Banjo Hangout - Playing Advice: Clawhammer and Old-Time Styles Forum Feed

Doc Watson’s Right Hand Playing

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:36:45 CST

There has been much discussion over whether Doc played much clawhammer style banjo. I agree with Dan Gellert (excerpted from another thread below) that it was a lot less than most people think. Particularly early on, Doc played a North Carolina two-finger index lead up-picking style Following the Gellert excerpt is a link to a YouTube video I just discovered that provides the best views of Doc's 2-finger playing.

quote:
Originally posted by Dan Gellert
Old-time banjo players were all over the place when it came to the mechanics of playing, and a lot of what sounds like (or is called) "clawhammer" is something other than the rapping/knockdown/stroke style (stroke down with a fingernail, pull with the thumb) that usually bears the name nowadays.

Doc Watson could rap, but usually, if you hear him playing what sounds like clawhammer style, he's actually playing index-lead 2-finger style-- all the index finger notes are plucked upward, and the hand is usually planted (I think Doc rested his wrist on the head, but most will use the 4th or 3rd+4th finger, like Scruggs.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yr8VS9OHAc

Advice wanted for a Scruggs-style player trying to learn clawhammer

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:22:35 CST

I've been playing banjo, off and on, for over 30-years. All three-finger Scruggs style. I've always loved the sound of clawhammer as well and have tried to teach myself how to play over a dozen times without luck. I start out OK, but then my fingers automatically take over and I find myself doing rolls. I've always admired folks like Steve Martin who can competently play both styles. Is there hope for an old Scruggs player like me to learn clawhammer? I say yes, but my noggin says no. Advice?

TOTW 6/19/26 — Come Along Boys, Let's Go To Anaky

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:45:16 CST

This weeks TOTW is "Come Along Boys, Let's Go To Anaky" (or "Come Along Boys AND Let's Go to Anaky") from Kentucky's Gusty Wallace. It's a fun little tune with a funny little B part that I picked up from Jim and Joyce Cauthen at a jam a few weeks ago.

I can find very little info about this tune. It has no entry on the Tune Archive or Secondhand Songs, only a few versions on Youtube, and just the single source recording on Slippery Hill. The B section that I learned and that you'll see in the YouTube videos below shares its first phrase with Waynesboro, a feature not found in the source recording on Slippery Hill. I'm not sure if Gusty Wallace ever played it the way everyone else does or if the folk process just conflated the two tunes over the years, but I learned it the Waynesboro way so that's the tab y'all get.

Now for versions of the tune:

Gusty Wallace on Slippery Hill

Fiddler Eric Zorn with guitar accompaniment on YouTube

Fiddler Sonya Badigian with piano accompaniment from Aaron Tacke on YouTube

A solo banjo version in standard tuning from BanjoJukebox on Youtube

A solo banjo version from me in gEADE

And also, tabs for this tune in gEADE

Hope y'all enjoy these versions of this pretty little tune, and I look forward to hearing new ones!

Will Keys 2-finger player

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:46:36 CST

Will Keys name is sometimes mentioned here when discussing 2-finger style. Here is an example of his playing: https://youtu.be/zFRJAzMNOB4

Jams a re completely mystifying.

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:33:01 CST

I attended two beginner jams so far at banjo camp and in one they did finally play a song I knew. I couldn’t keep up but I knew it. The rest I just sort of sit dumbfounded and lost. I have no idea what any of the chords sound like. What to play. They would ask what tune people want and what song and I’m just lost. I simply don’t get how people hear this and join in. To me it’s the absolute most uncomfortable and I can’t wait until it’s over. I wind up muting the strings and just pretjng to play song after song. The concept of just knowing and joining in is so completely alien I just zone out and wait for the next song hoping it’s something I’ve heard of. I seriously can’t hear these chord changes at all. I mean I know the chords. I have them all memorized but trying to guess which one is being played is just so completely alien to me. I have love the parts of learning new songs and the parts on melody and technique were a blast but I feel like everyone just know ms every song that’s named and just rolls in on the 1-2-3-4 and rocks it.

I just feel like everyone is juggling bowling balls and I’m unsure how to even tell how to pick one up.

I feel like the beginner is bum ditty which I have or techniques which I she then there is just this gulf of just start playing and I just can’t hear it at all. It’s very very frustrating. I’ve picked up two tunes here and could get them and the complexity of them but the concept of playing just by hearing something I haven’t heard before is just so alien. Every song I jst make up like I’m playing. I just assume that there are x number of chords and I have to guess which one might come next on ever song.

Playing Style.

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:16:19 CST

Goodness knows what I’m doing.
I’m still very new to the five string and still finding my way after a couple of years on and off.
I’ve started playing by plucking the fifth string down with my thumb then plucking up on the first with the middle finger followed by a strum.
What if any style is that??
Confused!

TOTW, 06/12/26 – The Wizard’s Walk

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:14:15 CST

This week’s Tune Of The Week is a modern composition by Jay Ungar: “The Wizard’s Walk”. A few weeks ago, another Hangout user requested a tab for this tune, which prompted me to look this tune up and work out how to play it. It’s a three part tune, and quite complex sounding, but very memorable.
It was written by Jay Ungar and appears on his 1997 album with Molly Mason “The Lover’s Waltz”.

I contacted Jay to check if he was happy for the tune to be used here, and he happily agreed. He also provided some background on the inspiration for the tune to share:

“You asked how the tune came to be. I’ve written many tunes over the years, and they tend to arrive in different ways. Some begin with a spark of inspiration, then take shape through hours, days, or even weeks of refining and rewriting. Others arrive almost fully formed, as if they’d always existed. “The Wizard’s Walk” was one of those.
Although “The Wizard’s Walk” first came to me decades ago, in the mid-1980s, I still remember the moment vividly. I was playing fiddle while gazing out the large window of my office in West Hurley, New York—a room that has since become the recording studio of my daughter, Ruth Ungar, and my son-in-law, Mike Merenda. Sensing right away that this was a tune worth preserving, I switched on my cassette recorder to capture it. Titles don’t always come easily to me, but in this case, the name arrived the very same day as the melody itself.

A summer or two later, my wife Molly and I, and my pre-teen daughter Ruth, were at a CDSS dance camp at Pinewoods in eastern Massachusetts. While Molly and I were teaching a workshop, Ruth choreographed a contra dance that fit “The Wizard’s Walk” perfectly. That evening, caller Bob Dalsemer invited her to call the dance, and it was an instant hit.”

Other online versions
I found one banjo video, by Tyler Andal and Sterling Abernathy, featuring some great clawhammer playing.

