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Thread: Boil That Cabbage Down

  1. #1
    Every day is a gift. Sheila Lagrand's Avatar
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    Default Boil That Cabbage Down

    Just a little tangent:
    At least one of my beginning mandolin books includes "Boil That Cabbage Down." My BH's beginning mountain dulcimer book includes "Boil That Cabbage Down."

    Tonight, we are watching an old episode of The Jack Benny Show and the guests--the (very young) Smothers Brothers--are performing "Boil That Cabbage Down." I'd never heard it before.

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    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
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    Default Re: Boil That Cabbage Down

    If you look up on "Boil The (That, Them, Dem, 'em) Cabbage Down" on YouTube, you'll find that it's a popular tune. I tend to think of it as a fiddle tune, but I'm not sure that's fair -- it's just my fiddliocentric world view. It's clearly an American tune, but is reasonably well known here too.

    Added:

    Found this on Wikipedia:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boil_Them_Cabbage_Down
    Last edited by Ranald; Oct-20-2020 at 11:03am. Reason: added material
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

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    Registered User bradlaird's Avatar
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    Default Re: Boil That Cabbage Down

    I thought they ALL had it. (Instruction books—except Grismans—he starts with a tune in B)

    It is a beautiful number for a multitude of reasons. And, man, do I love biled cabbage. With corn bread and Crystal hot sauce. It is almost a drug. Makes me want to get out my Tommy Smothers Yo Yo man video and brush up on Rock The Baby.

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    Default Re: Boil That Cabbage Down

    I think I got the idea from a Mark O'Connor fiddle book, but it is the tune I always use the first time I show someone how to pick up a mandolin. It's great because all the notes are on the a string, you use the first three fingers and an open string, and you can start with downstrokes, and add more complicated strums. Doublestops are right there too, but I've never been able to show anyone those. Maybe I'll open drone strings next time.

    Also, I learned last year there is a B part!

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Boil That Cabbage Down

    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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  10. #6
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    Default Re: Boil That Cabbage Down

    Also known as "Bile Them Cabbage Down".

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  12. #7
    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
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    Default Re: Boil That Cabbage Down

    And I came across "Boiling Cabbage" on YouTube. You know a tune's been spreading aurally when it has half a dozen name variations.
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

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