This is a Canadian tunes. They are often very noted and challenging. My choice of tunings has me baffled, as I just played along with a recording. It's fDFBbD. The key is apparently Bb. It would be interesting to try another tuning because this arrangement feels hard, though not really harder than others pieces I learn. Probably just more time need…

Par mmuussiiccaall

Key of D and played on a 10 3/4" banjo. Old pot with a new neck.Par hudie

Arranged from a combination of two old fiddlers. The oldest one is Kentucky's George Lee Hawkins. Then a newer one from Alan Jabbour helped me to smooth it out. Also listen to Tom Harleman's version on the Tune of the Week and hear an active bumblebee who you might not want to see except safely in his stopped-up jug!…

This old English carol has undergone many changes. I've attempted to capture the melody as sung by Shirley Collins, an English folk singer of the 1950's.Par JanetB

This clawhammer arrangement is from Charlie Walden's fiddle recording, linked on Tune of the Week for Decatur Reel. It's following him pretty closely, though in a string band you wouldn't need all these notes. Charlie connects the tune to Missouri's fiddler Dwight Lamb.Par JanetB

Key of G and played on an 11"open back parts banjo. Vintage pot and refurbished neck.Par hudie

Here's one from Wilson Douglas, a great West Virginia fiddler. It also goes by the title Going Down to Lynchburg Town.Par JanetB

Arranged from the 1935 recording of the Nations Brothers in Mississippi. What's a One-Step? I can imagine it's a dance where one foot has a special task that makes the dance unique.Par JanetB

Description of what I play, phrase by phrasePar carlb

Derived from the playing of the Nation Brothershttps://www.slippery-hill.com/content/magnolia-one-step-2Par carlb

Clawhammer version in G. Played on a new constructed walnut open back.Par John Reischman

A seasonal title with two versions by Kentucky fiddlers who knew each other -- Buddy Thomas and Jimmy Wheeler.Par JanetB

As played by Kentucky fiddler J.W. Day and recorded in 1937 by John Lomax, No Corn on Tygart is a delightful tune with its minor chord in the A part and descending melody in the B part. I went with "guitar tuning" -- gDGBE.Par JanetB

For the current Tune of the Week, I thought I'd give yet another tuning a try, and this one seems to be able to hit the notes without jumping around octaves and doing finger gymnastics (it's at least doable, anyway, not necessarily easy).Par JanetB

Polly Put the Kettle On isn't usually in a modal key, but this week's Tune of the Week appears to be in Gm. If I knew more, I could confirm the scale is G aeolian. To play it the most easily I used cello banjo and brought the notes down four steps, so that's even more complex. I suppose this is all a good cognitive exercise to keep my brain a bit s…

A fairly modern (1980) Shetland Islands tune for TOTW. The composer lived at a ranch with this name and it turns out that a few players actually do know it. Our presenter, Andy Taylor, often gives us an exotic tune, but always a delightful one.Par Ian Burns

Par mmuussiiccaall

A tune of the week to challenge us! Blackberry Blossom is certainly a favorite. Garfield's Blackberry Blossom is related, but another challenge. After having had a lesson on Ed Haley's version from Adam Hurt several years ago, here's my attempt to arrange one myself.Par JanetB

Par gentrixuk

Par gentrixuk

Par gentrixuk

A clawhammer arrangement of Ralph Stanley's classic 3-finger style, played in modal sawmill tuning.Par JanetB

Chords are added to an older recording in the first time through for John Riley the Shepherd,Par JanetB

From the fiddling of West Virginia Melvin Wine, Eadle Alley remains a mystery as far as a real place. Playing his tunes is always an experience with a squared off, traditional fiddle tune that make good square and contra dance music.Par JanetB

Hornpipe with an Irish origin.Par jef

As played by West Virginia fiddler, Israel Welch, related to Noah Cline, who gives a fine history of the tune Price Bane Waltz on the Tune of the Week for 8/29/24. It's a pretty little waltz and was easier to play than I anticipated.Par JanetB

Named after my third-great uncle, as learned from Uncle Tom Thrush via Tom and Israel Welch.Par Noah Cline

Here's a tune from West Virginia with interesting timing. It has a bridge and also ends a half measure early if you repeat it, so you jump right into the water, rather the A part.Par JanetB

Key of D and played on a newly constructed open back 5 stringPar hudie

From the playing of Bruce Greene via Kentucky fiddler Gusty Wallace. The measure count is very unusual, but it's a neat tune. Bruce Greene has found good crooked tunes, many probably from Kentucky. Check out his Five Miles from Ellum Wood CD.Par JanetB

Tune of the Week explores Lost Girl. I've focussed on the Kentucky fiddler John Salyer version, but didn't include the Walter McNew version in the thread yet. In this mp3 you first hear McNew's version, then Salyer's as learned from Adam Hurt's piano playing.Par JanetB

Played according to the tab in John Burke's Book of Old Time Fiddle Tunes for Banjo.On YouTube the fiddlers play it on a much faster pace than I do.Par Kyle Creed

An Irish "traditional slide", meaning it's kind of like a jig, but it's not. I'm always learning something on the Tune of the Week. :)Par JanetB

Quick recording with my Zoom H2n handy recorder. I'm at home with a bad flu, so I'm a little congested. Recorded with my Gold Tone WL-250 in Sawmill tuning (gDGCD).Par stanley_

Quick recording with my Zoom H2n handy recorder. I'm at home with a bad flu, so I'm a little congested. Recorded with my Gold Tone WL-250 in Sawmill tuning (gDGCD).Par stanley_

This arrangement was very heavily inspired by Simon Robinson's version of this song. Recorded with my Zoom H2n field mic at my workplace courtyard (so I had to be relatively quiet) next to a fountain. Tuned down from G-Standard (relative) on my Recording King RKO-3S customized with nylon strings, fiberskyn head, and stuffed with two cotton shirts.…

Using my modified Recording King RKO-3S (with fiberskyn head and nylon strings) tuned relative to G-standard, probably about 3 half-steps down.Par stanley_

Chris Coole made this one as an exercise on "rolls".Par Chris Coole

As played by Kentucky fiddler John Salyer, it's good to have yet another one of his unique tunes. The A part is rather plain, but the B part has character. If Sallie Cooper was that kind of person, I think I would have liked her.Par JanetB

The lyrics are based on Doc Watson's recording. Recorded on my Gold Tone AC-12a tuned a whole step up from Sawmill (aEADE). Recorded in one take with one microphone. This arrangement is not based heavily on any existing tab.Par stanley_

Saturday, October 21,2023Last Sunday, as I was preparing to sing with the youth at Gwynedd Friends Meeting, I asked the teacher what the lesson was for today. He told me that they were going to learn about Indigenous People's Day. I looked through the list of songs that I'd been singing with them, for the past 30 years or so and thought, that of al…

Described as a fife and drum march during the Revolutionary War and given other similar titles, Murillo's Lesson has evolved over the years. This clawhammer arrangement uses the musical annotation posted on the Traditional Tue Archive.Par JanetB

This is Lynchburg Town, loosely based on an arrangement in Wayne Erbsen's "Clawhammer Ignoramus" book. Recorded with a Gold Tone AC-12a tuned to aDADE.Par stanley_

Par stanley_

An Ohio tune to enjoyPar JanetB

Par stanley_

From the fiddling of Alabama fiddler James Bryan in 1983, he learned from Mack Blalock, a Georgia fiddler, and the tune is older yet. I tuned to an open C tuning, something only done occasionally, so it changed the fingering from the better-known ways.Par JanetB