll be playing there; after seeing you two pick on the myspace vid it'd be more than worth the hour drive from the tri-cities

on another note, is there anyone around East Tn/SW Va. or Western N.C. that teaches hardcore, Monroe style mandolin?

[Scott Schmidt]

Old Dangerfield, Old Ebeneezer, Southern Flavor, Watson's Blues, Frog on a Lily Pad, and Delbert's Breakdown are a few of my faves...they're all good though!

[Peter Hackman]

To count as a favorite, it should lend itself to improvisation; also
there should something interesting for the guitarist to do.
Be kind to guitarists, esp. if it's me!

This is one favorite that everybody plays

http://www.huthyfs.com/music/moonlight.mp3


and one that nobody does (it is in fact a banjo tune)

http://www.huthyfs.com/music/crossing.mp3

I know Jerusalem Ridge and just might do it. O'Connor-Thile-Sutton
showed what you can do with it.

And, of course, Watson Blues - I have tons of stuff for the guitar
there.

[mandolooter]

Jerusalem Ridge!

[tango_grass]

Roanoke!!!

[evanreilly]

Now, Peter!
I have worked up 'Crossing the Cumberlands' rather nicely!
And yes, it was written for the banjo.
"Now, Lamar, would you like to play a good banjo number for the folks?"
As far as another 'fave' Monroe mandolin tune: "Right. Right On" gets my vote.

[evanreilly]

As far as playing with Tom Isenhour, he will be easy to spot playing at the Shindig in Asheville.

[danb]

Jerusalem Ridge & Scotland

[Peter Hackman]

Ah, yes, Scotland; I like to do that one on guitar, with an open A drone.

For pure digging I might list Cheyenne, Shenandoah Breakdown, and Tallahassee.

Then there's Smokey Mountain
Schottische, is that a Monroe tune properly speaking? Skip Gorman
made a beautiful recording with piano

[Kevin Briggs]

Big Mon
Bluegrass Twist
Bluegrass Stomp
Roanoke
Brown County Breakdown

[AlanN]

Another good one is Lochwood, three parts, play it as you feel it.

[Chris "Bucket" Thomas]

I never get tired of Southern Flavor or Jerusalem Ridge.

[MadMax]

Right now, I'd have choose "Evening Prayer Blues." I also like "Golden West" and "Chilly Winds of Shannon."

[evanreilly]

Ahhhh......
The Smoky Mountain Schottische!
Not a Monroe tune really.
This was recorded in 1936 (?) by the Prairie Ramblers, with Tex Atchison on the fiddle.
"Atchison was born near Rosine on Feb. 5, 1912. Five months earlier, William Smith "Bill" Monroe had been born on the farm next door. The boys went to school together. But the musical paths they followed took them in different directions. Monroe became known as "the father of bluegrass music." Atchison found his fame in western swing."
'Smoky Mountain' was a tune both youngsters heard and later played, altho Monroe never recorded the tune.
Structurally, Monroe plays a much more intricate melody, as well as playing a third part that the Ramblers did not record.

[A.N. Orange]

Old Tennessee River

[testore]

Last days on earth, Jerusalem Ridge, Cheyenne. I use Evening prayer blues to test mandos. My last days on earth is an absolute masterpiece. Only when you try to learn to play it do you realize how remarkable it is. I've played a lot of Bach,and place it along some of his genius too.

[Fred G]

Jerusalem Ridge, southern flavor and old ebeneezer!

[Jeff Hoelter]

I'd just like to say:
- Great Thread
- Bill Monroe rocks
- Go for it Bruce

Oh, there are so many good ones, but my vote goes to Methodist Preacher, whether Bill actually wrote it or not. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Jeff

[Glassweb]

I'm in for Turkey in the Straw...

[bluegrassforme]

Dusty Miller has always been one of my favorites

[Dan Cole]

Bill's "Tennessee Blues"
Baker's "Jerusalem Ridge"

[F5G WIZ]

Can't beleive there are no votes for "Rawhide" also love "My last days on earth"

[Scotti Adams]

Scotland and Brown County Barn...Hey Darrin..as part of my Top Flight Leadership training I had to teach an Aircraft Engineer three chords on the mando...he had no problem...he in turn taught me how to find the center of gravity of an airplane....well..he tried to http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[manicmando]

Dusty Miller is a good one too

[swampstomper]

For pure mandolin excitement, of the tunes Bill wrote I don't think anything can compare with Bluegrass Ramble. It's not played much because he cross-tuned, but I play it in standard tuning and it works out fine. Rhythmically it's like Rawhide but written a few years earlier and without those pesky chord changes. All right hand!

Buzz Busby took this as an A part, added the Earl's Breakdown B part, complete with de-tuning, and came up with a really manic piece "Buzz's Ramble".

