I know there are many keys this is played in. Which is the most common in jams?

Thanks!

J

Just recently started exploring the idea of going to a camp next year. Any suggestions?

Back in the day, I used to play guitar and sing in what I call the "coffee house" circuit. Usually it was either myself or one other and at most 3 of us. Now that I'm focusing more on clawhammer and old-time styles on the banjo, I was wondering if anyone else does any performing in a similar venue playing clawhammer banjo. If so, what type of music works best? Instrumental only, with singing, combo? What works best?

I'm taking a class to extend my knowledge of music theory. At first I was a bit skeptical of its use in banjo, but then I asked myself why not? Banjos make music, and music theory's about music.

Here's how I feel, in retrospect: While music theory won't help me put my fingers on the correct banjo strings, at the right time, it's a great guide in helping me to make music, and hear possibilities that I've never thought of before. Scales, triads, harmonized scales, diminished and suspended chords, etc. are all used to create interesting structures, and the banjo's certainly able to play most of those structures. So in that sense, at least, I believe I'll ultimately become a better banjo player, simply because I'll know more about music than I know now.

One of my favorite banjo players is a member of this forum, Curt Bouterse. Curt's well versed in music theory, as well as music history. I think his style of playing the banjo reflects that knowledge, and that's what makes his music sound different from my own ho-hum style of playing. He may not even be aware of it, it's probably subconscious, and drilled there by his musical training.

I've never heard of a case where more knowledge of one's subject made him or her less professional, and I'm already seeing this class pique my interest in trying to make music with a banjo, and give me some ideas on how I can get out of the rut and try new approaches.

The widespread popularity and the history of our current TOTW, Durang’s Hornpipe, surprised me, as well as its origins in New York, not the British Isles. 

John Durang--a well-known actor and dancer in his time, born in Pennsylvania in 1768--was presented with the tune in 1785, written expressly for him by his violin teacher in New York, a German dwarf named Mr. Hoffmaster.  As the tune’s popularity spread, Durang claimed that his hornpipe was heard from New York to “the other side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.” 

It’s amazing to me that John Durang is reported to have been a favorite entertainer of George Washington.  Seven tunes were uploaded on youtube in 2010 called “George Washington—Tunes for the First President.”  If you go to the next link at 4:30 you’ll hear the original Durang’s Hornpipe:  original Durang's Hornpipe on violin.  To learn more about his career, which included acting, dancing, puppetry, mime, tightrope walking, and painting, check out these links:  Excerpt from John Durang's memoirs plus musical notation for Durang's Hornpipe and Description of Durang's career, including Rickett's Circus (you’ll need to scroll down).  

In the descriptive article in the link above by Andrew Kuntz, Durang is credited for popularizing the dance for Sailor’s Hornpipe as well.  Here’s one of his believe-it-or-not feats:   He boasted in his memoirs that in 1790 he danced "a hornpipe on thirteen eggs blindfolded without breaking one."  Kuntz states “his hornpipe dancing seems to have been an immediate success, perhaps because audiences appreciated a native-born American performer in what was a largely English company in the years just after the American Revolution.”

Samuel Bayard’s book Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife states “this is one of the very few traditional dances about which we have dependable information as to its composer and date of composition.”  Subsequent versions “improved the original,” which Bayard called “banal” and he notated Durang’s Hornpipe for six Pennsylvanian fiddlers.  Keep in mind that Durang himself was born there, too, so the tune must have been quite common there, akin to something like Soldier’s Joy.

The tune is included in several other banjo and fiddle books in my own collection, including Dan Levenson’s Old-Time Festival Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo (with both old-time fiddlers and newer festival versions), The Banjo Picker’s Fakebook (arrangement by Bob Carlin), O’Neill’s Music of Ireland (#1772), and Ozarks Fiddle Music .

Bruce Molsky, playing with Bob Carlin on the CD Take Me As I Am, credits Brad Leftwich for their Durang’s Hornpipe, and from it I based the first section of three on my own recording and tab.  Here’s a snippet of their lively performance:   Track 3, Take Me As I Am   

Brendan Doyle posted on BHO an MP3 Clifftop jam with Adam Hurt.  Their version comes from Bruce Greene, who learned it from his own 1973 recordings of Kentucky fiddler, Jake Phelps (1883-1977):  Jake Phelps on Slippery Hill site  and  Adam, Beth Hartness and Brendan's Durang's Hornpipe.  It has a modulating part, considered unusual for this tune.   I use it for the second section of my MP3.  There isn’t a lot of information about Jake Phelps (1885 – 1977), but Bruce stated, “I met him when I was just getting started looking up older fiddlers….He was a farmer, lived in a little country place called Pea Ridge, Todd County, KY.   He learned many of his unusual tunes from a fiddler, Will Stigall (born in the 1860’s)while working in far western Kentucky….He also learned some from a local Black fiddler, George Holland….He did play for dances when younger.  Almost all of his versions of tunes were unusual, and for me, very appealing.”  I couldn’t find a photo of Jake Phelps, but have subsequently listened to several of his recordings and also find them appealing.

