Yew Piney Mountain

I'm posting this topic in a shameless attempt to tempt/encourage/beg some of the Song-A-Week players to give one of my favorite "modal" tunes a try. Here's a clip of it played a really fine old-time fiddler, Lester McCumbers.



And here's my own slow rendition, in GDGD tuning (most likely McCumbers plays it in AEAE on the fiddle).



Any of you folks know this one and want to give it a go?

P.S. Does anyone beside me have a pair of good "Stompin' Shoes" they wear when they're playing these old-timey tunes? I've got some hiking shoes with big, lug soles that make a most satisfying thump when keeping time on the hardwood floor. It's hard to get in the mood for an old fiddle tunes without a thump.

Brent, I don't know this tune but want to learn it! Here's a nice fiddle/mandolin rendition that I remember seeing on the 'tube by Tashina Clarridge and Jefferson Hamer.

Great find, Rob! Once they got up a head of steam that was some sweet playing.

Nice one, Brent. I'm game to learn it, but I'd need the ABC notation. The melody is just not coming to me by ear for this one. Did you find any while you were learning it?

Marcelyn,

I had it in a book of old-time fiddle tune transcriptions I've owned since back when I first learn to dabble on the fiddle 20+ years ago. There's some notation at http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ol...sic/011304.HTM but it's a rather basic version of the tune. When I get home in a little while I'll do some searching and see if anything pops up.

My book has it written out as straight sheet music although it's a transcribed version played by French Carpenter in AEAE or GDGD tuning. As you can tell from my video I'm awful at playing while remembering to reach two frets closer to the nut on the bottom strings although of course this tune mostly uses those strings open (that's the whole point).

[EDIT] I've done some more looking online, although admittedly not as extensive as I'd like, and am not finding any good ABC's or anything else much beside the one little piece of notation I linked to and lots of commercially published sheet music.

If you tab out this song, I'll love you forever. Esp if it's in standard (GDAE) tuning. No really, this song gives me the dangdest time trying to figure out by ear! Brent, thanks for the video, it's helping

Here is an abc of the tune. I would have attached a pdf but can't figure out how.

X:1
T:yew piney mountain.mid
C:
N:TablEdited by James Baker
L:1/8
Q:300
M:4/4
K:D
|: "C:Trad:Arr (C) r"A2 AB cd e2 | ef ed cd ed | cB AB cd ed | cd eg aa a2 | A2 AB cd e2 | \
eg ed cd ed | cB AB AG ED | CD EA AB A2 :|3 A2 Ae ab a2 | zg ed cd ed | cB A2 ag ab | \
ag ea2b a2 | A2 Ag a2 g2 | zf ed cd ed | cB AB AG ED | CD EA2B A2 :| \
W:Created with TablEdit http://www.tabledit.com/

Good to see you Brent. This an infectious little tune. Just might give it a shot.
It would be a lot easier if I could borrow Jefferson Hamer's right hand. Sheesh.
Gary

great tune ,loved the fiddle and mandolin, could anyone recommend some recordings in a similar vein, thanks.

Well, I love this tune so much and I don't do much alternate tuning, nor can I read abc tabs, so I thought I'd just bite the bullet and tab the whole thing out best I could. I tried my best to get the double stops and little quirky things Timmy and Tashina are doing in their versions. Jefferson is doing way too much to figure out, plus the fiddle is easier to pick out anyhow. So, a very fiddle-ized version, I suppose.

This is my first-ever "tabbing" attempt, please let me know what you think, and add any changes to the tab you think are needed.

Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------

"Yew Piney Mountain" (trad)





MELODY:





"A"



E|-0-|-3-5--3-0-3-5-0---3-0-------0-3-5--5\3\0-----------0-3-5--0-3-5-7-5-3-0-3-5-0---3-0------

A|-7-|-0-0------------5-----5-4-0--------------5\4\0-0-4-----0----------------------5-----5-4-0

D|---|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

G|---|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                     bend/slide

  -----0----0--------*---------------------------------|

  -4-5-5\7--7--5-7-5-3-0------0--4-0-----------------0-|

  ------------------------2-5--------5-2-0-------0-2---|

  -----------------------------------------5-2-5-------|





"B"



|-0-3-5--5-3-0-3-5-0--3-0-------0-3-5--5\3\0-----------0-3-5--0-3-5-7-5-3-0-3-5-0---3-0------

|-7-0-0--------------5----5-4-0--------------5\4\0-0-4-----0----------------------5-----5-4-0

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              

 -----0----0--------*-------------------------------------------0-----------------0------------

 -4-5-5\7--7--5-7-5-3-0------0---4-0-----------------0--0-2-3-55\7--5\7--7\5-3-0--6\7--7-5-3-0-

 ------------------------2-5---------5-2-0-------0-2-------------------------------------------

 ------------------------------------------5-2-5-----------------------------------------------





 -------------0----------------------------------------------|

 -----0-2-3-5-5\7--5-7-5-3-0-------0--4-0-----------------0-*|

 -2-5-------------------------2-5---------5-2-0-------0-2---*|

 -----------------------------------------------5-2-5--------|





CHORDS:



There's a lot of A, some C in the darker parts, and a little G thrown in somewhere, I think...

Really, does anyone know a better way to put this tab up on the Cafe? It looked so nice in Notepad and now it's all mangled!

Yes, use the "Go Advanced" button, and then the TAB button on that screen will render it much better.

Thanks Ole Sausage, that worked wonderfully!