There are a lot of videos online of people playing the tune on fiddle. It seems to have been picked up widely by contradance and Irish fiddlers. Some of these start off very slow and dramatic then speed up to a very quick pace.

The Wizard's Walk - Day 234 - 366 Days of Fiddle Tunes

Wizard's Walk (Jay Ungar)

Jacie Sites plays Wizards Walk

Playing the tune
You can find music notation here:

The Wizard's Walk on folk tune finder

The Wizard’s Walk (reel) on The Session

I have read that this tune is also included in Volume 1 of the Portland Collection, if you have access to that.

Here’s a tab and video of my arrangement. The main features are:
• In the key of E minor
• Standard G tuning (gDGBD)
• Three parts plus a short coda
• The second part can be played as a regular bum-ditty but it’s fun to try to get it to syncopate like the fiddle versions, which ends up sounding a bit flamenco-ish
• The third part starts with a descending circle of fifths chord sequence (a bit like the start of “Hotel California”). Then, near the end, its hits a diminished chord – not something you encounter every day playing clawhammer tunes!

I hope you enjoy finding out more about this tune and playing it.

Sawmill/G Modal tuning, accompaniment

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 6 Jun 2026 16:21:55 CST

I realize this is a very basic question and I apologize in advance. If I am in a jam and play a song like the Cuckoo in G Modal, what key do I tell the other players (guitar, etc.) that they should play in? Is it basically a minor key? G Modal would be equivalent of G minor on guitar? Since most guitar players won't enjoy playing in G minor, do most capo up and do A Modal with Am accompaniment?

TOTW—6/5/26 —. Pike County Breakdown

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 17:54:59 CST

Most often heard as a bluegrass tune; written ca. 1951 by Bill Monroe, who based in on the familiar “Sweet Betsy from Pike.” But the tune goes back well beyond that. You can dig into the history. Of “Villikins” here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villikins_and_his_Dinah

Monroe changed the time signature and his version of the tune emerged as a classic, driving bluegrass instrumental. But it's a relatively simple tune and lends itself to adoption for clawhammer playing at a slower pace--and fewer notes, easily simplified for novice players.

Recordings are almost all of driving bluegrass versions. Josiah Tyree plays a blazing clawhammer version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH-nlUch6w

Of the numerous bluegrass versions, my two favorites are from Kenny Ingram: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zebbd80VLwY

And, of course, Earl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HioToEDKl_E

how does Riley Calcagno play "time is everything"

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 2 Jun 2026 18:11:24 CST

Hi,

I'm a big fan of the way Riley Calcagno's banjo complements Viv Leva's guitar playing. Does anyone know what tuning he's in? I know they play in B, but when I tuned double C down to B it didn't work.

While we're on the subject, do we know what kind of banjo he's playing?

thanks
will

Interesting Duet Tunes for Beginner Banjo and Advanced Fiddle

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 30 May 2026 09:48:40 CST

I am getting back into playing clawhammer banjo. I have a son who plays fiddle and a son who plays bass. Both are professional level jazz musicians, but they have played a wide variety of folk and blues too. They can also switch to guitar and mandolin. I would like to put together a set list of interesting tunes that we could play together. I don't want to play Cripple Creek and Old Joe Clark again. I would like to explore a variety of tunings and modes in a variety of tempos and rhythms that will not be too difficult for me to learn. Blues, folk, Celtic, Scandinavian, etc.

Rob Stenson tutorial on slides

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 29 May 2026 10:25:23 CST

this may also be of interest: check out the other videos on his channel

Finger pick?

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 29 May 2026 07:52:15 CST

Hi there banjo family. I am new to Clawhammer. I am having difficulty sounding the strings with the nail of my finger. My nails are not strong enough or long enough. I have been using a regular finger pick turned around so that it strikes the string. It works ok but I am continually adjusting it. I see some people put crazy glue on their striking fingernail. Not so sure I want the toxins in my skin. Any one have any suggestions?

TOTW - 05-29-2026 - THE LOGGIEVILLE TWO-STEP

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 29 May 2026 03:37:40 CST

I’ve chosen THE LOGGIEVILLE TWO-STEP for this installment of TOTW.

The tune was composed by Matilda Murdoch (1920-2019) a Canadian fiddler from Miramichi, New Brunswick. The Traditional Tune Archive says “She learned to play the fiddle as a child and played and performed throughout her life. She composed hundreds of tunes, many of which were 'covered' by other musicians, including Don Messer. She was inducted into the Order of Canada and the Order of New Brunswick and received a lifetime achievement award from Music New Brunswick in 2016.”

Ms Murdoch was known as the “Queen of the Down East Fiddle” and is remembered by her friends and fans “for being humble and kind with an absolute love of playing her fiddle. Almost always the first to arrive and the last to leave, she played her final engagement, along with all the other fiddlers from beginning to end, on her 99th birthday.”

A Canadian Snowbird introduced the tune to our weekly jam in January and it has become popular with our fiddlers.

Fiddlers have posted lots of internet performances, but no banjo version could be found. I’ve linked some of my favorites below.

Here’s Murdoch playing the tune at age 90: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FniMTwzxRZQ

Here’s a workshop class recital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25O79QkoXA

Here’s a working band: https://www.facebook.com/100061079241177/videos/loggieville-two-step-saltwater-joy/1902166120689203/

Here are twin fiddles with keyboard accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK-izNggUFI

Here’s a jam group featuring mandolin: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2551910281742126/posts/3548199922113152/

Wikipedia says Loggieville, originally named Black Brook, was a village on the Miramichi River in Northumberland County, New Brunswick founded in 1809. The community developed into an important shipping port in the mid-1880s after the Canada Eastern Railway established its eastern terminus there. The village was amalgamated into the City of Miramichi in 1995.

I could not find a banjo tab for the tune, but most folks should be able to pick out a basic arrangement after listening to the recordings for a few minutes.

A transcription of the tune in standard notation is here: http://www.oldtimefiddletunes.net/tunes/LoggievilleTwoStep.pdf

Readers are encouraged to post observations, opinions, performances, and tabs contributing to this thread.

Joseph Allard, Don Messer & the Rise of St. Anne’s Reel - HOEDOWN HISTORY

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 26 May 2026 20:00:53 CST

Inspiring video from Hoedown History Youtube Channel

Inspiring melodic clawhammer albums

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 22 May 2026 07:31:16 CST

Hello again

What are some of your favourite melodic solo clawhammer albums? I love the fiddle and the human voice can really move me in old tunes, however I really enjoy sitting down with a coffee and listening to a whole album of instrumental beautiful banjo playing.
Some real oldie albums would be greatly appreciate also any new old-time albums that fit the bill.
I greatly appreciate hidden gems so please do throw your own albums if you think I'll like it.
Thanks again, what a great resource this is !

