Quicklink: flatpicker hangout tab archive

check it out, there are about 50 different tunes in there, mostly fiddle but some singing tunes as well.

Some songs to learn

Dumping this list 'cuz I keep losing the little pieces of paper.

Why Did You Wander
My Saro Jane
Washington County
Country Boy Rock 'n' Roll
Paradise
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
Home In the Mountains
Will you be Loving Another Man
All the Good Times are Passed and Gone
My Blue Eyed Darlin
Going Back to Old Kentucky
Hills of Roane County
Dill Pickle Rag
Sweet Potato Rag
She's no Angel

04/02/2009 RWC/5th Qtr Jam Report

Ah, spring is here. The days are longer, the nights are warmer, something about moonshine. Yeah.

I think the jam has hit critical mass and is just about self-sustaining. Folks are showing up without even really knowing how/where they heard of us. I think this is a good sign -- the jam has had enough impact to permeate into the collective, er, subconscious of the local bluegrass scene.

Or something like that.

In any case, the warmer and longer days mean that the 5th quarter jam is a sunny affair, where we hike up the blinds and let the evening sun keep us company whilst we pick. If we're lucky, we don't have to run the heat, for which the instruments thank us.

I've also noticed a movement away from the 'same old stuff' phenomenon. Yes, of course, we still play a lot of standards, but I've also noticed that folks are making the effort to bring out new (old) material to play at the jam. I think this is the sign of a healthy jam.

Here's the attendance list (best as I can remember) and the jam-setlist. UPDATE: Thx to Patrick for helping with Michael's name.

In attendance:
5 guitar: Linda G, Mark H, Michael S, Chris and a gentleman who gave me his name but was promptly .. lost. I'm sorry. I blame all the fast living in my youth. Michael S was HOT on the flatpicked Martin. I'm glad he came and hope he comes on back again.
3 banjo: Autumn, Robert, Jerry
1 dobro/saw: Patrick
1 mandolin: Dan (and darling daughter)

Some songs played:
Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
Mother's Not Dead (She's Only a'Sleeping)
Red River Valley
I Saw the Light
Lonesome Road Blues
Turkey in the Straw
Cripple Creek
Cherokee Shuffle
Blackberry Blossom
Foggy Mtn. Breakdown
Cumberland Gap
My Home Aint in the Hall of Fame
Little Maggie

I'm sure I missed about 30% of songs played. I know that the new gentleman picked a couple of tunes that, like his name, have flown the proverbial coop. Ah well. I'll bring a pen and paper next week.

Redwood City Bluegrass Jam Report: 3/26/09

Just a quick attendance and set list, more description over the weekend or if I can get more of a break from work.

In attendence:
5 guitar (Mike B, George B, Linda G, Chris, myself)
2 fiddle (Jamison, Brian)
3 banjo (Robert, Jerry, Autumn)
1 upright bass (Lou M)

Some songs played:
Red Haired Boy
Blackberry Blossom
Cherokee Shuffle
Bill Cheatem
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Red River Valley
Little Cabin Home on the Hill
I'll Fly Away
The Last Thing on my Mind
Wheels
No Ash Will Burn
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
Nine Pound Hammer
Sitting on Top of the World
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Angelina Baker
Will the Circle be Unbroken
Big Sciota
Better Times a'Comin
Katy Daley

Solid group, great jams, and I think I can safely speak for everyone when I say that we all had a great time.

Quicklink: All the Good Times / Maiden's Prayer / Red Wing

A quick dump of some arrangements I've been working on.

The Red Wing arrangement is still very much a basic melody / work in progress and will likely be updated.

All the Good Times Are Past and Gone - from Dix Bruce's double-stop mando tab (PDF)

Maiden's Prayer - key of A, rearranged from piano sheet (PDF)

Red Wing - from bluegrassguitar.com (PDF)

Jam update and whatnot coming later this evening.

Redwood City Bluegrass Jam Report: 2/5/09 at 5th Quarter

Here is an abbreviated jam report for last week's jam. Forgive me for not having all the information that I usually do -- it has been quite a week.

If you're considering coming out to the jam at all, consider coming out this month -- we're part of the NCBS Bluegrass on Broadway festival, which is a real treat. Rumour has it that Sid Lewis (http://www.acousticcollege.com, www.jamming101.com) will be in attendance either on the 19th or the 26th. I'll pass along more info as I receive it.

Jam participants will also receive a 20% discount off the 5th quarter menu, which is nice in these tough times.

Do you have a bluegrass or old timey band? Would you like easy exposure and 'face time' with like-minded folks within the scene? Consider coming out to the Thursday jam. Contact me individually if you're interested.

Anyway, on with the jam report:

In attendance
---
4 fiddle - Mostly new folks who were old-timey players.
5 guitar - Linda, George, myself, and two new gentlemen, both of whom were quite hot on the improv.
2 banjo - Robert and Jerry holding it down for a grand total of 10 strings between them.
1 hammer dulcimer / saw / dobro - Patrick the multi-instrumentalist! Believe it or not, the dulcimer can overpower both banjos and fiddles without even trying.
0 mandolin - but who is counting?

Some tunes played -- more incomplete than usual. I blame work.
---
June Apple
Sitting on Top of the World
Turkey in the Straw (aka 'do your ears hang low')
Angelina Baker
Red Haired Boy
Bury Me Beneath the Willow
I'll Fly Away
Katy Daley
Ragtime Annie
Cherokee Shuffle

NEW FEATURE: Practice Tunes!!!

If you are wondering what to practice between now and Thursday evening, here are two tunes I am guaranteed to call Thursday night. If you have any practice tunes that you would like featured for next week, email me and I will add them.

