Fiddle Hangout Top 100 Old-Time Songs

Multitrack recording with fiddle (AEAE), banjo, guitar, and bass.

Here's a tune I've been liking a lot from the new Spencer/Rains CD. Trying to nail the rhythm by using a metronome, and coming up a bit short, but it's close.

Lee Sexton, banjo and lead vocal; Paul David Smith, fiddle; Doug Dorschug, guitar and harmony vocal. Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Port Townsend, WA 7/10/04 Thanks to Charlie Beck for the recording.

Hop high, ladies, the cake's all dough. Me, my fiddle and my ukulele.

This is Chattanooga, key of G, tuned GDAE

Three-part 'Cumberland Gap.' Banjo by Josh Beniston, 2014 Santa Fe Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival banjo champion.

Ed and I trying to get some stuff together... Fiddle:AEAE

Will Keys, banjo Doug Dorschug, guitar

Not Drunken Hiccups or the Texas tune

Just playing with BandLab app on iphone

A fiddle tune often played by fiddler James Bryan. This multitrack recording is a "skeleton" version of the tune [just can't hit all the fiddle 8th notes anymore] and features melody banjo and fiddle in the first round and throughout, guitar starting with latter part of round one, and bass and lightly played clawhammer rhythm starting in the second round. Earbuds improve audibility of all the parts.

Key of C for those of you playing along

While this is not the last time I will try recording this song and tune, it's what I did a few years ago. I like the idea of singing acappella at different times in the song though those times are not set in stone. O Death is adapted from Dock Boggs banjo version and Glory in the Meeting House is from Luther Strong. The fiddle is tuned EDAE (a tuning which I think works much better than standard for those who have adapted fiddle versions of Hobart Smith's banjo tune "Last Chance").

For the Mar 2013 VFF. Tuned AEAC#.

My daughter Katie, and Me... paying..

Belatedly for the Dec 2014 VFF. AEAE

This is not the well known tune of the same name. :)

GDgd / learned from a Steven Rosen recording on "Old Timey Giants" // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R0P89DXJD8

GDgd. A Henry Reed tune I learned from an Alan Jabbour and Bertram Levy recording. I can't find a YouTube video with this recording.

I learned this tune from Hangout member, Woody McKenzie. It is an original tune by him.

FCFC tuning

Banjo and Guitar backup for this tune available at oldtimejam.com.

My take on an old classic. I like to do it in a medley of Mason's Apron / Wake Up Susan / Billy Wilson. Key of A; GDAE tuning. Recorded 2/21/2013

I play this in D with fiddle tuned ADae. I learned this from a recording of the Morgantown Rounders on their CD “The Morgantown Rounders”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpnfhbiDuA8 There is a brief entry at Fiddler's Companion: http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/SAA_SAIG.htm SADIE AT THE BACK DOOR. Old-Time, Breakdown. Composed by Seattle old-time musician Jere Canote, originally written as a banjo tune. Sadie was a cat. Carlin (Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo), 1983. CCF2, Cape Cod Fiddlers – “Concert Collection II” (1999). Rooster Records, Sandy Bradley & the Small Wonder String Band. Rounder 0172, Bob Carlin. So this tune was written by Jere Canote. Here is a video of him and his brother playing the tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4ht2GEdzzA DLA / Jake Krack. http://dla.acaweb.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/berea/id/2843/rec/2 I didn't find anything at Slippery-Hill.

A nice tune I've been learning, playing it on the cigar box fiddle's 9th birthday.

For Dec VFF

Multitrack of Eighth of January featuring guitar, banjo and fiddle.

About a month ago, I uploaded a first recording. Since then, I literally took a week off work to work on my fiddling. My aim was to reach a basic level of comfort and familiarity with the instrument. I'm satisfied with my progress so far.

I made up this tune three years ago, but wasn't satisfied that it was unique enough. Then I forgot about it and stumbled across it the other day and decided to get some outside opinions, yours, if you'd be so kind. In G, fiddle - GDAE, banjo - gDGDE.

My daughter Katie, and me playing fiddle duet on Barlow knife at the Indiana Fiddlers Gathering 2019.

Trevor Stuart

2/5/2011 Jam, Ajo, AZ. Jam participants included Dan & Jennifer Levenson, Dan Everts, Linda Argentino, Bruce Blackburn, Charlie and Martila Shirley, Paul Muhlrad, John Walkenbach, George Flink, John White, Carina Ravely. Recorded by Paul Muhlrad.

2015 Virtual Fiddle Festival May AKA Stumptailed Dolly. Learned from the playing of Wm. H. Stepp. Standard tuning.

for vff Jan 2015

My take on another old classic. Kind of patterned after Edden Hammons version; GDAE tuning. Recorded 2/21/2013

Virtual Fiddle Fest tune for Nov ཋ. Fiddle tuned DDad. Played on the Lyons and Healy. Big shout out to the Garage Band Pop Strings for providing the relentless backup.

A quick recording made on the 4th of July, triple-tracked on a Zoom H4n. I learned this version mostly from the playing of the Canote brothers.