TOTW, 22nd May 2026, Old Jake Gillie

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 22 May 2026 04:22:58 CST

This was covered as a TOTW over ten years ago, so I don’t want to repeat too much of the details here https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/302499, but in summary from https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Old_Jake_Gillie:

American, Reel. USA; Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'AACC. A West-Virginia/Kentucky regional tune (Charles Wolfe, 1997). The tune was recorded on a 78 RPM for Brunswick by Kanawha County, West Virginia, fiddler Clark Kessinger (1896-1975), who probably learned while growing up in the Kanawha Valley (Wolfe, Mountains of Music, 1999). See also the tune under the title "Jake Gilly/Gillie." Other old-time musicians in whose repertoire "Jake Gilly" was include Matokie Slaughter, of Pulaski, Va., best-known as a fine banjo player, but she also played tunes on the fiddle, including the "Gilly" tune. Oscar Wright's "Jake Gillie" (recorded on County LP 717) is also cognate.

This tune has special significance for me, as it’s about the first thing I learned on the banjo. I’d bought the Miles Krassen clawhammer book, and it’s the very first tune in the collection. There’s errors in the transcription in my book with the high parts showing the ‘4’ on the first string, but I didn’t let it discourage me!

Banjo Hangout was a great resource in learning the tune, particularly Bob Lanham (blanham) who had recorded every tune in the Miles Krassen book http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/music.asp?id=45862. I spent a lot of time listening to those, so thanks Bob!

It’s only recently that I sought out the source for the Miles Krassen tab - the Oscar Wright version. I was very surprised at the pace it was played at! Here’s a YouTube link to the original recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrZngz9MtVo and here's one from Matokie Slaughter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrJFdAeqS6o.

I went through the process of transcribing the Oscar Wright version as best I could, attached is the tab for the first few variations. He does a nice slide down from the major third in the ‘low’ part that I like very much. I’ve done my best to reproduce the spirit of the original recording, though not quite as fast.

I don’t play a lot of clawhammer these days, I tend to arrange things for finger picking. I've added another rendition very much slower in keeping with how I usually play it. It’s pretty much the same notes as the CH tab, so I didn't transcribe it.

There’s a few other renditions on Slippery Hill, https://www.slippery-hill.com/taxonomy/tune-title/old-jake-gillie but the Oscar Wright arrangement holds a special place for me!

Love to hear some other versions to pick up some more variations!

Living with Aquila red series 11B and 12B

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 19 May 2026 21:41:10 CST

About 6 months ago I started using Aquila 11B strings on a couple of my banjos and really like the sound. I keep one banjo tuned to G and the other to double C. I don’t think I have had to change the set tuned to G but I have been going through the ones tuned to C about every 3-4 weeks. The problem seems to be 2 fold. First, these strings are designed for G tuning so tuning them to C means the 2nd string has to be tuned from B to C so more tension. I also regularly switch between double C and standard C which requires retuning the 2nd string from C to B and back again at least once a day. I think the combination of the two factors results in the 2nd string failing in 3-4 weeks. Consequently I have a pile of extra 1, 3, 4, and 5 strings.

So assuming that over tightening the 2nd string is the issue I just ordered Aquila 12B strings which are designed for C tuning so the 2nd string will be where it is made for. Also when I drop it to B then it will have less tension. My questions is am I on the right track here? Or will the 2nd string continue to fail early simply because I am retuning it between B and C every day? I don’t want to go back to metal strings but this is getting frustrating!

(sorry!) String question

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 16 May 2026 10:05:36 CST

Hi again
I know it's been asked a thousand times and I honestly have spent much time trying to find what I am after but still feel it eludes me.

I am changing from steel to nylon/nylgut. I have seen complaints of nylgut being a pain in the a* and even read of Adam hurt in banjo newsletter saying he finds them horribly bright and too much string noise.
Nylon is tempting - how far from nylgut in sound are they?
Or should I go classical guitar strings? Orrr fishing line?
I want a rich, mellow sound , far removed from the brightness and metallic of steel. I read that non steel tend to feel significantly floppier. I am not performing or recording I am learning and playing for enjoyment so don't have high requirements. Just non metallic and mellow but still rich enough to let the banjo sing.
Should note this will be on a claw hammer banjo primarily with a bit of finger picking now and again.

This could be on fiberskyn or renaissance.

Thank you!!!!

Where to slip in the "Galax Lick"

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 16 May 2026 09:25:16 CST

Hello again.
Hope all is well.
I have a question regarding the so called Galax Lick.
I have been incorporating it into my practice and its become pretty natural and sound delightful. However I really can't find much on where best to utilize it. If anyone can give me the short of it, where best to put them into existing songs or know of any decent intermediated/lower advanced tunes that would give me a good chance to practice them in situ.

Thanks again for your help on my journey! For now I can not contribute much but no doubt one day I hope to be able to return assistance to those developing a relationship with the banjo!
Cheers

TOTW 15th May 2026. Otter Creek

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:59:32 CST

Today's tune of the week is a modern tune called Otter Creek written by @Brad_Kolodner . Brad has agreed for the tunes inclusion as a TOTW. It's always hard knowing how to handle tunes where the composer is a. known, and b. very much alive, like Brad. I'd just like to say a massive thanks to Brad for the permission.

There is of course, little history to relay. The short interview with Brad below gives a fascinating insight into the process of writing tunes, and what happens when a tune gets changed and evolves slight differences.

Here’s a recent video of Brad playing the tune with his band Ken & Brad Kolodner: youtu.be/sTBYRr2i63c

Here’s a solo performance: youtu.be/YY8KochQfXM

The link for a tab is on Brad's website here: bradkolodnerbanjo.com/

As the owner of the rights to this tune it seems correct that Brad can make a few pennies out of either music or tab sales, so I'm not going to post a tab myself.

Brad has lessons to play Otter Creek on his website here:
truefire.com/channels/clawhamm...er/l29384

The tune is a D minor tune with a similar feel to Sally in the Garden, or perhaps Tamlin, and it isn't too hard to work out by ear.

The tune is very popular in sessions and jams over here in the UK, where the B part has some interesting but small changes. Almost everyone over here plays the tune with this twist now. It is exemplified by the version here from Old Spot:

youtu.be/3dcfGyyW2yM?si=Fa1RBh72NhXKgKnK

(Some of you may know I'm a rock climber - yes, I've climbed the quarry behind the guys in this video.....)

