Recommend some bluegrass tunes to learn

[EJW]

I'm going to a conference this summer where there will be an informal jam session each evening. Pretty much everyone playing will be a bluegrass picker of some sort (bunch of science geeks with the fiddles and mandolins they usually carry with them to field stations). I'm more of a jazz/fusion/funk guy and totally unfamiliar with the bluegrass catalog. What would be your top-five must-know tunes for this sort of thing?

Thanks!

[jumpnblues]

"1952 Vincent Black Lightning" as done by the Del McCoury Band (written by Richard Thompson). Great tune for a bluegrass band. There's a youtube of it but I don't have the link. Also, I always thought the Marty Robbin's song "Big Iron" would make a great song done bluegrass style with tight harmonies.


Tom

[Mike Fleming]

Off the top of my head, I'd learn soldier's joy, salt creek, blackberry blossom, for instrumentals (if they are fiddle/mandolin guys they might do a lot of instrumental fiddle tunes), maybe roll in my sweet baby's arms and sittin on top of the world for tunes with words to round out my five. There are a million good ones though, and everybody else's suggestions will be good too.

The best thing to learn probably would be how typical bluegrass progressions go, and practice comping and soloing over them so you can get good at playing whatever changes the guys throw at you. Then after that i'd learn as many fiddle tunes as possible. Maybe have a couple vocal tunes down in case you want to take a turn singing lead. Do you like singing harmony? If so you could try to learn some choruses to tunes so you do harmony if guys call those tunes.

[jaydawg76]

Mike hit the nail on the head. Just learn a bunch of fiddle tunes and you'll be set. In addition to the great one's mike gave ya you could add Red Headed Boy, Old Joe Clark, Turkey in the Straw, Sally Goodin. There are a lot of great fiddle tunes out there.

For comping I'd work up some bass runs/fills to get between the 1-4-5 in the keys of G,C,D,A.

Here is an interesting link with some more info-
http://www.jimwoodmusic.net/articles/BluegrassRhythmGuitar-AcousticGuitar.pdf

Make sure you let us know how you make out!

[uberpict]

Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Roll in my Sweet Baby's Arms, Will the Circle be Unbroken, Orange Blossom Special and Dueling Banjo's. Not specifically bluegrass but the guys you're jamming with will know these for sure.

[sausagefingers]

Uncle Pen - Blue Grass Boys, Bill Monroe
Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Lester Flatt, Foggy Mountain Boys, Earl Scruggs
This Weary Heart You Stole Away (Wake Up, Sweetheart) - Clinch Mountain Boys, The Stanley Brothers
You Don't Know My Mind - Jimmy Martin
Rocky Top - Osborne Brothers
Blue Moon of Kentucky - Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys
Orange Blossom Special - The Stanley Brothers
Ballad of Jed Clampett - Lester Flatt, Foggy Mountain Boys, Earl Scruggs
Dooley - The Dillards
Nine Pound Hammer - The Kentucky Colonels
Roving Gambler - The Country Gentlemen
Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms - Del McCoury
Will the Circle Be Unbroken - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Old Home Place - J.D. Crowe, New South
Little Cabin Home on the Hill - Ricky Skaggs

[EJW]

Thanks! I'll pick a few of those that speak to me and work on them. The conference isn't until August, but I wanted to get a jump on things.

[Uniphasian]

I've been a bluegrass guitarist for nearly 20 years now, and have just recently jumped back into electric.

To your question, there are several fiddle tunes that I've played that entire time and not grown tired of them - as a matter of fact several seem to only gain in appreciation over the years. The best thing about these is that there is so much melody to explore that you don't necessarily need to play them at breakneck speed for them to sound good. Sometimes, slowing them down really brings out their true beauty:

Instrumental:
Red-Haired Boy
Lonesome Fiddle Blues
Jerusalem Ridge

Vocal:
Cora's Gone
House of Gold
Ocean of Diamonds

Have fun!

[Zelmo]

I've been a bluegrass guitarist for nearly 20 years now, and have just recently jumped back into electric.

To your question, there are several fiddle tunes that I've played that entire time and not grown tired of them - as a matter of fact several seem to only gain in appreciation over the years. The best thing about these is that there is so much melody to explore that you don't necessarily need to play them at breakneck speed for them to sound good. Sometimes, slowing them down really brings out their true beauty:

Instrumental:
Red-Haired Boy
Lonesome Fiddle Blues
Jerusalem Ridge

Vocal:
Cora's Gone
House of Gold
Ocean of Diamonds

Have fun!

+1 on Jerusalem Ridge. And by 'Red-Haired Boy', I assume you meant 'Miss McCloud's Reel', no?..... :knitting

[Mike Fleming]

P.S. Bring a capo, they will do everything in A and D :)

[Steve Foley]

Here you go:

Strummin' With The Devil: Bluegrass Tribute to Van Halen


http://www.amazon.com/Strummin-Devil-Bluegrass-Tribute-Halen/dp/B000CEV4RM

:cry:

[dlguitar64]

Just a tip-Bluegrass guys HATE rocky top and ballad of jed clampett-stick to Bill Monroe
Stanley Brothers and early Flatt and Scruugs.

[Mark EL]

Just google Steve Kaufman and peruse his available material on bluegrass flatpicking.

[lagomorphian]

If you're in St. Louis, come to our jam sessions at Folk School on the first and third Saturday of each month. These are exactly the kind of songs we do there. There will be fiddles, mandolins, banjos, dulcimers, guitars, even the occasional accordion or flute.

http://folk-school.com/newfolkschool/events.php

[khromagi]

I'm going to a conference this summer where there will be an informal jam session each evening. Pretty much everyone playing will be a bluegrass picker of some sort (bunch of science geeks with the fiddles and mandolins they usually carry with them to field stations). I'm more of a jazz/fusion/funk guy and totally unfamiliar with the bluegrass catalog. What would be your top-five must-know tunes for this sort of thing?

Thanks!

Ask people who are going to the conference!

[EJW]

If you're in St. Louis, come to our jam sessions at Folk School on the first and third Saturday of each month. These are exactly the kind of songs we do there. There will be fiddles, mandolins, banjos, dulcimers, guitars, even the occasional accordion or flute.

http://folk-school.com/newfolkschool/events.php

That looks great! I'll stop by if I'm in town next weekend (June 6?).

[ricoh]

Wreck on the Highway
The Leaves Have Turned Brown
Wabash Cannonball
Molly and Tenbrooks ...the race horse song
Poor Ellen Smith

[plexistack]

Stanley Brothers Greatest Hits

[squeally dan]

Word.

Ask people who are going to the conference!

[bobmc]

+1 on capo; great advice.

My small BG/fiddle tune set list has been covered with exception of "Sitting On Top of the World".

[pak1001]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xxh492o2aM

[EJW]

Ask people who are going to the conference!

Wish I could. Right now I only know one other person going and the only thing he plays is the radio.