Banjo Hangout Top 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

Learned this version from Adam Hurt. "Sandy River Belle" tuning (gEADE). First recording on my new Enoch Dobson.

Learned from Art Galbraith and Lonnie Robertson, two great Missouri fiddlers and included in R.P. Christeson's book The Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory, Vol. 2, #132. The tune has a long history as a popular song of the late 1800's and is still played today. I prefer the music to the lyrics!

played by Jack Beuthin.

Original tune on cigar box banjo and guitar.

Strung my Gold Tone Bob Carlin model with some silverwound nylon strings, tuned in the baritone range, cFCFG, like double C seven frets down from standard.

After hearing Dave Hum play this I wondered if I could, too. It's taken some effort, but here's what I came up with, thanks to banjukebox's tab and some further exploration. Though simpler than Dave's expressive, creative version, it's fun to play. I like the cello banjo's lower tone on Tam Lin compared to my Whyte Laydie openback, but you can compare them as I've uploaded them both.

This is a traditional tune from Scotland going back as far as 1549 in a published ballad format. Dave Hum played this tune and his videos are still on-line to view -- what an amazing picker he was! I'm playing on a Mac Traynham Whyte Laydie openback, but also enjoyed it played lower on the cello banjo. You can compare the two, as I've uploaded them both.

Made famous by Les Paul and Mary Ford (check youtube), and brought into bluegrass in the 1970s by Walter Hensley (again, check youtube), this may be the first clawhammer--make that clawjazz--version of this fabulous tune.

From the fiddling of Kentuckian John Salyer, this is a three part tune with a modal feel, kind of like a mini-concerto. I'm playing on a Gold Tone cello banjo just recently strung with minstrel nylgut strings and tuned an octave below open A tuning.

Learned from the playing of Eck Robertson, but inspired by Rayna Gellert. I guess growing good potatoes in sandy soil must not be too hard.