The difference lies in the second half of the B part - you'll need to listen carefully, and see if you can hear it. I'm fairly sure the variations originated in Scotland, when Otter Creek was a TOTW for the session I attend in Glasgow - and though though I might be wrong I'm going to call them the Scottish Variations....

I recently attended the rather wonderful Crossover Festival in Sherwood Forest - Otter Creek was played there, and here is a version from Kasey, a talented young clawhammer player over here in the UK. I was privileged to play with Kasey, and John and Jimmy from "The Boat Rats" and this video is the result.

youtu.be/lCi_Gukwqgk?si=AwZWCvkYzX_Vynud

(Kasey has lots of other really good old-time content....)

I recorded a version without the "Scottish Variations" here, in an open minor tuning youtu.be/lMG6ESKXiVE

Anyway, please upload your versions (original or Scottish) and have fun!

I have always used finger picks..

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 13 May 2026 05:01:16 CST

Clawhammer..is some thing I would like to explore..
Right now it is or has been very difficult to get the technique..of it down...

Lack of coordination on me part... :0/

The question is..dose a scooped neck really help..?
I have open backs..
But how well they are set up for clawhammer..idk..

Abigail Washburn Amazing Rhythms - Video?

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:12:18 CST

Hey folks, I am trying to find a video - might not be available? - Of Abigail playing with Bela. Might have been Rocky Grass 2021?

She is doing some incredible rhythms as they play. I haven't found it on YouTube yet..

Anyone know what tune they might have been playing?

Thanks!

TOTW 5/8/2026 Pigeon on the Gate from Doc White

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 7 May 2026 17:50:33 CST

TOTW 5/8/2026 Pigeon on the Gate from Doc White

I never got to meet Doc White though he was at the first West Virginia State Folk Festival that I went to in 1973. He died just before the 1974 festival. The tune can have slightly different names in the present age: Pigeon on the Gate, Pigeon on the Gatepost and Pigeon on the Gate Post (it’s entirely different from the Irish tune of the same name).

I’ve uploaded a recording from a set of his recordings that I have, but have been unable to locate the source of this collection. They are two recordings (back to back) and you can hear Doc White and Alan Jabbour speaking at the end. He tells that he learned the tune from Ed Haley (though on none of the Haley two CDs and LP does that tune appear). While Doc only plays each part once, we usually play each part twice. Listen to Doc (click on recording below).

From https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1191 (West Virginia Humanities Council; including the two photographs)

Having trouble inserting pictures

Fiddler and self-taught physician James Franklin "Doc" White (February 5, 1889 - June 13, 1974) was born near Ivydale, Clay County.

Doc White served the community as a doctor, dentist, and midwife, without the benefit of formal medical training. He honed his skills by apprenticing under local doctors and dentists and by reading every medical book he could get his hands on. It was estimated that White delivered more than 1,800 babies throughout the hollows of Clay County, and he routinely made house calls to residents too ill to visit his office. In addition, White served as a justice of the peace in Clay County for more than 30 years.

He was one of a long line of accomplished traditional musicians in Clay County, including Jenes Cottrell, Wilson Douglas, Ira Mullins, Sylvia O'Brien, Minerva White, Lee Triplett, French Carpenter, and others.

Somewhere, but I could not locate it, the West Virginia Medical Association recognized Doc’s medical skills, many years later, but I don’t know if that was while he was still alive.

Having trouble inserting pictures

From Kerry Blech Photos

https://www.slippery-hill.com/photo-gallery-list/Kerry%20Blech%20Photos/gallery

Glenville 1973 - photo by Kerry Blech - Kerry adds Doc (White) is playing Tommy Thompson's banjo. 6-15-1973; I inserted the names on the photograph.

Doc White is mentioned in writings on a Brandan Ray Kirk website “In Search of Ed Haley”.

https://brandonraykirk.com/tag/doc-white/

Another article about Doc

https://www.hurherald.com/cgi-bin/db_scripts/articles?Action=user_view&db=hurheral_articles&id=49592

Here are some more recent recordings of the tune.

Pigeon on the Gate (or Gate Post or Gatepost)

Green Heron - Betsy and Scott Heron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcfIeClY0Ko

Carl Jones, mandolin; Erynn Marshall, guitar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sQrJVyxju0

Bob McClusky and Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG0p5BiGnOE

Finally, here is my imperfect solo banjo version. Arthritis has taken its toil.

Hide head troubles

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 6 May 2026 18:40:04 CST

Hi,

I’ve been playing since 2011 but used synthetic heads up until 1 year ago when I put a John balch goat skin hide on my main banjo. I play a combination of clawhammer, 2finger, and most usually these days a hybrid (up pick the “bum”, down pick the “ditty”), which I’ve heard called “Seeger style” but I think of as “little birdie” style since that’s where I learned it from. Anyway…

I tap tuned the hide to G# last summer. It played great all fall/winter and never seemed too tense. But as spring has sprung in Boston and it gets more humid, the head is definitely noticeably “flunky”. I am hesitant to tighten it too much, considering how nicely it played all winter.

Of note, I keep nylgut strings on this banjo. Searching these forums I have seen some opinions that suggest perhaps the answer is a taller bridge for these loose summer months. Specifically I’ve seen people talk about all-maple bridges that are taller, though I’m not really sure I understand why. I currently use a 5/8 ebony capped bridge.

So my question for you: do I tighten the head back to G#? Or do I try a taller bridge; and if so, how tall? I could always put a renaissance head back on but I really like the look and feel of of the hide…

Thanks a million - Pete

Dirk Powell, Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 6 May 2026 10:25:14 CST

As a bluegrass 3-finger player, I’ve learned this (melody/chords) on the guitar. Can someone inform me as to Dirk’s tuning on Tim O’Brien’s recording…and whether or not he’s using a capo.
Thank you!
Brian

So I went to my first jam session today....

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 2 May 2026 18:09:04 CST

with a bunch of talented musicians. Mostly guitar, a fiddle, some other stuff. I was the only banjo.

One of the main things I took away from it is that I want to learn what different guitar chords look like in the standard tuning, so I can watch them and thus know what chord I should be playing.

Other than that... what should I be doing? I'm just going to be playing in the background. For today (and probably the next couple of times....) I'm content to just bum-ditty in the background. Is there something else I can be doing??

Thanks

p.s. I'm a complete music scrub. Sorry if this is a stupid question. Any answer about general jam advice, or as specific as you can get, would be appreciated.

