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Beginner Jam


Tuesdays, 6:30 pm - 8:45 pm

2099 S Century Way, Boise, ID
​


​Everyone’s welcome
FREE
For more info: 
[email protected]
Hello to anyone wondering if the jams are still active. YES! Jason produces new main lists every few months. We meet from the beginning of September to the end of May. (Following the usual school calendar.)
Come and join us at either jam. You are welcome to stop by and observe and see how we operate. It is always fun with lots of laughter.

Clinch Mountain Backstep

11/6/2024

0 Comments

 
Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Clinch Mountain Backstep' in the key of A.

​
Recordings 
Ralph Stanley - key of A 
Clinch Mountain Backstep

Bluegrass '96 - key of A
Clinch Mountain Backstep

Blue Highway - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTEF5keaPhk


Jam Videos
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)


Progression
The chord progression for the A-Part is:
1115
1151
 
The chord progression for the B-Part is the same, except that there is an extra 'half-measure' of the '1' before the first '5'.  If one is counting the beats in the first line of the B-Part in cut common time (2/2), one would count it as: 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,1,2.
(On the sheet music attached here, I have written the first line of the B-Part as 3 measures in 2/2, followed by a measure in which the time signature changes to 1/2, followed by a measure that returns to 2/2.)


Melody & Key
Although the melody of Clinch Mountain Backstep consists only of the notes of the Am pentatonic scale, it is called at jams in A (Major) rather than Am because the '1' chord that is used in the chord progression for the song is an A Major Chord rather than an Am Chord ('1m'). To call Clinch Mountain Backstep in A Minor instead of in A (Major) at a jam would imply that 1m Chords are to be played in place of 1 Chords.

In the attached melody sheet for Clinch Mountain Backstep, I have used the key signature for Am (no sharps or flats, same as the key signature for C Major, the Relative Major of Am) instead of the key signature for A Major (3 sharps) to avoid the need to write natural signs in nearly every measure. I hope that my doing this makes the sheet music easier to read than if I had used the key signature for A Major.

The notes that make up the Minor Pentatonic Scale, or as I like to call it sometimes 'The Clinch Mountain Scale', are: 

                    1, b3, 4, 5, b7
Key of A:    A  C   D  E  G
Key of G:   G  Bb C  D  F
Key of D:    D  F   G  A  C
etc.


Song List
14 songs were played at last night's jam: 8 from the main list, and 6 from the additional songs list:

Beautiful Brown Eyes - D
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Cluck Old Hen - A
Gold Watch And Chain - E
Long Journey Home - D
New River Train (played twice) - B & G
She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain - D
Way Down Town - C
Buffalo Gals - A
Cripple Creek - A
I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes - B
I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling - G
Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong - G
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - D

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Files:
Clinch Mountain Backstep - Banjo tab
Download File

Clinch Mountain Backstep - Guitar tab
Download File

Clinch Mountain Backstep - Mandolin tab
Download File

Clinch Mountain Backstep - Melody in A
Download File



0 Comments

    Beginner Jam

    started by ​Janene Thomas
    ​


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  • Home
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    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond Interview
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Honi Deaton Interview
      • Dennis Stokes Interview
      • Gary Eller Interview
    • Articles >
      • Glen Garrett - The Golden Years
      • Sammie Bush - came to Weiser
      • Mark O’Connor - My History at Weiser
      • Barbara Lamb - Fiddler Extraordinaire
      • Charlie Simmons -The Idaho Bluegrass Association from 1975 to 1985
      • Idaho's 19th century Fiddlers
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions ​ 1950s & 1960s
      • ​Byron Berline
      • Dave Frisbee
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions from 1970s and 80s
      • Megan Lynch Chowning
      • Fiddle Champion ​in 1990s and 2000s
      • Tashina and Tristan Clarridge
    • Snap Shot - Videos from IBA members
  • Events
    • Calendar (BCBB)
    • Open Mic
    • SpringFest 2025
    • Winterfest
    • Bluegrass in the Park
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Beginner Jam
    • Jason's BIBJ
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2023
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2023
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Songs in 2016
  • Camps & Contests
    • Idaho Bluegrass and Banjo Camp
    • Banjo Contest
    • National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest
  • Idaho Bands
  • Teachers
  • Classified
  • Links
    • General
    • Learning
    • Specific Instruments