Just was wondering what were some of your favorite OT tunes that you like to pick on the mandolin. Usually mine are the newer ones that I've just learned ... most of the time. For instance I've just learned a really cool tune called "Fort Smith" in (G) not to be confused with "Fort Smith Breakdown". But that's a great tune too. According to Bill the OT fiddler in my band ... he got the tune Fort Smith from a field recording of Walt Koken. I believe his band is The Orphium Supertones. But that's about all I know about it. Great melody! Does any one have any more info on it? I love it. It's one of my favorites at this time.
I don't have anybody within 100 miles to learn new-old tunes from, and a computer is a poor substitute for an old-time fiddler. I run thru the tunes on the jukebox at banjohangout, and prowl a couple of other websites, but it's kinda cold and pointless. I wait all year to get to Winfield to hear new stuff. My fave right now is The Squirrel Hunters via Hartford and Compton. Fort Smith I'm not familiar with, but that might be pretty regional. I'd like to hear that.
My top 5 favorite OTM tunes to play on the Mando are: 1. Indiana Breakdown - Learned it from Old Time Mandolin Music by Clyde Curley and the Oxymorons 2. L'Ville - Learned it from The Volo Bogtrotters' CD Old Time String with Vocal Accompaniment 3. Southern Blues - Originally recorded in the late 20's by the Scottdale String Band, I learned a version off Adam Tanner's Rare Rags and Stringband Blues 4. Muddy Creek from Peter Ostroushko and Norman Blake's CD Meeting on Southern Soil 5. All Around the Mountain learned from Mando Mafia's Get Away CD. The IL-MO Boys did a great version of it on their Laugh and Grow Fat CD.
Hey Woodwizard, You're driving me crazy! I'm searching all over the web for Walt Koken playing Fort Smith and I can't find anything. I looked on my iTunes library and I have several versions of Fort Smith and Fort Smith Breakdown, but they are all basically the same tune. Do you know of link on the web to Koken's Fort Smith?
Sorry bout that Paul. I sure don't. I've seached pretty hard too. I'll ask Bill if he still has that field recording he got and see if I can get a copy of it for you. That's how Bill learned it on the fiddle and I learned it from Bill. I've got it memorized now and have tabbed it out. It's pretty much exactly the way Bill plays it. I could scan it and send to ya per email if you like. If I can figure a way to record me playing it that would really help you get the melody. It is nothing like Ft. Smith Breakdown. It has 3 parts. The first two parts are mostly G & D but the third part goes C to Am. Really a cool tune and clips along at a pretty swift tempo. While searching the net I ran across some information about a tune named Fort Smith that dates back as far as 1843 and was a tune that might have been for the calvry that was stationed around Fort Smith at that time but I don't have a clue if they were talking about the same tune. Wait a minute! I think I may have a mp3 version of our OT band playing it I could link for you. It's before I knew it so I'm just chopping away. Might have even been the first time I played it. Click the link below
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/at...9&d=1264489476
Some of my recent favorites are "Elk River Blues", "Five Miles from Town" (Clyde Davenport), "Yellow Rose of Texas" (Bruce Green's version), "Bound to Have a Little Fun", and "Texas."
We've been doing the old-time version of Yellow Rose of Texas. I'll have to check out Bruce Green's version ... bet it's the same.
Hey WoodWizard, thanks for the mp3. Great tune and great playing! It's not like Fort Smith tune I've run across. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks ...Your welcome. Here's a link to where I posted the tab for it on a thread at #19 http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=52959
Well it seems I've been playin' ...Money Musk, Ship in the Clouds and Cuffey a lot here lately. All three are great tunes.
Needlecase, Fly Around, Arkansas Traveller
Anything new that I'm picking seems to be favorites lately. Like... Flora's Eigth, Dubuque, Texas Gales & Boys Those Buzzards are Flyin'
Boys My Money is All Gone, and all the rest of them!
Black Cat in the Briar Patch, L & N Rag and Ways of the World ... sorta new ones for me. Luv em!
Just re-acquainted with a crooked version of Cindy Cindy
That's cool... I 'd like to hear that. One of my favorites is Yellow Barber. Have you tried that one?
"Booth Shot Lincoln" is a new one we've been picken' here lately. I really like that melody. It's old timey
Half Past Four and Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel. Works well on the ole' 8 string
Here are some of my favorite OT tunes to play on my mandolin: Whiskey Before Breakfast Grandfather's Clock Angelina Baker St. Anne's Reel Soldier's Joy
Those are some great tunes for sure. When you really start getting deep into oldtime one will find an endless supply of awesome tunes that aren't what you would call the reconizeable standards that are in most of the fiddle tune learning books for mandolins. The sad thing is the average person probably would not have ever heard most of em ... but there are some really GREAT! ones out there. I'm always on the hunt. I have some fiddle player friends that know hundreds of them. I'm pretty sure I will be studing OT for the rest of my life I think that's a good thing Keep pickin'
I've really been having fun with Squirrel Heads and Gravy these days. I'm doing it in an open G tuning, GDGD.
In the Pines. cripple creek, red river valley,
Roaring river, Little whiskey.
I've been playing "Elzic's Farewell" alot this week. First learned it on the guitar then the mandolin. Great Dm tune. Also been pickin' a new one for me called Salty River Reel (D) tune and a G tune called Cowhide Boots. The last 2 tunes I got some help by getting tab from Dan Levenson, a great OT picker. Thank you Dan !
anything played by these two - annie and mac: http://www.youtube.com/user/annieandmac
Lady of the Lake (a version you don't hear that much), Rugged Road & Cowhide Boots (two great Lymon Enloe tunes) and Rocky Pallet have been my favorites here the past few days. We gave them a good run through at the Mountain View Folk Festival this past weekend. Great tunes. I'm working on "Jump Fingers" now
Possom up a Gumb Stump
"Look On The Sunny Side" and "Lulu Walls", both by The Carter Family.
Alphie's Hornpipe, Ashokan Farewell, Ball and Chain Hornpipe, whiskey before breakfast, The Girl I Left Behind Me and Fishers Hornpipe are a few of my favorites I've been working on.....Luv em all!!!!!!
all good ones... Been playing "The L & N Rag" here lately. Pretty cool tune
"Cold and Frosty Morning" has been giving me a lot of joy lately! "Cuckoo's Nest" is another current favorite.
Just started "Lost Indian." What a fun tune!