A second historic recording comes from the eminent Virginian fiddler Emmett Lundy.  He played it with a genuine hornpipe feel:  Lundy's Durang's Hornpipe recorded in 1941 by the Lomax's

 Here’s another version found on both Old Time Banjo Festival  and Adam’s Insight CDs:   Adam Hurt playing  Durang's Hornpipe  He says that he learned this from Jarred Nutter who learned it from West Virginian fiddler and Clifftop organizer Bobby Taylor, who in turn learned it from the powerful fiddling of famed Clark Kessinger—Bobby’s mentor when a teenager.  Bobby notes that Durang’s Hornpipe was one of Kessinger’s show pieces.  Adam calls this experience of learning the “folk process in action.”

When reading up on West Virginian fiddler Clark Kessinger’s life in The Devil’s Box by Charles Wolfe you discover that the elegance and intricacy of his bowing was partly influenced by popular classical violinists of the day.  He both listened to and even played for one—Joseph Szigeti.  In his words, he “caught the touch they had….Some kind of their kind of bowing, who I could kind of add to it with hillbilly.  Made it a lot better.” 

There’s been discussion on BHO about Adam’s lovely version of this piece, so I asked him about it and learned it for our current Skype lesson.   The added third C part Adam says is a variation on the second B part and is based on a bouncing bowing technique used by Clark Kessinger.  You can hear (and purchase for $.99) this Durang’s Hornpipe as a download from Smithsonian Folkways:  Clark Kessinger live at Union Grove, 1976.

Donald Zepp plays Durang’s Hornpipe in a relaxed, stylish manner.  I especially liked his slide into the B part and worked out the third section for my own recording of Durang’s Hornpipe based on Donald’s.

Banjo Hangout has some good MP3s and videos worth investigating in the Media Archive:

               J-Walk's Jam

               Laurence Diehl's take on Alan Munde

               Mark Ralston's fiddle/banjo duet

               Eric's solo

From searching youtube’s SIX-page list of Durang’s Hornpipe videos I found several I liked:

             Carolina Chocolate Drops   Carolina Chocolate Drops with dancing (barefoot Rhiannon)

Timothy Twiss   Timothy Twiss playing minstrel style from Ryan's Mammoth Collection (with notation from that 1800’s resource)

             Tim Rowell   Tim Rowell's clawhammer version  (I hear some Jake Phelps influence)

             Dean O. Robinson   Luthier Dean playing a newly made banjo

I hope to hear your own Durang’s Hornpipe this week and am glad I finally worked on it, as it seems to be a basic tune to have in one’s repertoire

Hey there, I'm very new to clawhammer, but so far, I love it! One question I was wondering about was the position of the lead finger. I'm leading with my index finger, and I find it tends to straighten out a bit from the other fingers in order to strike the string. Is that natural or ok? I was also wondering what part of the finger nail is actually supposed to strike the string - I'm finding it tends to be pretty far down my nail, and I'm wondering if it's supposed to be closer to the tip instead. 

Watch a preview video >

Key of G – gDGBD

In this, Tunetorial number 12, Dan "Clawdan" Levenson teaches Great Big Taters in a Sandy Land. This one has several other names and is not as often played in sessions as some other tunes but once you start playing it everyone will want to join on in!

Dan has recorded this one in G though many folks play it in A, and has recorded the crooked 3 part version that is in his book.

Texas fiddle greats Eck Robertson and Lewis Thomasson both play this in G. When Eck was recorded, he started with a B part but does play the parts in the order written here ending with the C part. Lewis Thomasson likewise starts on B and then plays through.

Dan has written it crooked with two extra measures in the A part. W. E. Claunch with Christine Haygood play it that way on the Great Big Yam Potatoes recording as do Lisa Ornstein with Andy Cahan and Laura Fishleder on their landmark recording Ship in The Clouds which is probably where I first heard this tune.

Like all old time, everyone plays it different. That is just how they did it, so you get to choose how you are going to play it. Just make sure y'all agree before you start or at least be ready to adjust as you go.

