A Memory Of You

Hi,
The song of the week is 'A Memory Of You' in the key of A.


Recordings
Jim & Jesse - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebC9IQNkj7E

Bobby Hicks and Friends - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLppdfvyW1c

'A Memory Of You' is just one of many lesser-known Bluegrass songs that can be easily introduced into almost any Bluegrass jam, even when none of the other jammers have ever heard or played it before, because nearly everything about the song is ordinary, typical, and predictable for a Bluegrass song. 

If you are not familiar with this song, try playing along with one of the recordings before opening the attachments and before reading the rest of the song of the week write up, to see how much of the chord progression and the melody you can pick up by ear. Try improvising a break while playing along with the recording and see what happens.


Progression 
The chord progression used to play 'A Memory Of You' is the one that is the most common of all progressions in Bluegrass: 

1144
1155
1144
1511
(V7 on the basic chord progressions handout)

Other common Bluegrass standards that use this same progression include:
Bury Me Beneath The Wiilow
Wreck Of The Old '97
Your Love Is Like A Flower
I'm On My Way Back To The Old Home
I Still Write Your Name In The Sand
Y'all Come
Lost And I'll Never Find A Way
Come Back Darling
If I Should Wander Back Tonight
Why Did You Wander
I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling
Back To The Cross
Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
Hold Watcha Got
True Life Blues
Road To Columbus
Flint Hill Special
Black Mountain Rag (C - Part)
Rose Of Old Kentucky (verse progression)
Blue Moon Of Kentucky (verse progression)
Tiny Broken Heart (verse progression)
Little Annie (verse progression)
White Dove (verse progression)
Cry, Cry Darlin' (verse progression)


Melody
Singers should observe that the melody for the chorus differs from the melody of the verses in measures 2 through 5. In these 4 measures, where the verse melody descends, the chorus melody ascends, and vice versa. 

In the attachments I have given the melody for the chorus rather than for the verses, because it feels to me more instinctive to use the chorus melody of 'A Memory Of You' as the point of reference for creating melody-based breaks, even though with most songs, one would typically use the melody for the verses rather than the melody for the chorus as the point of reference for creating melody based breaks when the chorus and verse melodies differ from each other. 


Pickup Notes
When played in the key of A, the first (full) measure of the melody begins with a C# note. On the Jim & Jesse recording, Jesse uses the following three pickup notes to lead into the C# note to start his intro break on the mandolin: E, F#, A, played as quarter notes. (Compare this with the similar - key of B equivalent - but more elaborate pickup measure, used at the beginning of the banjo intro break on the Bobby Hicks and Friends live performance of A Memory Of You.)

Other songs that, when played in the key of A, have a C# as the first melody note in their first (full) measure, and for which this same pickup phrase will work well, include: 

All The Good Times Are Past And Gone 
Beautiful Brown Eyes
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
I'll Fly Away
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains
Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
Canaan's Land
A Few More Seasons
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand
Little Cabin Home On The Hill
Love Me Darling Just Tonight
Wild Mountain Flowers For Mary
Will You Be Loving Another Man
Your Love Is Like A Flower
Ashes Of Love
Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms  

Transposed to each of the 7 other Major keys that songs may be played in at the jam, the pickup phrase and the note it leads to become:

key of G: 
D, E, G, leading to a B note
key of Bb: 
F, G, Bb, leading to a D note
key of B:
F#, G#, B, leading to a D# note
key of C:
G, A. C, leading to an E note
key of D
A. B. D, leading to an F# note
key of E:
B, C#, E, leading to a G# note
key of F:
C, D, F, leading to an A note


Song List
20 songs were played at last night's jam: 16 from the main list, 3 from the additional songs list, and 1 that is on neither list:

Angeline The Baker - D
Blue Ridge Cabin Home - A
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - D
Cripple Creek - A
Down The Road - B
Gathering Flowers From The Hillside - G
Long Journey Home - A
Mama Don't Allow - G
A Memory Of You - A
Nine Pound Hammer - G
Old Joe Clark - A
Shortnin' Bread - A
Soldier's Joy - D
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong - C
Will The Circle Be Unbroken (played twice) - A & G
Canaan's Land - G
Little Cabin Home On The Hill - A
Your Love Is Like A Flower - G
Fireball Mail - G

Happy Pickin',
Jason