TOTW, 5/1/26, Beautiful Doll

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 1 May 2026 08:40:08 CST

Morgan Sexton is a name commonly heard in the old-time music world, but until I heard a tune called Beautiful Doll, I didn’t pay much attention to him. He’s known for his 2-finger picking, a style which I haven’t explored in depth. The modal melody of this tune captivates me, in my ears epitomizing mountain music. Here’s a clip with the tune and Sexton’s comments: A Great Beautiful Doll. In the video he describes a fiddling friend named Boyd Watts (?) who played it on his porch at night. A neighbor, who called Boyd a “Baptist preacher”, said it was the prettiest tune he’d ever heard.

Morgan (1911-1992) came from eastern Kentucky, as did many great banjo players. His whole family played banjo (you’ve probably heard of his nephew, Lee Sexton). He learned at the feet of sister Hattie, who taught him songs, but died young at 18 years old from tuberculosis, as told here, along with several autobiographical tales of a hard life. If you watch, you’ll hear how from a lard bucket stolen from his mother, Morgan made his first banjo. He worked at several jobs beginning at 13 years old, six years after his father died. The first job was in a sawmill and later in mining, and Morgan's musicianship wasn’t “discovered”, as is true for many, until he was in his later years -- 77 years old (check out this video at a festival--you can watch without logging in). He then earned musical recognition for both singing and his unique 2-finger style.

Biographical information about Morgan Sexton is found in these June Appal Recordings liner notes and at the site for the National Endowment for the Arts. He had won the honor of being the 1991 NEA National Heritage Fellow! Stephen Wade--a musical legend himself who I personally feel should win this award one day--actually was present when Morgan received the National Endowment Fellowship and distinctly remembers the occasion. “When he sang and played, the banjo's notes so rich in tone, and really, overtones, he summoned another time, another culture … the music was at once archaic and ineffable.”

In this video of Frank Lee the tune is played in sawmill tuning, but by watching Sexton’s fingers, he’s apparently in open G tuning, as he often frets the second string on the first fret, rather than tune it up a half step. A popular clawhammer version by Nora Brown may be in modal tuning, too. And here is our own Andy Taylor playing Beautiful Doll in his serene, lovely style. I arranged it both in open G for 2-finger style and sawmill tuning for clawhammer, combining them here into one video.

NEW CLAWHAMMER BANJO SITE! NO ADS OR POPUPS!

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 1 May 2026 07:47:57 CST

piccoloplace.org/html/banjo-tunes

Tunes that I have learned from the greats.... Charlie Poole, Wade Ward, Uncle Dave Macon, Fred Cockerham, Skillet Lickers, and all the other great 78 rpm recording artists of the 1920's.

An old timey gospel song

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:44:45 CST

Here’s an old gospel song composed by Elisha Hoffman in the late 1800s. I play it on guitar and my homemade banjo. I hope you enjoy it!
youtu.be/RZx8SzafIWg?si=wcK02iQ2Tshb1AGX

Pay Me Up Eleven Pence, TOTW 4/24/2026

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:32:26 CST

For this tune of the week, I’m again picking another selection from the repertoire of Israel Welch (1912-2003), Pay Me Up Eleven Pence. This is a simple yet catchy D tune. I hear a slight similarity of the A part to the B of Can You Dance a Tobacco Hill/Old Tobacco Hills, though I don’t believe they’re related.

The only recordings I’m aware of, and from where I learned it, is this interview by Gerry Milnes from 1997 (starts at about 7:08 — Israel mentioned this tune coming from Sperry’s Run in Rio, Hampshire County, WV, from a Westfall Buckley, who married his aunt. He also mentions an uncle that whistled the tune as well for him and his brothers to learn it, likely his uncle Judson Welch, having mentioned in the Goldenseal article that he was a “great whistler”.): https://augustaartsandculture.org/document/israel-welch-fiddle-tunes-and-talk-10-2-1997/

And the other by Joe Herrmann from 1996 (starts at about 28:00 — In this interview, Israel says he thought it came from someone in Inkerman, WV, which is west of and not too far from Rio.): https://augustaartsandculture.org/document/israel-welch-interview-and-tunes-2-of-2-6-19-6-27-8-1-1996/

My take on fiddle and banjo. I ended up coming up with a high strain of both A and B parts for variety. On the low strain of the B part, I walk down the bass string to the D note, as opposed to the fiddle coming up to the D (though after recording the banjo part following the fiddle, the fiddler could’ve played it a hair slower…): https://youtu.be/hOqQXZCEnWE?si=oruUwEKJrqzwLxLq

Please feel free to share your take, or if you might know of any other existing recordings of this tune.

Any experience with guitar tuning?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:11:06 CST

I'm messing around with alternate tunings for playing rhythm in multiple keys (without a capo). Open G is what I would usually use. I'm wondering if anyone routinely uses guitar tuning: gDGBE? Are there advantages to this tuning for playing in a different keys?

TOTW - April 17, 2026 - Doctor, Doctor

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:52:26 CST

Hi everyone!

Every time I do one of these, I really struggle to find a tune that hasn't already been done, but fortunately people keep turning me on to new tunes!

This one, a tune called Doctor, Doctor (or Dear Doctor) I recently got from a local fiddle player here in Pittsburgh (Bruce Jacobs) at a jam and it makes a good banjo tune so I thought I'd share it.

I couldn't find a whole lot about it, but there's some info in this old fiddle hangout thread. There are a couple of transcriptions, one by Steve Rosen (audio here) and a version from the Canote Brothers.

Rayna Gellert has a nice recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8VkMkCpXuk and here's a jam recording from the fiddle hangout thread: https://youtu.be/JSi6bxNYQhw?si=Jma9gTTD02XqKxbN&t=1088.

A few spins through it with some ideas for variations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeGuQ3Jakd0

It's a pretty straightforward tune, but I'll try to tab it out later this week in case that's helpful for anyone.

Hope you all have a great week!

TELL ME ABOUT WOUND 3rd STRINGS

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:15:45 CST

My typical string sets are: 10-12-14-22w-10 (PH150) and 10-12-16-23w-10 (V730). These have worked well for me and most banjos... (claw/2F/3F)

I recently installed a 17w for the 3rd string with a used medium set on a modern "Dobson", poof, it woke-up and found it's voice.

What are your experiences with a wound 3rd and common scordatura: G, C, CC, sawmill, etc. etc.?

What banjo types does the wound 3rd compliment? What set sizes have worked?