Practice Tunes for 2/12/09:
* Forked Deer (traditional, key of D)
- guitar : http://www.bluegrassguitar.com/tabs/ForkedDeer.html
- mandolin : http://www.mandolincafe.com/tab/fdeer.txt
- banjo : http://www.banjohangout.org/tabnew/files/forked_deer-677.tef (tabledit)
Sorry, I couldn't find fiddle tab.

* Nine Pound Hammer (C. Bowman, key of G)
- guitar : http://www.flatpick.com/blues/9lblesson.htm
- banjo : http://www.freeguitarvideos.com/banjo/B_13.html
- mandolin : http://www.mandolinsessions.com/jun04/hammer.html
No fiddle tab. What is it with the bluegrass fiddle online?

Quicklink: Ain't No Bugs On Me

Here's a easy and fun little tune. Made famous (as famous as any oldtime song may be in these days) by Garcia and Grisman's "Not for Kids Only".

I'll learn it to sing with the kid, if nothing else. I might make the jammers endure it, too.

TOTALLY IRRELEVANT UPDATE: Here is a great russian folktale that is very appropriate for the transition from the depths of winter into spring. For a good fifteen minutes of family time, tell the Snow Maiden story and THEN play Ain't No Bugs on Me for a mood-lifter.

UPDATEx2 NOW WITH EVEN MORE IRRELEVANT: I'm going to use this blag as my own bookmarking thing, because I can. Check out 'song of the day'. Teh funay.

Redwood City Old Time and Bluegrass Jam Report - 01/29/2009

1/29/2009 Jam Report
Old Time and Bluegrass Jam
5th Quarter Pizza, Redwood City CA

UDPATED 2/2/09: Added names that I figured out after-the-fact. TY to Mando Mike and Ran for the assists.

Short summary (my own):
Three hours of great jamming. Having a bassist around is always a treat! New folks every week, new tunes every week, top-notch jamming every time, and lots of old friendships being renewed. I do wonder what happened to all the mando players, though... Oh, and Ragtime Annie has a "C" part. Who knew?

In attendance:
4 guitar (George B, Linda Grace, Chris, myself)
3 banjo (Robert, Autumn, Patrick, and Aron from Ran's jam class)
2 dobro (Patrick, new guy)
2 fiddle players (both new to me. I promise I'll learn your names!
1 electric upright bass (John E)
0 mando

Partial setlist, not ordered correctly:
Blackberry Blossom
Red Haired Boy
Sitting on Top of the World
Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Wildwood Flower
Katy Daley
Ragtime Annie
Temperance Reel
John Hardy
Little Maggie
Maiden's Prayer
Kitchen Girl
Cherokee Shuffle
Clinch Mtn Backstep
Bill Cheatem
Red River Valley
City of New Orleans
Wheels
Paradise
Arkansas Traveller
Lay Me Down a Palette on Your Floor

Bluegrass / Old Time Jam Report: 1/22/2009

Bluegrass / Old Time Jam Report: 1/22/2009
5th Quarter Pizza, Redwood City CA

In attendance:
7 guitar (Myself, George B, Martin L, Lyn(?), two new guys and Mason's buddy with the D18)
2 mando (Mason & Dan)
2 fiddle (Two gentlemen new to the jam)
1 upright bass (Lou M)
2 banjo (Jerry and a new banjoist)

Short summary:
A good group of folks! Some of us were obviously pretty new to bluegrass/OT, some of us were old hands and quite skilled, some of us were just trying to hang on.
Lots of BG/OT, plus some americana/folk and jug band! I love it.
We started on time and were out the door at 10:30. A solid three hours of jamming...

Some songs played (incomplete, no particular order, no warranty)
---
Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Hard Times Come Again No More
On and On
Old Dangerfield
June Apple
Cherokee Shuffle
Blackberry Blossom
Big Sandy River
Salt Creek
Bill Cheatum
Blue Night
Red Haired Boy
Mississippi Sawyer
Earl's Breakdown
Catfish John
Iris Dement tune
Emmylou Harris tune
Foggy Mountain Top
Katy Daley
Better Times A' Comin'
Arkansas Traveller
Cora is Gone

Quick Link: Yet Another Old Time Fiddle Tune List

Here is an interesting list of old time and bluegrass fiddle tunes. This list is nice because it includes some lyrics for tunes that often get played without them. The page contains interesting historical information about the tunes as well.

No tabs, though, and not guitar-specific.

Quick Link: Jack Tuttle's Guitar Lesson Mp3s

Here is a winamp playlist containing links to all of the mp3s from Jack's guitar books that he has posted to his site: tuttle_online.m3u

Am I too retro, still using winamp (v5.08c baby!)?

Quick Link: The Mother-Lode of Old Time Fiddle Tunes for Guitar

All I have to say is holy crap.

I haven't looked at all of them yet, but I'm drooling in anticipation.

EDIT: This is also pretty sweet, and has a wider variety of instrument types...

EDITx2: Even more tab. Good god. Its a good thing I've got some time left on earth to learn all of this.

EDITx3: Sheesh. Those are ASCII, though. New Years resolution: learn 5 new tunes a month.

Quick Link: Temperance Reel Tab for Guitar

Here are a couple of takes on the old Irish reel:

Temperance Reel #1 [PDF]

Temperance Reel #2 [PDF]

There are also a number of tabs of this tune available out there on the net - clicky

I like this tune a lot, but no surprise there: I'm a sucker for Em.

Jam Report: Monday, 12/22/2008

This was the Monday Old Time jam at Fandango Pizza in Palo Alto.

Full details here.

I'll be posting a rundown of sheet/tab/chords for each of the tunes later. Probably tomorrow.