Banjo Hangout Top 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

A multitrack recording of my slow and simple version of this Lynn Morris tune, where I'm playing clawhammer banjo (Enoch 12" Tradesman with Rickard Dobson tone ring, Double D), fiddle (low G tuned up to A), guitar (Martin HD-28), and bass. This version is more Old Time. As is always the case, better headphones/earbuds/speakers will do a better job of picking up the bass.

For the old-time Tune of the Week, March 23, 2018. Susannah Gal goes by other titles. This one comes from the duet CD of Tommy Jarrell and Fred Cockerham, both from the Round Peak, NC region. Their B part is unique, but they play it together and so it sounds great. Fred adds slides which I attempted to include, too. They must have had lots of fun playing together!

Made this banjo duet recording with Ed Britt back in November, 2014. We still play it when we go busking in Harvard Square.

A medley of civil war tunes played in double C tuning on a new black walnut and curly maple 11" 5 string banjo

Played in the key of E with banjo tuned f#(low), A(low), E, A, E. New River Train usually is played in the key of D. Played on a 1903 Fairbanks Whyte Laydie #2.

Banjo tuned aDADE.

Traditional. I heard this on Pete Seeger's "Birds, Beasts, Bugs & Fishes Little & Big." I stole a lick from him, and my verses are largely the same. Otherwise, it is my arrangement.

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....

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.