Need help with chords and strumming

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:45:28 CST

Im new to this i hope im in the right place to ask this, but ive been learning the logging song by bill staines and the chords i play just dont sound right and i cant figure out the strumming for the life of me, need some assistance if anyone knows how to play the song, the chord progression is Am, G, Am, F, G, Am, and im using the chords i know but they just dont sound right

TOTW general request

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:11:02 CST

I like many or most of the TOTW and would like to learn to play them. But, most times they only have recordings or tab for 5-string banjo. I haven't learned to play by ear and I don't read 5-string tab. I play tenor banjo tuned like a mandolin. It would really helpful if regular music notation was included in the thread. I can always find some reference to learn from, but frequently it is a different version of the tune.

TOTW for Friday, April 10th 2026: "Grey Owl" (Métis Fiddler,John Arcand)

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:17:32 CST

The Great Grey Owl is one of the largest owls in the world. It can be found throughout the central and western portions of Canada as well as the Northwestern United States.

However, the title of this tune actually refers to a controversial figure in Canadian history. Archibald Belaney was born in England, he emigrated to Canada as a young man, became a trapper and assumed a native american identity while living with Ojibwe people. He claimed to be half-indigenous, the son of a Scottish man and Apache woman. He dyed his hair black and darkened his skin to maintain the facade. “Grey Owl” was the name he assumed. He eventually met and married a Mohawk woman, Gertrude Bernard. She is credited with influencing him to give up the fur trade and become a conservationist and animal activist. Together, they are credited with saving the beaver from extinction. It wasn’t until after his death that his indigenous identity fraud was revealed. A search of the internet will produce a wealth of information about the man, “Grey Owl”. Here's a good place to start: Grey Owl, White Indian

John Arcand is a renowned Métis fiddler from Saskatchewan, Canada. He learned the fiddle as a boy from his father and grandfather. He is credited with composing over 500 fiddle tunes. He writes and plays tunes in the Métis tradition. The link will take you to a brief bio.

The Métis Nation is one of Canada’s three recognized indigenous peoples (along with the Inuit and First Nations). They are of mixed ancestry, a blending of Native and European traditions. To learn more about the Métis people, Click HERE

Fiddles were introduced to the indigenous population when French and Scottish trappers brought them along as they moved west through Canada in search of furs. The Métis adopted the instrument and have developed a distinct style combining elements of European and Native musical influences. Métis tunes are known for their syncopated style and extra beats. Double stops are common. This short video will be informative for those who would like to hear more about Métis Fiddling

On to the tune: “Grey Owl” is played in the key of D. It has been adopted by the bluegrass and old-time communities and is frequently encountered in jams. It is slightly crooked in the “A” part. The playing sequence is AABB.

Here are links to some of my favorite versions:

The original (John Arcand)

Molly Tuttle, Joe K. Walsh and John Mailander

Sierra Hull and Courtney Hartman

You’ve probably noticed that clawhammer banjo is conspicuously absent from these clips.Here’s a link to the version I have come up with along with the tab.

How to play a six string banjo in double C tuning - Lesson

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 07:31:22 CST

Here's the link to a lesson covering how to play chords in double C tuning on a six string banjo and the melody country roads by John Denver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14liX_E2syU

If you'd like to know more about this banjo, you can check it out here!
https://ozarkbanjo.com/new-products/6string

Luke

A Question About Capos

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 13:31:19 CST

I'm working on a few tunes now that require me to capo up to a different key. No problem.

However, for something like gDGBG capo to A, do I also need to use a spike or capo to re-tune my g string? I feel like something sounds wrong if I leave it as-is, but I also can't tune that string all the way to a on my current banjo.

I'm still a beginner, so apologies if this is something obvious.

How can I contribute to an OT jam session

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 09:41:46 CST

I've only gone to a couple OT jam sessions, and they weren't particularly well directed. But it got me thinking about how to make a positive contribution to the group. OT sessions around here seem to be dominated by fiddlers. I think rhythm sections are kind of weak. Maybe there is no solid guitar accompaniment, and the banjos are kind of dancing around in the background. In general, I think the bass and drums are really useful in a jam sessions, something in a lower register to cut through the fiddles and keep the rhythm. A percussion instrument is common in Celtic sessions, but not American OT.

I'm interested in all kinds of 4-string instruments (I'm including the 5-string in that group). But I don't play the bass. If you are an OT sessions player, what would you like to see, and hear, in a OT session?

TOTW 04/03/26 Brilliancy Medley - Eck Robertson

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 08:40:18 CST

TOTW 04/03/26 Brilliancy Medley – Eck Robertson

I have chosen Eck Robertson’s Brilliancy Medley from 1929 as this week’s TOTW. You can listen to it here (YouTube), here (Youtube), and here (Slippery Hill).

About Eck Roberstson

Alexander Campbell "Eck" Robertson (born November 20, 1887, in Delaney, Arkansas, died February 15, 1975, in Borger, Texas) was an American fiddle player, mostly known for commercially recording the first country music songs in 1922 with Henry Gilliland (1845 - 1924). More about his life can be read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eck_Robertson

Eck Robertson has been presented in earlier TOTW’s for example by me in Bill Cheatham https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/380696 and Sallie Gooden (https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/405550 ), and by Janet two weeks ago with Grigsby’s Hornpipe https://www.banjohangout.org/topic/407822 .

I like Eck Robertson because he was very progressive, already 100 years ago. Especially, I like his variations in some tunes, especially the fourteen variations of Sallie Gooden where he comes back to the basic version several times and the fly out with new variations. In Brilliancy Medley he has four tunes that are put together in an unexpected order and mixed with each other. Most medleys today seems to be played in a straight order (AA BB AA BB CC DD CC DD ....) but in Brilliancy Medley the themes are first introduced, contrating materials is introduced, earlier material returns before the end (if someone wonders - I used AI for this explanation :))

Brilliancy Medley

In October 1929 he made a series of recordings in Victor’s field recording studio in Dallas. He included his family in the recordings with his wife Nettie on guitar, his daughter Daphne on tenor guitar and his son Dueron on tenor banjo. Brilliancy Medley was recorded on October 11, 1929.

Eck Robertson also made an earlier version, called Brilliancy and Cheatum in 1922, but it was never released. We don’t know how it sounded, but probably some musicologists have been able to listen to it.

It has been a lot of discussion about the tunes that appear in and the structure of Brilliancy Medley. The medley is built four different tunes: Drunken Billy Goat, Old Billy Wilson, Wake Up Susan, and Bill Cheatum (Bill Cheatham), and perhaps stuff from some more tunes. However, these tunes are not presented in a straight-through sequence but are mixed with each other. The only tune that can be heard as a whole seems to be Bill Cheatum.