In this and all of the Tutorials, Dan plays the tune three times through up to speed then slow starting with a basic version and building to an advanced one. Then Dan plays the basic version and breaks it down phrase by phrase. Same with the advanced.

This is tune number 23 tabbed out in Dan's newest book "Old-Time Favorites for Clawhammer Banjo" (MelBay 30224). Tab and standard notation with 2 cds of banjo and fiddle audio tracks. The fiddle notation and mandolin tab can be found in the companion book “Old Time Favorites for Fiddle and Mandolin” (MelBay 30225)

You can purchase the video lesson (for unlimited streaming and download) here on the Banjo Hangout for $6. Get it here >

Dan and I would love to hear any feedback you have on these videos, so feel free to post or email us. Our goal here is provide a steady, affordable way for people to learn a new clawhammer tune weekly (or as often as they'd like).

If you're working on the tune, record yourself and post it below--we'd love to hear your progress!

Anyone have any ideas where I might  find a copy of Saro by Matokie Slaughter and The Back  Creek Buddies?

I asked this in the Set-Up section, but I thought I would put it here too since it mostly involves OT-type issues. Here's what I posted in Set-Up:

I just noticed these when looking at Just Strings. I read what Just Stings said about them being mellower/darker-sounding and mostly used on electric guitars. Has anyone every tired them on a banjo. If I'm reading correctly, they might be good for OT players, plus the flat wound strings are supposed to be easier on the fingers. Anyone know?"

A few years ago I purchased The Amazing Slowdowner. Since then, that computer hard drive crashed. I recently purchased a new version of the ASD. The old ASD had a feature that I cannot figure out how to find, if it is even there on the new ASD. The old version had a speed training feature where you could create a loop that would gradually incrementally increase in BPM as it repeated. For example lets say you created whole song as a loop. You could then set the number of times the loop was to play, in this example say you set it at 10 times. Next you then set the incrementing feature with relationship to BMP. You could set the BMP to set, in this example, to start at 85 BPM and stop at 95 BPM. 

When all this was done, you pushed the play button, the song would play through 10 times with the BPM increasing each loop, 1 BPM starting the first loop at 85 BMP and the 10th loop played at 95 BPM 

Can someone that has the newest version tell me firstly, if it still has this feature? If it does, can you send me some "cliff notes" on how to use this feature again?

Thanks Much...

Mike Tappe

Hey Gang:

I used to host a Sunday Old Time Jam near the New Hampshire seacoast on Sunday afternoons, in Durham, New Hampshire.  I am thinking about starting again.  Is there interest out there, especially among fiddlers/guitar players?

Malcolm

This week's selection is Dark Eyes Reel, a fiddle tune in D, composed by A. S. Bowman and published in The Young Violinist's Favorite, No. 1, A Collection of Popular Music as Follows: Mazurkas, Overtures, Straight Jigs, Marches, Quadrilles, Reels, Galops, Polkas, Selections, Irish Jigs, Waltzes, Lancers, Hornpipes, Schottisches by The Homan Publishing House, Chicago, in 1891. The book sold for years through the Sears catalog and reasonably-priced second-hand editions are pretty easy to find. I stumbled on a copy a few years ago at an antiques mall in Wisconsin.

Dark Eyes Reel is one of four reels included in the book. The others are Never Tired Reel (G), Little Kid Reel (D), and Happy Thought Reel (G).

It seems like tunes from a widely-distributed book would be learned, played, and passed on, but to date I've only found two mentions of Mr. Bowman's tunes associated with other musicians. According to Paul Tyler, Indiana fiddler Lotus Dickey played Never Tired Reel and Creighton's Hornpipe (also in the book). And Toivo Oksanen, a Minneapolis conductor, made handwritten copies of Never Tired Reel and Dark Eyes Reel for an unknown use in 1938.

The two other mentions of Bowman tunes that I was able to find Googling are below.

1) Never Tired Reel is included in the Traditional Tune Archive.

2) All four appear in Frolic and Fun: first grade pieces for piano by Walter Rolfe, published in 1922 by Boston Music Co.

I wasn't able to find any recordings of the reels online but you can listen to Creighton's Hornpipe here.

So, why did I choose Dark Eyes Reel for TOTW? For one rather whimsical reason: I like the B part. I don't think I know any other fiddle tune that uses the same slur-into-three-notes pattern and it seems to offer lots of space for variation. I also like that it appears in at least one other tune in the book so, to me, it's very Bowman. : )

Here is the original notation for Dark Eyes Reel.

And here's one A and one B transfered over to a tef file so that I could provide a transcription in banjo tab. (This tab is for reference; I didn't tweak it to be a banjo version of the tune.)