[Old Red]

I love the Lee Wedding Tune and Ashland Breakdown, which is a sister tune to Jerusalem Ridge. And nobody has mentioned Kentucky Mandolin or Honky Tonk Swing. Also, don't forget Tennessee Blues, the first instrumental Bill ever recorded and thus the granddaddy of them all.

Andy

[carleshicks]

The Lloyd Loar and Land of Lincoln

[cooper4205]

#And nobody has mentioned Kentucky Mandolin
I just was listening to the awesome version Big Mon and Doc did together on my way into work this evening, great stuff

[evanreilly]

Time to be Mr. Nice Guy.

Land of Lincoln (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/landoflincoln.mp3)

The Lloyd Loar (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/lloydloar.wav)

Smoky Mountain Schottische (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/sms.mp3)

First two played by WSM hisownself; SMS played by Butch Waller.

[carleshicks]

Time to be Mr. Nice Guy.

Land of Lincoln (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/landoflincoln.mp3)

The Lloyd Loar (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/lloydloar.wav)

Smoky Mountain Schottische (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/sms.mp3)

First two played by WSM hisownself; SMS played by Butch Waller.
Thank you for that I did not hve a version of Land Of Lincoln by Monroe. That is beautiful.

[JimRichter]

My Father's Footsteps (number 1)
Tanyards
Pilgrim's Knob
The Golden West
Old Dangerfield
Ebeneezer Scrooge
Old Mountaineer
Methodist Preacher (technically not Monroe, but always associate it with him)
Road to Columbus

[jasona]

Old Dangerfield
Jerusalem Ridge
Roanoke

And those are all I can play.

[Russ Partain]

Does anyone have the tab to my favorite Tombstone Junction?
It is an unrecorded song wich appears on the Bill Monroe videos.

[F5G WIZ]

Hey Darrin..as part of my Top Flight Leadership training I had to teach an Aircraft Engineer three chords on the mando...he had no problem...he in turn taught me how to find the center of gravity of an airplane....well..he tried to http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Heck I could have showed you that! The center of the aircraft that is. You know I never thought of doing that when I went through that training. Did you show him the dreaded four finger chops or the simple two finger chords? HEy when we gonna hook up? I'm playing a gig tonight in Piqua. Should be fun, I'm just itchin to pick!

[Seth Austen]

He wrote lots of great tunes, the one I play the most often is Old Dangerfield

Seth

[f5loar]

I don't think he wrote a bad one so why not just list all 300 of them!

[Fred Keller]

I love Northern White Clouds. I especially enjoy the version Jimmy Campbell did with Mike Compton.

[Markelberry]

Ahhhh......
The Smoky Mountain Schottische!
Not a Monroe tune really.
This was recorded in 1936 (?) by the Prairie Ramblers, with Tex Atchison on the fiddle.
"Atchison was born near Rosine on Feb. 5, 1912. Five months earlier, William Smith "Bill" Monroe had been born on the farm next door. The boys went to school together. But the musical paths they followed took them in different directions. Monroe became known as "the father of bluegrass music." Atchison found his fame in western swing."
'Smoky Mountain' was a tune both youngsters heard and later played, altho Monroe never recorded the tune.
Structurally, Monroe plays a much more intricate melody, as well as playing a third part that the Ramblers did not record.
Man thats a cool little story,and it reminded me I know and used to playt it. I think I wanna work that back up with the boys I pick with.

[goose 2]

I just recently nailed down "The Golden West" so its been my favorite lately. I have been obsessed with every tune mentioned so far. I just cannot get enough of his raw and powerful style.

[Peter Hackman]

Time to be Mr. Nice Guy.

...

Smoky Mountain Schottische (http://theworld.com/~ereilly/sms.mp3)

First two played by WSM hisownself; SMS played by Butch Waller.
Very clear recording of the schottische. I'm tempted to learn it.

[evanreilly]

The best recording of Bill Monroe playing "SMS" is on the Homespun video.

[manicmando]

what about Old Dangerfield

[Gary S]

Stoney Lonesome and Wheel Hoss are right up there as well...Gary

[Mike Crater]

Tennessee Blues

[mingusb1]

Haven't seen these listed:

White Horse Breakdown (G)
Farewell to Long Hollow (Am)

Not sure if that's the right name on the 2nd one. Learned both from Carl Jones here in NC. They are really fun!

Z

[mandopete]

Haven't seen these listed:

White Horse Breakdown (G)
Farewell to Long Hollow (Am)
Our buddy Fred Frank does a great version of Farewell to Long Hollow. #I had never heard that one before, it's a great tune!

Wasn't White Horse Breakdown written about White Horse Mountain in Darrington, WA?

[mandopete]

Does anyone have the tab to my favorite Tombstone Junction?
I don't have the tab, but Ashby Frank plays a nice version on#his recording First Crossing. #I learned it from that recording and used that tune for a mandolin contest years ago (I didn't win).

