Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

This archaic tune has more than one related version, but this week's old-time Tune of the Week for 12/1/17 focuses on West Virginian fiddler French Carpenter (1905 -1965). I now know why January 6 is also celebrated as Christmas, or "Old Christmas," as the English calendar was changed in 1752 and 12 days were left out, bringing December 25th to January 6th. Learn something new every day....

A little tune I composed and recorded yesterday. I only started to learn clawhammer style banjo a week ago, so it is rough and full of mistakes. But, I am having so much fun and loving every minute of it, I just had to post it!! It was recorded using my new (2007) Jason Romero banjo and my Martin D-18 for the guitar.

Another one of Tony Ellis' lovely 3/4 time original tunes. The cascading notes remind me of falling water. Though Tony plays 3-finger picking, I play it clawhammer style. The sound of Tony's music is that of old-time, though he was an excellent Bluegrass Boy banjo player for Bill Monroe in 1960 - 1962. His grandmother frailed a banjo and Tony says his re-tuning the banjo to double C reminded him of what he heard her play when he was young.

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 11/24/17, Ida Red is also known as Down the Road. This is Tommy Jarrell's version. When I learned Down the Road it was Earl Scrugg's version. It's neat to have these two icons linked through this song. I'm playing on a brand new Randy Shelton "The Ironsides Banjo Co." mountain banjo--quite fun!

Clawhammer take on Trad march. Double D tuning. Wildwood.

A song about transience in a way