This is a tune from the great Kentucky fiddler Buddy Thomas, who died far too young at age 39. From a late night Clifftop 2016 session with Rhys Jones and Tashina Clarridge, fiddles; Brendan Doyle, banjo; Erica Weiss, guitar; Simon Chrisman, bass. Recorded by Keith Stubbs.

Performed by Tom and Jon Play Old Time Music Tom Collins: Hartel minstrel banjo Jon Anderson: fiddle and voice The whole CD is available on CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomandjonplayoldtimemusi2

A beautiful, archaic-sounding tune from the beloved West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine. From a late night Clifftop 2016 session with Rhys Jones and Tashina Clarridge, fiddles; Brendan Doyle, banjo; Erica Weiss, guitar; Simon Chrisman, bass. Recorded by Keith Stubbs.

Played in G. Fiddle tuned Gdgd. I learned this from another recording from the Lonesome Stragglers CD Susquehanna Waltz. I'm pretty sure Ernie Carpenter is the source for this version. https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/cabin-creek There are several tunes that go by the name Cabin Creek. And some of those other versions go by other names. Fiddler's Companion is not much help on the version I learned. DLA does not have this version.

Virtual Fiddle Festival Jan 2015 - got some ideas from my memory of the popular song and Cyril Stinnett. Recorded on the Knilling. ADae

It was raining. I put a microphone outside the bunkhouse for a spell...then the jam ensued....

Inspired by the topic: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/topic/43494, An audio list: Yew Piney Mountain from Lester McCumbers, mostly, Sandy Boys (Edden Hammons), Old Christmas Morning (French Carpenter), Elzick's Farewell (combination of French Carpenter and Doc White), Ways of the World (Wm. H. Stepp), Liza Jane (Carter Brothers & Son), Mike in the Wilderness (John Salyer), Spring's All Muddy and the Pond's All Dry (Burl Hammons), Walk Chalk Chicken (Melvin Wine), John Henry (Fred Cockerham, fiddle; Kyle Creed, banjo), Last of Callahan (Luther Strong)

Old timey Fiddle tune I learned off a friend.

GDgd / learned this from a Rachel Eddy version on her CD "Chilly Winds" / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk8_0IUSoF0

Learned from the playing of John Alexander Brown (b. 1869), recorded on May 12, 1939 in Iula, Mississippi. Part of the September ཋ Virtual Fiddle Festival. Eastman 401 fiddle tuned GDad.

This is me and my daughter playing Mississippi Sawyer.. A little shaky at first.. Hope you like it.

Me and Dan Willens sitting around the kitchen table..

2016 Virtual Fiddle Festival June entry. Played on the Eastman 305 recorded with my Alcatel phone using Rec Forge app.

Learned from Erskine Morris (Douglastown, Gaspé, Quebec)

Added a fiddle track to this Ernie Carpenter tune I originally recorded for the Banjo Hangout old-time tune of the week. http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/257909

A syrupy twin fiddle version of Blackberry Waltz, a tune I got from Fred Stoneking. Apparently it was written and recorded in the 30's by Nonnie Presson and the Perry County Music Makers. Pretty tune! Twin fiddles by Nick Bachman.

Tom Elder banjo

The players are Mark Simos, fiddle; Brendan Doyle, fretless banjo; Tina Liza Jones, guitar. From a late night session at Clifftop 2002, recorded by Ross West. Learned from the playing of Marcus Martin.

AEAE. Learned from the CD Traditional Dance Tunes.

PigAnkle - recorded 1991 - Kirk Hunter- fiddle, David Allen - Banjo, RIchard Chance - Guitar. Learned Pickin' Chickens from a recording of Allen St., as well as from my good friend, Bob Atchison. I learned this unusual version of Grey Eagle from an old timer in Mtn.View during the spring Folk Festival. It is somewhat similar to the transcrition in the Christeson's "Old Time Fiddler's Repertoire." I can't believe 1991 was THAT long ago!!

For the SEP 2015 VFF.

GDgd / learned from Kirk Sutphin (Kirk & Riley - Long Time Peidmont Pals) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp89QHx71bw

My friend, Bill Lorton and I were playing Sugar Hill and we sounded great IMO...SO, I suggested that we stop and turn on a recorder..Well, red light fever set it... This is what we came up with. Enjoy

From the playing of John Hartford

Still needs a little work.. Just made it up yesterday.

Inspired by Dick Hutchison. Key of D in GDAE

For Oct VFF

Tune for Jan 2015.

December VFF2014 fiddle tuned GDgd. Learned from John Ashby's recording at the Slippery Hill website.

GDgd / learned from Mill City Grinders / here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGAxRjWNqrs

Foe the NOV 2013 VFF. GDGD

For June VFF

Still working on the timing a bit, but it's starting to sound like I want it to.

Concocted from a combination of performance and notation from Luke Hignight and Uncle Dick Hutchison.

Flatwoods in GDAD, Round Peak Version

In memory of all the great musicians who have passed on. Taken from Edden Hammons. RIP Richard Dissmore.

Playing new five cent piece on the fiddle and banjo.

From Fate Morrison.

For the August 2013 VFF. Tuned GDGD.