[AlanN]

TJ is a good tune, I have a hard time keepin it straight over the C7.

[mandopete]

I don't think he wrote a bad one so why not just list all 300 of them!
You know, that's really sort of true. #I was thinking about this and my favorite Monroe "tune" seems to change all the time. #He wrote so dang many nice ones it's hard to pick a favorite. #For some odd reason the one that I'm digging right now is Scotland, but I think of it more as a fiddle tune than something for the mandolin.

[mandopete]

TJ is a good tune, I have a hard time keepin it straight over the C7.
True.

[Peter Hackman]

A slightly different Monroe tune, that leaves a lot of room for interpretation and improvisation is Milanburg Joy (or Milenberg Joy). It was adapted
(from stomp to march) from
a popular song recorded by several swing and New Orleans jazzers, including
Jelly Roll Morton, who may even have had a hand in writing it.

I understand Monroe learned the tune during his Chicago days.

[swiba]

1. Rawhide
2. Bluegrass Stomp
3. Last Days on Earth
4. Honky Tonk Swing
5. Old Dangerfield

[Adrian W.]

Evening Prayer Blues
Bluegrass Stomp
Scotland
Wheel Hoss
Tanyards (but I haven't heard Bill's version)

Adrian

[tango_grass]

[quote=mingusb1,April 23 2007, 07:16]Haven't seen these listed:

White Horse Breakdown (G)


Wasn't White Horse Breakdown written about White Horse Mountain in Darrington, WA?
Thats what I have heard, but I have actually never heard Monroe play it!

[twaaang]

I had the LP "Bluegrass Instrumentals" as of the early 70's, and "Kentucky Mandolin" nailed me and has been my favorite ever since. Wish that was available on CD . . . though it's probably past time to get some of the definitive collections and broaden my hearing, there's a lot of tunes being named here I don't know at all. -- Paul

[f5loar]

All of Monroe's songs from the Decca/MCA years are in the Bear Family Boxsets and KY Mandolin is on the USA 4CD boxset by MCA.

[Cullowheekid]

Kentucky Mandolin on the Smithsonian recording with Doc adding amazing rhythm.Sent chills over me the first time I heard that.E

[John Hill]

Dang, lot's of these I've never heard of, great thread!

Let's see, in no particular order:

Paddy on the Turnpike (w/Doc Watson)
Roanoke
Tanyards
Old Mountaineer
Frog On The Lily Pad
Old Dangerfield

Just too many to list and apparently a lot more I have to discover.

[Tbone]

Does anyone have any tab for My Father's Footsteps, or tanyards, land of lincoln, or any of these more obscure tunes? How bout fiddlers blues or monroe's blues?

I was at the monroe workshop last fall, where compton sat for about an hour and played a bunch of these obscure tunes. But I can't get the dude who recorded it to give me a copy!

I'm big on Old Mountaineer right now...especially the Mike Cleveland version.

[John Hill]

Mandozine has a tabledit file of Tanyards, don't know 'bout the others you mentioned.

[evanreilly]

To Toot my own horn a bit:
I have put up a few good videos of Bill Monroe playing a few numbers mentioned here. Also a couple of videos of some locals playing a few more Monroe instrumentals.
Youtube stuff (http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=reillyevan&p=r).
Maybe a few tunes of interest.

[Mexborough Mandolin]

try these........I play more, but it's getting the time you know !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzUw4NltlQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhD43hD16kU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnphQLCHDyc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnphQLCHDyc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnphQLCHDyc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ach0F3m--Yc

and one that is similar to Jerulsalem Ridge


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvhQt7QUl9s

There are 30 + other tunes too........

God bless youtube

[/U]

[manicmando]

im digging "Southern Flavor" right now anybody else like it

[Kevin Briggs]

I like Southern Flavor all right. It's dang good. I'm more into the Brown County Breakdown type song though. The melody is really great. I also love Big Mon, because it's a burner.

TWo I like that I've never heard Monroe play, but have heard Ronnie McCourey and Sam Bush play are "Bluegrass Twist" and "Bluegrass Stomp."

Does anyone which Monroe album contains these songs?

[Peter Hackman]

I like Southern Flavor all right. It's dang good. I'm more into the Brown County Breakdown type song though. The melody is really great. I also love Big Mon, because it's a burner.

TWo I like that I've never heard Monroe play, but have heard Ronnie McCourey and Sam Bush play are "Bluegrass Twist" and "Bluegrass Stomp."

Does anyone which Monroe album contains these songs?
Stomp was recorded in his Columbia days, with Mac Wiseman on guitar.
The Columbia material has been repackaged on LP and CD MANY times.

