Idaho Bluegrass Association
  • Home
    • About
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond 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
    • SpringGrass 2023 >
      • Springfest 2022
    • Winterfest
    • IBA Concert Series
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • 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

Long Journey Home

9/15/2017

1 Comment

 
Hi,
The song of the week is the old bluegrass classic 'Long Journey Home' (a.k.a. 'Two Dollar Bill' or 'Lost All My Money') in the key of A.

Recordings
Flatt & Scruggs - key of A (song starts at 2:07)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j36uEgzfer4&list=PL75WHOdULzEkvqS1g3YFtHWFP0Av_Fio4

Rhonda Vincent - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M8j_Ofnstc

Bill Monroe & Doc Watson - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIsDyBxPujM

For reasons of historical interest, I include the following version of 'Long Journey Home' by the Monroe Brothers (Bill Monroe and his older brother Charlie). From 1936, this was one of the first songs that Bill Monroe recorded, and it is played wickedly fast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4ZLjumc8x0

Progression
The chord progression is:

1111
1141
1111
1511

While this is a fairly basic chord progression, there are relatively few bluegrass standards that use this progression.  I like to think of this progression as being closely related to the more common progression:

1111
4411
1111
1511
(Will The Circle Be Unbroken; I'll Fly Away; Ridin' On The Midnight Train; Mountain Dew, etc.)

The first, third, and fourth lines are identical in both progressions.  The second line of both progressions is made up of 1 and 4 chords, but they differ from each other as to where the 4 chord occurs within the line and how long one stays on the 4 chord before changing back to the 1.

The main challenge that the Long Journey Home progression presents is that with so many 1s in the in the progression, it can sometimes be all too easy to lose one's place within the progression.  But, if one thinks/feels the song in terms of distinct lines consisting of 4 measures each, then this is less likely to happen. However, if you do lose track of the progression, then the safest chord to play is the 1.  Just keep on playing the 1 while you are trying to figure out where in the progression the song is at. Use the vocal as a guide to help you to feel where each line of the progression begins.

Keys
When I lead the song at the beginner jam for the next two jams, we will play it in the key of A. However, it is also a good idea to be prepared for the future to play it in G and in Bb, since these are the keys that others have chosen to sing it in at the jam in past. 

(In the key of A: 1=A; 4=D; 5=E. In the key of G: 1=G; 4=C; 5=D. In the key of Bb: 1=Bb; 4=Eb; 5=F.)

Tempo
Long Journey Home is quite often played at a fast tempo.  While this song would not work very well at a slow tempo, it is not necessary to play it nearly as fast as it has often been played on recordings in order for it to sound right.  So, at the beginner jam, I do not intend on playing the song as fast as it is played on the youtube links provided below, but it will still be one of the faster songs, relative to the speeds that we tend to play songs at at the jam.

Lyrics
One of the things that makes 'Long Journey Home' a jam friendly song is the repetitive nature of the lyrics.  So there is not much that needs to be memorized in order to be able to sing harmony on the choruses, and the last line of the chorus is identical to the last line of each verse:

Lost all my money but a two dollar bill,
Two dollar bill, boys, two dollar bill.
Lost all my money but a two dollar bill:
I'm on my long journey home.

The repetitive nature of the lyrics also makes Long Journey Home a good song choice for those who wish to lead a song at the jam, but do not have much experience yet singing at a jam, or who have difficulty memorizing lyrics. 
Long Journey Home - banjo tab
File Size: 280 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Long Journey Home - guitar tab
File Size: 321 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Long Journey Home - mandolin tab
File Size: 259 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Long Journey Home - melody in A
File Size: 294 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

1 Comment
Cheap Louisiana link
5/13/2021 07:21:56 pm

Thhanks for sharing this

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    ​Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2017 - 2018


    ​with
       Jason Homey

    Picture
    ​Songs regularly called at the Beginner Bluegrass Jam and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails.  (from Renee)

    ​

    Songs

    All
    All The Good Times
    A Memory Of You
    Angeline The Baker
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Boil The Cabbage Down
    Buffalo Gals
    Bury Me Beneath The Willow
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cluck Old Hen
    Columbus Stockade Blues
    Cripple Creek
    Down The Road
    Foggy Mountain Top
    Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
    Good King Wenceslas
    Handsome Molly
    I Can't Feel At Home
    I'll Fly Away
    I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand
    In The Pines
    In The Sweet By And By
    Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
    Liberty
    Little Birdie
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Lonesome Road Blues
    Long Journey Home
    Mama Don't Allow
    Mountain Dew
    My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains
    New River Train
    Nine Pound Hammer
    Old Joe Clark
    Reuben
    Shortnin' Bread
    Silent Night
    Soldier's Joy
    Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
    Swing Low Sweet Chariot
    Take This Hammer
    Way Down Town
    We'll Meet Again Sweetheart
    Will The Circle Be Unbroken
    Will You Be Loving Another Man
    Worried Man Blues
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    X- 30 Add. Jam-Friendly Songs
    X Basic Chord Progressions
    X- Basic Chord Progressions
    X-Bluegrass Artists And Bands
    X- Music Theory
    X- Pick-Up Notes
    X- Song List For 2018
    X Song List For 2019
    X- Top 20 List

    All of Jason's Songs
    in alphabetical order

    RSS Feed

ConTACT US!


ADDRESS:
​Idaho Bluegrass Association
PO Box 6074
Boise, ID 83707

Email

idahobluegrassassociation@gmail.com
Copyright © 2021 IBA.
  • Home
    • About
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond 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
    • SpringGrass 2023 >
      • Springfest 2022
    • Winterfest
    • IBA Concert Series
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • 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