I learned "Rye Whiskey" from watching North Carolina fiddler, Steve Kruger, and from listening to recordings of Virginia fiddler, Tommy Jarrell. I never saw any banjo picker play "Rye Whiskey," or ...
2025-04-23 20:02:19 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Sugar Hill" from Matt Kinman and Josh Hayes in Watauga County, North Carolina (summer, 2008). Kinman, originally from Arizona, played the fiddle; Hayes, from Wilkes County, played the ba...
2025-04-10 14:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post
This hymn was composed by Robert Lowry (1826-1899) in 1876. Lowry was a Baptist preacher who lived from 1826 until 1899. The first mention of it being sung was at an outdoor camp meeting in Ocean G...
2025-03-11 14:40:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Also known as "O Bury Me Not," "Cowboy's Lament," "Dying Cowboy," and "Bury Me Out on the Lone Prairie," this appears to be quite an old song. The earliest version I've been able to find predates t...
2025-02-14 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
After many requests, I am again offering individual banjo lessons! My rate is $60 per hour; $30 per half hour. Lessons are both online and in-person. I'll teach or discuss anything--no subject is o...
2025-01-22 15:00:14 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned this song from a 1960s recording of Dock Boggs. Dock was tuned up to gDGBD, but I like it down in eBEG#B--both tuning are played the same way on the banjo. That track is titled "Mother's ...
2025-01-08 16:55:04 +0000 UTC View Post
You can now gift Patreon memberships to friends, family, and anyone else you'd like to invite to Banjo Heritage.
Just go to 2024-12-23 13:13:36 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned Prodigal Son from a 1960s recording of Dock Boggs. My early 2000s Terry Bell minstrel banjo is tuned to d#BEF#B (A = 432 Hz) which is three frets below f#DGAD. This tablature works for ei...
2024-12-20 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
"Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down" is a traditional hymn most notably recorded by Frank Proffitt of Johnson County, Tennessee. Another great recording under the same title was made by Sister Flee...
2024-11-14 16:00:13 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Oil In My Vessel" from a recording of Joe Thompson. See Skip James for another good recording of it. My instrument is an early 2000s Terry Bell minstrel banjo tuned ~ d#BEF#B (A=432 Hz)....
2024-10-12 18:23:11 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "The Devil Song" (Old Lady and the Devil, Devil and the Farmer's Wife) from recordings of Bobby McMillon and Bill & Belle Reed. My instrument is an early 2000s Terry Bell minstrel ban...
2024-09-15 15:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Calvary" from a 1960s recording of Dock Boggs of Wise County, Virginia. Boggs learned it from his brother-in-law, Lee Hunsucker, a Methodist preacher. My instrument is an 1888 Thompson &...
2024-08-16 15:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
~ eCFGC (f♯DGAD relative). I learned "False Hearted Lover's Blues" from the original recording by Dock Boggs (banjo) and Emry Arthur (guitar). My understanding is that they recorded this in Chica...
2024-07-05 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
We recently had the opportunity to take some snapshots of an original Stanley Hicks mountain banjo currently in a private collection. This example is thought to have been made by Hicks at his home ...
2024-06-08 15:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Little Grey Mule" (Little Gray Mule) from a 1950s recording of Roscoe Halcomb. In the recording, Halcomb mentions that an older person in his community knew this tune as "The Wild Boar."...
2024-05-11 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Tom Dooley" from Josh Hayes of Watauga County, North Carolina. My instrument is an early 2000s minstrel banjo reproduction by Terry Bell, tuned eBEG♯B ~ gDGBD.
2024-04-12 13:00:05 +0000 UTC
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I've taught banjo setup for over twenty years; during that time my understanding of musical instrument organology has developed considerably. In this discussion I delve more deeply into the subject...
2024-03-30 14:12:01 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Spring of 65" from a field recording of J.D. Cornett of Kentucky. My instrument is an 1840s-style minstrel banjo by Terry Bell, with Aquila "New Nylgut" strings tuned cGCFG (A=432 Hz). 2024-01-05 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
👇🏾 Download 8.5" x 11" Tablature PDF 👇🏾
2023-12-24 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Going Across the Mountain" from a recording of Frank Proffitt. At the time, I was living in an old house on Beaver Dam Road, about two miles from from Proffitt's home community of Reese,...
2023-11-25 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
eCGAD relative (~ eB♭FGC actual tuning). I learned to play and sing "Little Birdie" from George Gibson of Knott County, Kentucky.
2023-11-11 14:00:01 +0000 UTC
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I learned "Black Jack Davy" (Gypsy Davy) from Matt Kinman of Arizona. The over hand version is very simple.
Note: You can pick down (with the back of your fi...
2023-10-28 13:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
“Blimey, I think I’m slipping my cable. Strike up South Australia, lads, and let me go happy.”
I learned "South Australia" (...
After many requests, I've finnaly gotten around to transcribing "Cluck, Old Hen."
Relative tunings: gDGCD ... fCFB♭C ... eBEAB ...
Advanced tablature (as I play it) 👇
Relative ~ gCGCD
Actual tuning ~ e♭G♯E♭G♯B♭
Download 8.5" x 11" tablature PDF file ...
2023-10-07 13:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Sally Ann" from Josh Hayes of Watauga County, North Carolina. Josh always used a straight hoedown picking style to play this one.
My instrument is an 1888 Thompson & Odel...
2023-09-22 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Hard Luck Blues" (Brother Jim Got Shot) from two recordings of Dock Boggs, one made in the 1920s, the other in the 1960s. My instrument is an 1888 Thompson & Odell "The Luscomb" banj...
2023-09-08 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
I learned "Hard Luck Blues" from a 1920s recording of Dock Boggs. Later in life, Boggs recorded the song a second time during the 1960s under the title "Brother Jim Got Shot." I am certain that he'...
2023-08-18 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
"Shortening Bread" was first published in 1900 as a poem by James Riley, who seemed to suggest that it was derived from a pre-existing black folk song. My instrument is an 1888 Thompson & Odell...
2023-08-11 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post