And, here's an unpracticed almost-in-tune read through of it on fiddle to give you an idea of how it might go. It reminds of other D tunes that I've played, but nothing specific comes to mind. Does the A part remind you of anything in particular?

I've been experimenting with Dark Eyes Reel on the banjo for a couple of weeks but I'm still not sure how I want to play it. I'll post a couple of practice recordings before the week is over.

In the meantime, I'm hoping that some of you will come up with your own versions of the tune. I'd love to hear your interpretations. I'm looking forward to the day when I'll be wandering around a festival and all of a sudden something will catch my ear and I'll think, "Oh, wow! That's one of Albert's tunes!"

A Little Bit about Albert S. Bowman

When I first purchased the book, I had no idea who A. S. Bowman was and it didn't appear that anyone else did either. Below is a quick summary of what I've learned about him to date. (Message me if you're interested in the sources.)

Albert S. Bowman was born in Pennsylvania in 1844 and grew up in Manheim, a small town in Lancaster County. His father was Henry B. Bowman, a physician and business man who served two terms in the state legislature, and his mother was Elizabeth Neff.

As one of three children in a family that lived in comfortable circumstances, I suspect Albert had access to formal musical training from a young age, but I haven't been able to confirm that.

In the 1860 census, Albert was sixteen, living at home, and working as a clerk. By 1867, he was a "Professor of Music on the Flute, Viol, Bass Viol, etc." (1867 Course Catalog) at the State Normal School in Millersville, and in 1868, the year he turned 24, he took over leadership of a local orchestra. The Lancaster Intelligencer announced "Professor W. H. Keffer has withdrawn from Keffer's Orchestra. A. S. Bowman, a member of the band, and an excellent musician, will take the leadership so long and so ably filled by Prof. Keffer." Washington H. Keffer was a music teacher, composer, and "dealer in all kinds of MUSIC and MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS" in the Lancaster area.

The newspaper then began reporting on "Professor Bowman's Orchestra." The group played for a number of events at the school including a literary society anniversary where "the music was furnished by Bowman's Orchestra in their usual excellent style."

In the 1870 Lancaster census, Albert was enumerated as a musician living with his wife Annie S. and his son, four-year-old Charles L. By 1880 the family had relocated to Reading, a larger city about thirty miles northeast of Lancaster. This time his occupation was listed in the census as "music dealer." Charles, age 15, was a "clerk in store," most likely working in his father's business.

As a music dealer, A. S. probably sold instruments and sheet music. It's also possible that he gave lessons and participated in the local music community. He was also composing and publishing. In the early 1880s, Albert authored a violin method book entitled Excelsior method and progressive school for the violin (Pt. 1) and in 1885 he wrote a 55-page guide called How to teach orchestras: a thorough instructor in the art. He published The Young Violinist's Favorite in 1891.

The 1890 census is unavailable and I haven't been able to find Albert in the 1900 census, but by the turn of the century, he had moved to Philadelphia and developed a relationship with J. W. Pepper, a music publisher in Philadelphia. He authored numerous books for them including works focusing on opera, band, and orchestral music.

In 1908, The J.W. Pepper collection of 500 reels, jigs, clogs, flings, hornpipes, stop jigs, sand jigs, straight jigs, walk-arounds, buck and wing dances and fancy and country dances for violin with tunes "Composed, Selected and Arranged by A. S. Bowman" was published. I borrowed a copy through interlibrary loan hoping to discover new Bowman tunes but, unfortunately, the book didn't indicate which of the entries were composed by Albert and which ones were from other sources. (In the late 1980s, someone by the name of Roland S. Mulder owned the book that I borrowed and it looks like he studied the tunes methodically, making check marks and noting dates. If you recognize the name, please message me.)

Albert's wife Annie died in 1909. The following year, Albert, age 65, was still living in Philadelphia. His occupation, recorded in the 1910 census, is difficult to read but it probably says "theater musician." Albert appeared in the 1911 Philadelphia directory living at the same address and then the next mention I find of him is in a 1922 issue of Music Supervisor's Journal in an advertisement for Thirty Standard and Popular Operas, Selected and Arranged by A. S. Bowman and Mackie-Beyer and published J. W. Pepper. The advertisement reads, "Ready at last!" and "Just off the press!" Mackie-Beyer was "Pepper's most prolific arranger/composer."