Twist originally appeared as Bluegrass No. 1 on
Monroe's 3rd Decca LP Mr. Bluegrass
(recorded in 1960). It has also been repeackaged, and is of course
in one of the chronological Bear Family boxes.

It might be a good idea to go to amazon.com and do a search
on Bill Monroe. Almost all of their products have complete listings
of the tunes.

[Steve Cantrell]

I'm a subscriber of Clive's. That Ratliff he plays has a great, punchy tone and Clive is an excellent picker. Good stuff.

[jimbob]

there are several good tunes on the Monroe instructional DVD that I really like. One is a fairly short piece called "Po' White Folks". "Dusty Miller" and "Frog on a Lilly Pad" are also done very well. There is one final tune that Bill did with Doc at the end of the DVD....I don't know the name of the tune, but it is about chasing some critter into a log....

[mingusb1]

Was working on Bluegrass Special last night.

Now I've a new favorite!
Z

[cooper4205]

there are several good tunes on the Monroe instructional DVD that I really like. One is a fairly short piece called "Po' White Folks". "Dusty Miller" and "Frog on a Lilly Pad" are also done very well. There is one final tune that Bill did with Doc at the end of the DVD....I don't know the name of the tune, but it is about chasing some critter into a log....
Feast Here Tonight/Rabbit in a Log

[jimbob]

Rabbit in a Log....that's the tune !
Bottom line is there are many, many great tunes on many different recordings.

[sgarrity]

"There's a rabbit in the log, I ain't got my dog, How will I get 'em?, I know!"
"I'll get me a brier and twist it in his hair, that way I'll get 'em, I know!"

[Jeff Hoelter]

Anyone have a recording of Monroe (or anyone) playing Farewell to Long Hollow? I have Chris Henry's on his latest CD, but that's it.

Thanks!
Jeff

[evanreilly]

James Bryan recorded it; David Davis recorded it as well.
I never heard a Monroe recording of it. Someone probably has one, tho.

[sgarrity]

It's on Steve Kilby's cd "Kingsberry Run." But I think he credits John Bryan for teaching it to him if I remember correctly.

[Bing Cullen]

I'm quite partial to Kentucky Mandolin as it has that modally sort of sound. But Rawhide has all the Monroe elements and is a complete composition, not just a break. Then of course Wheel Hoss is great too. I dunno..its just too difficult to decide

[Bing Cullen]

Maybe a spinoff of this thread could be what is the perfect bluegrass song/tune. I say Closeby is the epitome of Monroe's work. But it doesn't have a chorus nor any harmony singing, but does have 3 fiddles and a superb mandolin break, which I never tire of hearing.

[chirorehab]

Old Brown County Barn
Roanoke
Wheel Hoss
Dusty Miller
Big Mon

Probably more.....

Eric

[grassrootphilosopher]

For me its any instrumental Monroe recorded. Can´t say about the non recorded ones, since I don´t know them http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif but since there´s not a bad one in the bunch that he recorded I take it for granted that the unrecorded ones are great too.

Now... the ones I like to play that´s a different story. When I like to whip it like a mule, breakneck speed in a battle with a banjo picker, why I like Pike County Breakdown the best. When it comes to the blues there´s hardly anything so raw as Bluegrass Stomp, when it comes to odd places on chord changes there ain´t nothing better than Tennesse Blues and Wheel Hoss, when it comes to an instrumental that is as soulful as they make´em and that adopts to the guitar wonderfully it´s Jerusalem Ridge and the one I try recently but that gets the better on me every time because of the way Monroe plays it it´s Dusty Miller.:blues:

[Bing Cullen]

Yes Monroe's Dusty Miller is unlike any other version. He adds a third part which he plays as a second part intermediate between the low part and the high part, on his Homespun video. That is an absolutely stunning break mainly because of its simplicity and power. But its also typical Monroe and shows his mind was innovating well into old age. The good thing about that later stuff is its playable by us mere mortals as he slowed down and cut out a lot of notes. its enjoyable to play too. Sam Bush points out a few things about that and how he feels it developed into other tunes.

[Glassweb]

Let's face it... Monroe rules!

[evanreilly]

You guys are able to listen to the definitive version of THE Dusty Miller (http://world.std.com/~ereilly/dustymiller.mp3).
Now, as to one of my fave-o-rite instrumental.... Here is
Land of Lincoln (http://world.std.com/~ereilly/landoflincoln.mp3)

[AlanN]

I'm quite partial to Kentucky Mandolin as it has that modally sort of sound.
I like KM too. One variation I have heard is to, on the B part, have the band play G major for the first two measures, then F, then G minor, as usual. Adds a nice vibe.

[Andrew Reckhart]

'Come Hither to go Yonder' just grabs me every time I hear it! Ricky Scaggs covering 'Get Up John' is about as good a Bluegrass instrumental as you can pass through human ears. 'Stomp' always gets me excited too.