My Father's Footsteps

 This is My Father's Footsteps.  I've only been working on it for 4 days and I'm playing it very slowly, but I think you can hear how it goes.  Here's the tab and my video.

Sally Ann

 I've been working this for about 4 weeks so it should be better than this, but you get what you pay for.

Here's Sally Ann.

A Hundred Years From Now.

 This is a new song I'm working on for my next lesson.  A Hundred Years From Now.

And here's a link to the Banjo Tab:

A Hundred Years From Now

Jerusalem Ridge

 I've been working on Jerusalem Ridge for a couple of weeks, and here's how it's coming so far.  It's a long song with 4 parts each played twice so it's almost impossible for me to get all the way through without screwing up somewhere (especially while trying to record it on video), so give me a little slack on this one.

Here's the Tab -- it's in Am.

Oh Susanna

New song this week.  Oh Susanna.  Everyone probably is familiar with it.  I've practiced it for 5 days and still has lots of rough spots, but here's the video:

And the Banjo Tab:

Play List

Our Tuesday jam plays a lot of songs, but I made up a list of those we play frequently.  So while this is in no way a comprehensive list of our jam songs, these come up a lot.


Played Open:

Blackberry Blossom

Lonesome Road Blues

Down Yonder

Will the Circle be Unbroken

Ballad of Jed Clampett

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Dear Old Dixie

Dixie Hoedown

John Hardy

East Virginia Blues

Fireball Mail

Ground Speed


Capo 2:

Gold Rush

Old Joe Clark

Theme Time

Cherokee Shuffle

Bill Cheatham

Big Sandy River

Doug’s Tune

Ragtime Annie

Blue Night

Clinch Mountain Backstep

Red Haired Boy

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Cul-de-Sec Jam Tuesday 5/5/2020.

Tuesday's jam worked out well.  6 folks showed up, which was enough for a good jam without overwhelming our social distancing.  Here's a short video of us playing Down Yonder.

Down Yonder Video

Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom

I got a new song in my lesson on Wednesday.  It’s Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom (not related to the Blackberry Blossom we all play).  I had never heard it before and it seemed almost discordant at first, but after playing it a couple hundred times over the past 4 days, it begins to make musical sense.  It’s still very bluesy but not actually discordant.  It’s a fiddle tune and is usually played fast, but slow is the best I can do so far.

Here's The Tab:

Ragtime Annie on the Banjo

A couple of weeks back I posted my video of Ragtime Annie on the Mandolin.  This week I learned it on the Banjo, so here is that along with the TAB for it.  It's still pretty ragged but will be better as I work on it a bit more.

Ballad of Jed Clampett

Here's a banjo classic that I never got around to learning until this week.  The Ballad of Jed Clampett.  Here's my video and the TAB for the song.

1946

1946 predates me by a few years (not many), but I liked this song and found some images that went with the lyrics.  So here's my mashup.
Enjoy:

Blue Night

I used to play Blue Night, but hadn't in quite a while, so I thought I'd bring it back.  It's a singing song The tab says capo 3 and play in Bb, but I've been playing in the key of A (capo 2), so when we get back together we can see if that key works for us.  Here's my version along with the words and banjo tab.

Blue Night:

Blue night I got you on my mind

Blue night I can’t keep from crying

You met someone that was new

You quit someone that you knew was true

Blue night I got you on my mind



Blue night blue as I can be

I don’t know what’ll become of me

Where we used to walk I walk alone

With an aching heart because my love is gone

Blue night blue as I can be



Blue night ‘cause I’m all alone

I used to call you on the telephone

I used to call and it made you glad

Now I call and it makes you mad

Blue night ‘cause I’m all alone



Blue night all by myself

Since you put me on that shelf

There's just one thing that you must know

You’re gonna reap just what you sow

Blue night, all by myself

Blue night, all by myself

Here's the Tab:

I hope you like this one.

Ragtime Annie - On the Mandolin

OK.  I don't usually play the Mandolin for these videos and for good reason.  I'm not very good at it.  But I was playing Ragtime Annie and don't know it at all on the banjo, so I figured I had nothing to lose.  Here's Ragtime Annie.

John Prine - Flag Decal

John Prine passed this week from the Covid-19 virus.  A huge loss.  Here is a YouTube of one of his classics.
Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore:

Shenandoah Valley Breakdown

I learned Shenandoah Valley Breakdown a couple of years ago, but hadn't played it in so long I had to work on it a while to get it back. This and a few other songs are posted on my blog:

Beaumont Rag

This is a first cut at Beaumont Rag.  I've been working on it for about a week as I hide out from the Covid-19 virus.  It is still not totally up to speed and there are plenty of rough spots, but another week of self isolation and it should be about ready.

Everyone keep practicing.

Little Darlin Pal of Mine.

Did this back in September but don't think I had posted it.  Little Darlin Pal of Mine is pretty much the same song as This Land is Your Land.

Videos from Mary Jane.

Mary Jane Cupp provided links to several YouTube videos of Bluegrass standards (mostly fiddle tunes).  Some more professionally done than others, but worth trying to play along.

Ragtime Annie:

Redwing:

Cherokee Shuffle:

November Rain:

Mississippi Sawyer:

Enjoy.

Cold Frosty Morning & Sailors Hornpipe

Fred recorded these:

Cold Frosty Morning

Sailors Hornpipe:

Enjoy.

Janet's Jams & Workshops on Soundcloud.

Here’s a link to Janet’s workshop:

Click Here for Janet on SoundCloud

Hot Burrito Breakdown.

Here is Hot Burrito Breakdown.  I recorded it a couple of months back and decided to share it.  You can tell by the expression on my face that I'm struggling to get through it.

Lonesome Road Blues.

Here is Lonesome Road Blues.  I recorded this a few weeks ago, and thought it would be a good place to start posting.

Starting a bluegrass jam blog.

To keep track of and share our Tuesday Night jam songs, I'm starting this blog.  If it doesn't pan out, that's OK, but we'll give it a try.

I'll post tabs, links and videos that I think might be useful or interesting.  Feel free to add your content and comments

More to follow.