Best Old Songs Podcasts (2024)

1
Garfield's Blackberry Blossom (Ed Haley)

10h ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Garfield's Blackberry Blossom (Fretless)

1d ago

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By gentrixuk

1
Garfield's Blackberry Blossom (Modal)

1d ago

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By gentrixuk

1
Garfield's Blackberry Blossom (Burnett)

1d ago

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By gentrixuk

1
Clinch Mountain Backstep (CH)

11h ago

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

1
John Riley the Shepherd/Southern Flavor medley (w/chords)

5d ago

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

1
Eadle Alley

7d ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Cuckoo's Nest

9d ago

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Hornpipe with an Irish origin.By jef

1
Price Bane Waltz (TOTW)

11d ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Price Bane Waltz

14d ago

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

1
Head of the Creek (Ward Jarvis) (TOTW)

24d ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss

1M ago

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

1
Old Bob (TOTW)

25d ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Lost Girl (Walter McNew and John Salyer versions)

1M ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Ducks on the millpond

1M ago

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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.By Kyle Creed

1
The Cat Rambles to the Child's Saucepan

1M ago

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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. :)By JanetB

1
Little Sadie

2M ago

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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).By stanley_

1
The Cuckoo

1M ago

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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).By stanley_

1
Be Kind To A Man When He's Down

2M ago

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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.…

1
Tom Dooley

2M ago

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

1
Deer River

2M ago

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

1
Sallie Cooper (TOTW)

3M ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Shady Grove

2M ago

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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.By stanley_

1
This Land is Your Land

3M ago

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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…

1
Murillo's Lesson (TOTW)

3M ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Lynchburg Town

3M ago

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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.By stanley_

1
Wild Rose of the Mountain (Clawhammer)

3M ago

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By stanley_

1
Cauliflower (CB)(TOTW)

3M ago

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An Ohio tune to enjoyBy JanetB

1
Been All Around This World

4M ago

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By stanley_

1
Soapsuds Over the Fence (TOTW)

4M ago

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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.By JanetB

1
Tamsin's Waltz

4M ago

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A tune I wrote and decided should be named after my wife, as a reward for putting up with my banjo playing!By gentrixuk

1
The Merry Blacksmith (TOTW)

4M ago

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Arranged from the O'Neill's Music of Ireland source. My son is a farrier and does blacksmithing ALL the time. Sometimes he's merry!By JanetB

1
Lucy Farr's Barn Dance (TOTW)

4M ago

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Lucy Farr (1911-2003) was Irish, but lived in England. She played the tune in the key of D, but here in jam sessions it's being played in the key of G. Lucy recorded an album at the age of 80!By JanetB

1
Big Rock Candy Mountains

4M ago

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By stanley_

1
Phoebe in Her Petticoat

4M ago

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Reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.By dbrooks

1
Grey-Haired Dancin' Gal

5M ago

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Thanks to Brendan Doyle for uploading the source recording for this week's Tune of the Week, Grey-Haired Dancin' Gal. I gave the tune another try. This version has a more Cajun swing flavor than the one I learned from, and Brendan shared with us the composer's background, so I thought it was worth another try. It's played slowly here and wants to b…

1
Grey Haired Dancing Girl (TOTW)

5M ago

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Learned from the fiddling of Mark Tamsula, a fiddler I respect a lot. Grey Haired Dancing Girl, however, is not one Mark learned from the collections of Pennsylvania's Samuel Bayard. The original source of the tune is still a mystery, but a 1990's jam in Maryland was Mark's source.By JanetB

1
Bibb County Hoedown (TOTW)

5M ago

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The source recording is from a 1930 recording of Seven Foot Dilly and His Dill Pickles. I learned from a modern recording of the Old Yeller Dog Band because I liked how the fiddle filled in the held notes.By JanetB

1
Red Fox

5M ago

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Here's a Henry Reed version of Red Fox, recorded in the enormous collection of this West Virginia fiddler by the great Alan Jabbour. I went to gCGCE tuning for ease of playing down the neck.By JanetB

1
Red Fox played by DougL

5M ago

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My friend Doug's versiongDGbdBy passed via Henry Reed

1
What's Gonna Become of Me

5M ago

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By mmuussiiccaall

1
Portsmouth Airs (TOTW)

5M ago

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This version of Portsmouth Airs is based on Buddy Thomas' fiddling. He'd visit Jimmy Wheeler, leaving Kentucky to go to the neighboring town of Portsmouth in Ohio.By Jimmy Wheeler

1
Whistling Rufus (TOTW)

6M ago

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A Tune of the Week written in the late 1800's, considered a ragtime or tin pan alley tune. It's a tough one to play, especially having just learned it today, but it was also an unusual tune to figure out.By Kerry Mills

1
Scully's Reel/Sail Away

6M ago

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What I worked out in gEADE tuning for playing clawhammer with piano at a contra dance. (it's for a dancing, so it's fairly long)From a couple of years ago, first dance from long break of Covid. Was a bit rough.By banjoak

1
Horses in the Canebreak

6M ago

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Playing around with gDGDE tuning.Also experimenting using BandLab app and some of built in fx and processing for mastering... to demo what it does (it is a bit much)By banjoak

1
Winderslide

6M ago

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This was an experiment using iPhone and BandLab app for quick multitrack in kitchen.By banjoak

1
Last of Sizemore (Hiram Stamper)(TOTW)

6M ago

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Old Kentucky crooked fiddle tunes are intriguing and Hiram Stamper is an authentic learning resource in my book. Bruce Greene recorded this one and it was tricky to arrange. I got some help listening to George Jackson, the New Zealander old-time player that's a pleasure to hear.By JanetB

1
Sally in the Garden

6M ago

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By jef

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