Brilliancy Medley has been discussed in Fiddle Hangout https://www.fiddlehangout.com/archive/33692 . There is also some information at Traditional Tune Archive: https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Brilliancy. The following information is mainly from these sources.

Structure

In the attached tab I have divided the tune into 8 different parts (A to G). The tune can be better understood if divided into three different sections:

Section 1 (about 0:00 – 0:45 in the recording). “Brilliancy”: Part A + B + C. It contains elements from Drunken Billy Goat and Old Billy Wilson and also some elements from Wake Up Susan. Eck Robertson himself seems to have called this part “Brilliancy” just because it is a composite of several tunes.
Section 2 (about 0:45 – 1:28 in the recording). Middle section. Part D +E. It seems to be mainly based on Wake Up Susan, but the high part (D) resembles Little Billy Wilson.
Section 3 (about 1:28 – 2:10 in the recording): Bill Cheatum
Repeat of Section 1 (about 2:10 – 2:55 in the recording): Brilliancy

Or with the eight parts:

A A B B C C D D E D D E F F G G F F A A B B C

There have been discussions about the tunes in the medley. Some people have tried to put a name of each part. For example, in the Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes my Part D and E are presented as Billy Wilson, while other sources have named it Wake Up Susan. Milliner-Koken also calls the first parts (A and B) Drunken Billy Goat.

Other recordings

Brilliancy Medley, and the first part Brilliancy have been recorded but a lot of bands and players. Here are some examples:

Alan Kaufman: https://youtu.be/MoeUEHxZuIM

Old-time Fiddle Jam Session at Jeff and Eileen's: https://youtu.be/VoJXBlOPr6I?list=PL5bplOZIhwGQDiDkHBnLBiWDIcSxgSBHD

Fairport Convention: https://youtu.be/HWvaw6sRw9s

Fairport's Cropredy Convention Official: https://youtu.be/6CjAN8vMTgo

John Specker: https://youtu.be/e1F1H7nlnxM and https://youtu.be/1rNbNDp_qZw

The Western Fliers: https://youtu.be/d3lbK4wwJAc

Highwoods String Band: https://youtu.be/KH3wDTer57M

Tab/notation

I have put together a clawhammer version, together with fiddle notation. The fiddle notation is "borrowed" from other, for example the FidddleHangout thread linked above, and the Milliner-Koken book mentioned above. The fiddle notation is only a simplification. There are a lot of repeats, and Eck Robertson never played it the same way – I have just put in the first version of each tune:

https://www.banjohangout.org/tab/browse.asp?m=detail&v=29028

my first attempt at cripple creek

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 04:06:55 CST

Hi there,
Someone gave me an old banjo years ago, and its been sitting there gathering dust. This last few weeks i have tried to play It from looking at you tube videos.
Ive tried a simple cripple creek versión. But It sounds terrible.
Ive attached a recording.
Can anyone give me advice on what they would do st this very early stage to be better?

New Banjo Brands Advice

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 15:51:05 CST

Hi everyone, first post here.

I am on the hunt for a new banjo to add to my collection. I currently have a beginner banjo which hooked me on the hobby, so I am looking to upgrade. I should mention the tone/style I am after because it is specific.

I play clawhammer but am beginning to do 3-finger style.
I am after a banjo with a similar sound to Dock Boggs' way of playing. (Dock Bogg's being the reason I ever started to like the banjo in the first place). I don't know all the terms yet, but to me I want something 'twangy', old-time, very deep in sound. I don't like the bright, jolly or cheerful sounds. I understand this can be achieved with tunings... but I hope you get what I mean otherwise.
My budget is capped at $450.

I did consider the Recording King RKOH-05 Dirty 30s open back but I was curious to have other brand recommendations before I took the plunge.

Jerron Paxton - Bound to go - tuning?!?!

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:35:46 CST

I have been trying to work out what tuning Jerron paxton is in in this video (linked below) and i just cannot do it.

His finger position doesn't seem to fit with any of the tunings i am use to.

If anyone could help me out that would be incredible because i just love this rendition so much and it would be great to play.

He's tuned down a bit but not exactly sure.

youtube.com/watch?v=AIffTQb6M0o

First waltz help

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:26:40 CST

I’ve been trying to get the very fist measure correct on blackest crow for three weeks of about two hours a day. I just keep messing it up especially when I try to add the second measure. This is literally the first time in my life I realized there could be anything with three beats per measure and it’s just not clicking at all. I’m using strum machine. I’ve listened to others but the years of practicing the timing of four beats per measure thousands of times a day per song has completely messed me up. I just can’t seem to make the switch. When I try it I always add another note or pull the next measure first note into the last one. It’s like I can’t process it. I honestly didn’t realize there was a waltz timing. My teacher started me on this and we keep going over it but no matter what I do it’s not clicking. I just can’t identify the pattern. I’ve tried clap hit my leg snap but I always default into the next clap being the fourth beat then it cycles through every three repeats.

Has anyone else faced this? What did you do?

Fretless clawhammer banjo in a band?

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:48:46 CST

I play Scruggs style banjo in a small bluegrass/americana trio alongside accordion and acoustic guitar/mandolin (example)... Seems like it'd be a pretty quiet setup, but we often wind up playing in breweries and bars that have a TON of background noise (folks are there to DRANK and socialize, we're just there for background ambience). And so the volume through the PA can get pretty loud.

With that... lately I've been infatuated with the sound of clawhammer fretless banjo. I've dabbled in CH in the past, but never progressed beyond "beginner". I'm currently without an openback, but want to invest some real time improving my CH playing -- and ideally I'd love to incorporate it in a band setting here and there. Even moreso I'm drawn to the fretless nygut string sound... I like the warm plunky tone, but suspect it's not going to cut well enough in the sort of environments we play in (and also wonder whether I'd miss being able to do double stop/bend licks given nylon strings)

Just looking for some advice on what sort of banjo/string/tonering setups I might consider given all this? Was thinking a steel string semi-fretless (something like the semi fretless Rickard with the brass plate in the lower position) might be the best blend? Or is fretless in general asking for trouble?

Might as well add that I've only had a tubaphone tone ring openback (fretted, with steel strings) and it's a bit brighter than the sound I'm picturing... though the darker fretless tone might mitigate that. And for the live setup I'm using a DPA 4099 clip on mic, which has pretty high feedback rejection.

anyway... appreciate any advice.

Some folks choose option 1, others choose option 2

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:56:23 CST

Option 1. Some folks use a tune to show off their skills.
Option 2. Others use their skills to show off a tune.
After a while, option 1 begins to sound somewhat banal and pedestrian .
What do you think?

