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Brian Ray
May-14-2004, 8:49am
I've been curious about the song selection for the Project. Are people suggesting tunes that they don't know or just songs that they like?

I don't actually know any of the tunes up there and some I've never even heard of. I'm more than happy to suggest tunes but I guess I would lean towards tunes I don't know yet.

One thing I've found is that different fiddle tunes are popular in different areas of the country. It really makes sense because I usually learn tunes that I've heard from others and liked... Then again, there are just some that are considered classics.

I will suggest some tunes that are popular here in CA and could be considered classics. If one is picked for the song of the month (SOTM) and I already know, I'll try to learn another version or post a slower version to help others... or whatever.

- Forked Deer
- Big Mon
- Billy in the Lowground
- St. Anne's Reel
- Whiskey before breakfast
- Blackberry Blossom
- Gold Rush
- Clinch Mountain Backstep
- Red Haired Boy
- Ragtime Anne

Bluegrasstjej
May-14-2004, 9:25am
I must admit that I have voted for tunes that I like and that I would like to learn better. But there are a few tunes that I really would like to learn. These are tunes I've tried to learn by ear but they are quite complicated, as I'm not used to playing by ear yet, I can do most stuff but if the tunes are too complicated I forget how it goes on when I've played the first part. So the versions have to be very basic. I've tried some version of East Tennessee blues but I really didn't even recognize it.

Anyway, the tunes I'd like to learn are:
-East Tennessee blues
-Ragtime Annie
-Orange blossom special

Kelly_guy
May-14-2004, 9:42am
dasspunk, that's a great list!

One I might add, is Foggy Mountain Breakdown. It's good to know a simple mandolin version of this tune. I used to know one when I previously tried playing mandolin, and I haven't relearned it.

craig
May-14-2004, 10:53am
dasspunk,

thank you for starting this thread. #here is the list of songs i have so far:

============================================
Fisher's Hornpipe
Salt Creek
Cluck Old Hen
Blackberry Rag
Cripple Creek
Arkansas Traveler
Cold Frosty Morning
East Tennessee Blues
Girl I Left Behind Me
Angeline the Baker
============================================
Roanoke
Leather Britches
Rawhide
John Hardy
Bill Cheatham
Gold Rush
Liberty
Boil Them Cabbage Down
Soldier's Joy
Little Sadie
Clinch Mountain Backstep
Little Maggie
Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Done Gone
Salty Dog
Big Sandy River
Wheel Hoss
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
New River Train
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Mississippi
New Camptown Races
Nine Pound Hammer
Forked Deer
Leather Britches
Wildwood Flower
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Wayfaring Stranger
Old Home Place
Boneparte's Retreat
Cumberland Gap
Flop Eared Mule
*Black Mountain Rag
*Blackberry Blossom
*Ashokan Farewell
*Jerusalem Ridge
*Inosheer
*Bag O' Spuds
*Butterfly
*Amazing Grace
*Old Ebeneezer Scrooge
*Red Haired Boy
*Turkey in the Straw
*Whiskey Before Breakfast
*Billy in the Low Ground
*Old Joe Clark
*Grey Eagle
*Paddy on the Turnpike

The songs with the * are some of the ones I already know, so they're at the bottom of the list. #The way I create the poll each month is to put the songs with votes from the previous month back on the poll. #Songs that got no votes the previous month go to the bottom of the list. #Then I fill in the open slots with songs from the top of the list. #I'll add your suggestions to this list, too.

So, if people want to suggest tunes,#I will put them on the list and cycle them through. #If we get enough suggestions for specific categories such as irish, classical or whatnot, maybe will do that one month.

PLEASE SUGGEST SONGS THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS.

Keep the suggests coming . . .

craig

Coy Wylie
May-14-2004, 11:02am
A very simple tune that I didn't know beforehand but have been noodling with this week after hearing it in a jam is "Grandfather's Clock." Nothing difficult about it but there is much room for embelishments. "Redwing" is another simularly simple tune.

I would also add:

Pike County Breakdown
Arab Bounce
Dear Old Dixie
Road to Colombus
Shuckin' the Corn
Silver Bells
Panhandle Country
Beaumont Rag
Fire Ball
Liza Jane

All these are tunes I either don't know or need to know much better.

Brian Ray
May-14-2004, 11:44am
lol...

I was waiting for someone to suggest Rawhide... don't tempt me... I do know it. I don't think that would work too well for the group.

From reading the posts, it looks like the difficulty rating comes down to something like this:

1 - Beginner friendly - pretty much just the melody. No double stops or anything too freaky... eg. St. Anne's Reel, Forked Deer
2 - Intermediate - Mild manured freakyness. Double stops welcome. Plenty of pinky. eg. Big Mon, Blackberry Blossom
3 - Advanced - Extra spicy. Freakish feats of fancy fingerings. eg. Rawhide

Any tune (except maybe Rawhide) can have a tame beginner version so there should be a lot of room to work with but it's something to keep in mind.

Bluegrasstjej
May-14-2004, 12:22pm
Grandfather's clock is really neat!!

mandofiddle
May-14-2004, 12:32pm
East Tennessee Blues isn't too hard. I'd put that in the beginner category. St. Anne's Reel can be beginners, but the variation I know has a little bit of crosspicking that I wouldn't consider beginner friendly. Gold Rush and Red Haired Boy aren't too hard either. They were among the first few fiddle tunes I learned...

levin4now
May-14-2004, 3:46pm
One song that comes to mind, that I am starting to scratch out is:

"Banjalin" as per Sam Bush.

Blackberry Blossom is probably THE song I am most interested in learning. (Funny, I barely spend any time on it...)

Alan

Coy Wylie
May-14-2004, 3:55pm
Playing BBBlossom at speed is great fun. It was one of the first beyond the basics tunes I learned. The rythmn changes chords every two beats and that can be challenging in itself at the right pace.

chirorehab
May-14-2004, 4:04pm
Craig,

Great list... I do think you should include the songs you already know, in the poll. I think it would be nice/challenging to learn another version of those songs.

Also, I like Red Apple Rag....I learned it from Mandolin magazine - Pete Martin's version - very easy to learn & very fun to play.

Eric

Bluegrasstjej
May-15-2004, 3:21am
East Tennessee Blues isn't too hard. #I'd put that in the beginner category. #St. Anne's Reel can be beginners, but the variation I know has a little bit of crosspicking that I wouldn't consider beginner friendly. #Gold Rush and Red Haired Boy aren't too hard either. #They were among the first few fiddle tunes I learned...
Do you know of an easy version of it somewhere on the internet?