In 1930, Albert and his son Charles were both "music writers" living in Manhattan, near Times Square. Five years later, at the age of 91, Albert died of chronic lymphatic leukemia and bilateral bronchopneumonia at City Hospital on Welfare Island in Manhattan. His son signed a notarized document stating that Albert had expressed a desire to be cremated and his death certificate lists place of burial as "Fresh Pond Crematory."

Found this in the archives, from almost exactly 5 years ago:

"maryzcox - Posted - 08/15/2009:  12:11:15

"I do have some really nice well thought out lesson plans for beginning and intermediate students in clawhammer that work well in small groups. 

I have thought that I would be willing to give a 6-8 week group course for beginners and another 6-8 week course for folks who have completed that course if there was any interest in Tallahassee and if there was a nice public place that would be willing to provide class space without charge. 

There would need to be at least 6 interested banjoists per class for it to be doable and for the tuition to be reasonable."

(http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/155198)

Please, tell me it's not too late to make this happen!!

I have a nice space in downtown Tallahassee that would be available at no cost!

Wishful thinking... :)

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am a green clawhammerer that only plays solo & has no experience playing with groups.

When I play alone the tunes I play are focused pretty tightly around melody. I know in OT groups the fiddle(s) play melody, so I'm trying to get my head around to understanding what the banjo should be doing? Does the banjo become more of a rhythm instrument by playing mostly chords, or do they share in melody roles? How does the clawhammer banjo fit in with the group?

i clawhammer but i'm trying to figure out how to drop thumb.  any advice or good instructional videos to recommend? 

I have decided to try to learn to play the banjo.  I think I want to concentrate on Old Time Style / Clawhammer.  Does anyone know of a good teacher in Achorage Alaska or a good place to start be it a book or internet site?  This is a nice site I'm glad I found it.  Thanks in advance.

Watch a preview video >

Key of G – gDGBD 

In this, Tunetorial number 13, we switch it up a bit when Dan "Clawdan" Levenson teaches Old Joe Clark in a Wade Ward influenced version, by request. 

Recorded this one in G though many folks play it in A.

Like all old time, everyone plays it differently, but the masters from the Round Peak area of the country (Mt. Airy, NC, Galax, VA) did things just a bit MORE different than others which added spark to the tunes and made them not quite what everyone else played.

In this tunetorial, Dan does things a bit differently too as he just starts into the tune and varies, adjusts, arranges and teaches the sections as he goes. Let him know how you like this different approach. 

This tune is tabbed out in Dan's book "Wade Ward - Clawhammer Master" (MelBay 22243). There is a tab both “as Wade played it” transcribed by Bob Carlin and “as Dan interpreted it” transcribed by me. The book contains 28 of Wade’s tunes transcribed in this manner.

BTW, as summer comes to a close and Dan is getting ready to head back west to Tucson, AZ, there might have to be a couple of weeks until the next tunetorial. Should be back on schedule by the first week of September so now is a good time to catch up on some of the other tunes and refine the ones you have been working on so far.

It would be great to hear some of your versions so far so post them here for all to hear!

You can purchase the video lesson (for unlimited streaming and download) here on the Banjo Hangout for $6.
Get it here >

Dan and I would love to hear any feedback you have on these videos, so feel free to post or email us. Our goal here is provide a steady, affordable way for people to learn a new clawhammer tune weekly (or as often as they'd like).

If you're working on the tune, record yourself and post it below--we'd love to hear your progress!

I have been playing the banjo ,off and on, for some time, and I don't think I ever have played a tune the same way twice.  If the melody notes are hit at the proper beat and if you are in the proper chord, do all the fill notes have to be repeated as shown in a tab?  I find it easier to learn if I get the melody right and then play with it.  I look at the tab to see if there are some neat things to enhance the tune.  I'll pull off here and hammer there and drop a thumb if it seems to sound good.

What do you real banjo players do ?

Just asking.  I don't play for anyone except myself and the grandkids when I can get them to sit still.

azghi

I just found myeself a new tuning. New for me, anyway. Starting with GDGBD, I tuned down the 5th string to get DDGBD. Not good for fiddle tunes, probably, it's not bright enough. It's good for ballads, specifically melancholy ballads, it has a great sound for those. And it's easy to remember.

With my husband being a bit of a train buff, we are having fun learning lots of train tunes.

Someone mentioned "Glendale Train" and after listening to it I have been looking for a CH version, but only seem to find BG versions online.

If anyone can help with a tab (preferably in PDF) that isn't too complicated for persons that are still feeling their way into the banjo world.

IF you know of other train tunes we could try, please list them here

 - some train tunes we have learnt so you get an idea of what we like are  ~ Wreck of old 97 ~ New River Train etc. 

Much appreciated - Christine