TOTW, 3/27/2026, Bean Walker's Mile

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:41:53 CST

Back to "Dear Old Illinois" (2007, Garry Harrison & Jo Burgess, Pick Away Press: Bloomington, IN) for this one. Incidentally, if you haven't picked up your copy of this gem, I see that it is only $337 from Amazon. Unfortunately, the book is out of print, and (almost) nobody is selling their used copies. The fiddle tunes (391 of them) and ballads (361 of them) are all in standard notation, so no tabs here. Following are some recordings/YouTube videos of "Bean Walker's Mile (the TOTW)," "Dominion Reel," and "Old Dominion Reel." More below on why there are three tunes here as well as a link to the original recording that kicked this one off.

Bean Walker's Mile

Unidentified fiddler & Charlie Walden (guitar)

Charlie Walden and Jennifer Jeffries on fiddle, Mary Tabatowski on mandolin, Steve Rosen on banjo, and Patt Plunkett on keyboard.

Dominion Reel ("A" part is "A" part of Bean Walker's Mile)

Don Messer (fiddle) & his Islanders (after Prince Edward Island)

Charlie Walden on fiddle

Old Dominion Reel (Nothing to do with Dominion Reel, so nothing to do with Bean Walker's Mile)

Charlie Walden on fiddle

Charlie Weems on 4-string (?) fretted gourd banjo

The original source

The tune is from Charles Overton Fulk of Ingraham, Illinois. You can hear the original recorded on Oct. 18, 1976 with Garry Harrison backing Fulk on guitar at Slippery-Hill. Charlie Fulk was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom were fiddlers:

(George) Fletcher Fulk (15 June 1902 – 30 July 1982, Ingraham, IL)

(Learnie) Everett Fulk (26 October 1905 – 4 October 1984, Olney, IL)

Charles Overton Fulk (20 September 1916 – 21 November 1980, Ingraham, IL)

Together with three sisters they were the children of Grant Lafayette Fulk and Sarah Jane Sparling of South Muddy Township, Jasper County, Illinois. Charlie and Fletcher eventually moved to Ingraham, Pixley Township, Clay County, Illinois. This was not much of a move as South Muddy and Pixley are adjacent Townships. Everett moved a bit further into Richland County which shares its western border with Clay County and its northern border with Jasper County. Together these three brothers contributed 32 tunes out of the 391 tunes in "Dear Old Illinois."

What's up with that weird title?

One of the comments (from Steve Harrison, Garry's older brother) on the first YouTube is: "That's one of brother Garry's patched together "quilts." Pretty sure you're right about the Dominion Reel being implicated in the first part. No clue about the second part and other possible flights of inspiration. I do know the tune title he gave it refers to one of the summer jobs he and his twin brother Terry had, and that was hoeing soy bean fields -- being Bean Walkers. Garry quipped something to the effect that "A mile's a mile, but when you're walking beans, it's a MILE!"" For more on bean walking see the Iowa Agricultural Literacy Foundation and:

From the recording that Garry made of Charlie Fulk we know that Fulk was the source of the tune "Bean Walker's Mile." Was this Fulk's name for the tune? Probably not. More than likely Fulk was recalling an "A" part for a tune ("Dominion Reel") and didn't remember the "B" part, instead substituting something that made sense. When Garry asked for the tune name likely Fulk didn't remember the name, and so Garry decided to call the tune "Bean Walker's Mile." Such name substitution, though rare, does happen in "Dear Old Illinois." There is tune #36 from Charlie Fulk that is labeled as "Charlie's Favorite" (I have no idea if this was a pre-existing tune). That is followed by Charlie Myrna's "Charlie's Hornpipe" which is very clearly the Irish tune "(Little) Stack of Barley." Tunes #203 to 208 are all labeled as "Rachel" (often called "Texas Quickstep", though Garry lists "Gypsies in the Woods" as an alternate title for #203). Of these tunes, numbers 206 to 208 only list the "B" part, and the #206 "B" part is from Charlie Fulk. It isn't that unusual for older fiddlers (hey, I'm one now!) to forget a part, to substitute a part when they can't remember it, or to forget a tune title. My downfall is, you know, that hornpipe, the title of which starts with a "Q," and well, I can't remember the melody, but it is really pretty... Oh wait, it doesn't start with a "Q," it's "Rickett's Hornpipe," and now I remember enough of part of the melody to play the whole thing.

Dominion Reel and Old Dominion Reel

Charlie Walden remarks in one of his YouTube videos that the "A" part of Bean Walker's Mile" is the "A" part of Dominion Reel, and that this is from Cole's (1940) "One Thousand Fiddle Tunes." But this can be traced further back. Dominion Reel is in Ryan’s “Mammoth Collection” (1883), and so likely somewhere in one of Elias Howe's Musician's Omnibus. Old Dominion Reel is also an old tune (see Noah Cline's comment below) and seems to be pretty unrelated to Dominion Reel. For you historians out there, the Old Dominion is Virginia while the Dominion is Canada. Well, enough of this!

My recording

I recorded this long ago (almost 17 years ago). I was younger then, so it is at a peppy tempo (clocks in at 122 bpm). Our local contra dance group has a top speed limit of 125 bpm, so I wouldn't get a ticket, but maybe a warning. The attached tab is only an approximation to what I played so long ago, because, well, who knows what I was actually doing back then?

Effects of heavier gauge nylon strings on clawhammer banjo?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:04:37 CST

I got a set of classical guitar strings (normal tension per manufacturer) to use on my basic Goodtime with a Renaissance head. Gauges are 0.028, 0.033, 0.040 & 0.032 (wound), 0.028.

Reading here today, recommendations are frequently to use smaller gauge. I got the recommendation to use classical from perusing this forum.

What can I expect from these heavier gauge strings?

Playing clawhammer with a guitar strummer who sings?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:45:10 CST

I’ve started playing banjo with my neighbor and friend, and it’s been a lot of fun. He mostly strums chords and sings songs from the ’60s and ’70s, though he also takes leads and solos sometimes. We do stuff like Grateful Dead, John Prine, Bob Dylan, and some newer songs too. Most of it is folky, rock, or Americana, usually in G, D, or C.

I started out trying to fingerpick banjo, but I’ve realized I like clawhammer more. At this point, I want to focus on learning clawhammer before I get into Scruggs style or two-finger.

Does anyone have tips for clawhammer backup or rhythm patterns in this kind of setting? Since he is already strumming, I feel like I may not need to do a full bum-ditty strum all the time, except maybe when he takes a lead.