What are your favorite OT tunes you like to play on the mandolin?

  1. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Just was wondering what were some of your favorite OT tunes that you like to pick on the mandolin. Usually mine are the newer ones that I've just learned ... most of the time. For instance I've just learned a really cool tune called "Fort Smith" in (G) not to be confused with "Fort Smith Breakdown". But that's a great tune too. According to Bill the OT fiddler in my band ... he got the tune Fort Smith from a field recording of Walt Koken. I believe his band is The Orphium Supertones. But that's about all I know about it. Great melody! Does any one have any more info on it?
    I love it. It's one of my favorites at this time.
  2. Mike Snyder
    Mike Snyder
    I don't have anybody within 100 miles to learn new-old tunes from, and a computer is a poor substitute for an old-time fiddler. I run thru the tunes on the jukebox at banjohangout, and prowl a couple of other websites, but it's kinda cold and pointless. I wait all year to get to Winfield to hear new stuff. My fave right now is The Squirrel Hunters via Hartford and Compton. Fort Smith I'm not familiar with, but that might be pretty regional. I'd like to hear that.
  3. Paul Lucas
    Paul Lucas
    My top 5 favorite OTM tunes to play on the Mando are:

    1. Indiana Breakdown - Learned it from Old Time Mandolin Music by Clyde Curley and the Oxymorons
    2. L'Ville - Learned it from The Volo Bogtrotters' CD Old Time String with Vocal Accompaniment
    3. Southern Blues - Originally recorded in the late 20's by the Scottdale String Band, I learned a version off Adam Tanner's Rare Rags and Stringband Blues
    4. Muddy Creek from Peter Ostroushko and Norman Blake's CD Meeting on Southern Soil
    5. All Around the Mountain learned from Mando Mafia's Get Away CD. The IL-MO Boys did a great version of it on their Laugh and Grow Fat CD.
  4. Paul Lucas
    Paul Lucas
    Hey Woodwizard, You're driving me crazy!

    I'm searching all over the web for Walt Koken playing Fort Smith and I can't find anything. I looked on my iTunes library and I have several versions of Fort Smith and Fort Smith Breakdown, but they are all basically the same tune.

    Do you know of link on the web to Koken's Fort Smith?
  5. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Sorry bout that Paul. I sure don't. I've seached pretty hard too. I'll ask Bill if he still has that field recording he got and see if I can get a copy of it for you. That's how Bill learned it on the fiddle and I learned it from Bill. I've got it memorized now and have tabbed it out. It's pretty much exactly the way Bill plays it. I could scan it and send to ya per email if you like. If I can figure a way to record me playing it that would really help you get the melody. It is nothing like Ft. Smith Breakdown. It has 3 parts. The first two parts are mostly G & D but the third part goes C to Am. Really a cool tune and clips along at a pretty swift tempo. While searching the net I ran across some information about a tune named Fort Smith that dates back as far as 1843 and was a tune that might have been for the calvry that was stationed around Fort Smith at that time but I don't have a clue if they were talking about the same tune. Wait a minute! I think I may have a mp3 version of our OT band playing it I could link for you. It's before I knew it so I'm just chopping away. Might have even been the first time I played it. Click the link below
  6. woodwizard
    woodwizard
  7. Joe F
    Joe F
    Some of my recent favorites are "Elk River Blues", "Five Miles from Town" (Clyde Davenport), "Yellow Rose of Texas" (Bruce Green's version), "Bound to Have a Little Fun", and "Texas."
  8. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    We've been doing the old-time version of Yellow Rose of Texas. I'll have to check out Bruce Green's version ... bet it's the same.
  9. Paul Lucas
    Paul Lucas
    Hey WoodWizard, thanks for the mp3. Great tune and great playing! It's not like Fort Smith tune I've run across. Thanks for sharing.
  10. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Thanks ...Your welcome. Here's a link to where I posted the tab for it on a thread at #19

    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=52959
  11. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Well it seems I've been playin' ...Money Musk, Ship in the Clouds and Cuffey a lot here lately. All three are great tunes.
  12. coletrickle
    coletrickle
    Needlecase, Fly Around, Arkansas Traveller
  13. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Anything new that I'm picking seems to be favorites lately. Like... Flora's Eigth, Dubuque, Texas Gales & Boys Those Buzzards are Flyin'
  14. Bob Buckingham
    Bob Buckingham
    Boys My Money is All Gone, and all the rest of them!
  15. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Black Cat in the Briar Patch, L & N Rag and Ways of the World ... sorta new ones for me. Luv em!
  16. JeffD
    JeffD
    Just re-acquainted with a crooked version of Cindy Cindy
  17. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    That's cool... I 'd like to hear that. One of my favorites is Yellow Barber. Have you tried that one?
  18. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    "Booth Shot Lincoln" is a new one we've been picken' here lately. I really like that melody. It's old timey
  19. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Half Past Four and Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel. Works well on the ole' 8 string
  20. Fstpicker
    Fstpicker
    Here are some of my favorite OT tunes to play on my mandolin:

    Whiskey Before Breakfast
    Grandfather's Clock
    Angelina Baker
    St. Anne's Reel
    Soldier's Joy
  21. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Those are some great tunes for sure. When you really start getting deep into oldtime one will find an endless supply of awesome tunes that aren't what you would call the reconizeable standards that are in most of the fiddle tune learning books for mandolins. The sad thing is the average person probably would not have ever heard most of em ... but there are some really GREAT! ones out there. I'm always on the hunt. I have some fiddle player friends that know hundreds of them. I'm pretty sure I will be studing OT for the rest of my life I think that's a good thing Keep pickin'
  22. Mike Bunting
    I've really been having fun with Squirrel Heads and Gravy these days. I'm doing it in an open G tuning, GDGD.
  23. Leftymando
    Leftymando
    In the Pines. cripple creek, red river valley,
  24. Eric Root
    Eric Root
    Roaring river, Little whiskey.
  25. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    I've been playing "Elzic's Farewell" alot this week. First learned it on the guitar then the mandolin. Great Dm tune. Also been pickin' a new one for me called Salty River Reel (D) tune and a G tune called Cowhide Boots. The last 2 tunes I got some help by getting tab from Dan Levenson, a great OT picker. Thank you Dan !
  26. billkilpatrick
    anything played by these two - annie and mac:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/annieandmac
  27. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Lady of the Lake (a version you don't hear that much), Rugged Road & Cowhide Boots (two great Lymon Enloe tunes) and Rocky Pallet have been my favorites here the past few days. We gave them a good run through at the Mountain View Folk Festival this past weekend. Great tunes. I'm working on "Jump Fingers" now
  28. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    Possom up a Gumb Stump
  29. Geordie
    Geordie
    "Look On The Sunny Side" and "Lulu Walls", both by The Carter Family.
  30. puterrlf
    puterrlf
    Alphie's Hornpipe, Ashokan Farewell, Ball and Chain Hornpipe, whiskey before breakfast, The Girl I Left Behind Me and Fishers Hornpipe are a few of my favorites I've been working on.....Luv em all!!!!!!
  31. woodwizard
    woodwizard
    all good ones... Been playing "The L & N Rag" here lately. Pretty cool tune
  32. Pick&Grin
    Pick&Grin
    "Cold and Frosty Morning" has been giving me a lot of joy lately! "Cuckoo's Nest" is another current favorite.
  33. Pick&Grin
    Pick&Grin
    Just started "Lost Indian." What a fun tune!
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