Hi everyone,
Here are 6 songs with me on mandolin that I hope you'll enjoy jamming along with. (In previous video jams, these songs were recorded on guitar and banjo.)

Beginner Jam:
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G - 3/4 (160 bpm)
Shortnin' Bread - G (112)
Little Birdie - Bb (110)
Beginner Bluegrass Jam 5/7/2021  / Jason Homey - YouTube

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Chord Progressions:

Beautiful Brown Eyes
1144
1155
1144
5511

Shortnin' Bread 
1   1   1   5/1
(x4 for a complete break: AABB)

Little Birdie
1155
5511
1155
5511

​Hi everyone,
Here are some songs with me on banjo that I hope you'll enjoy playing with me.

Beginner Jam:
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G - 3/4 time (160 beats per minute)
Shortnin' Bread - G (112 bpm)
Little Birdie - Bb (110 bpm)
Beginner Bluegrass Jam 1/30/2021 / Jason Homey - YouTube

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
I hope you'll enjoy playing along with these videos.

Beginner Jam:
Wreck Of The Old '97 - C
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G (2/2 time, instead of 3/4)
Boil The Cabbage Down - D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1pCUI2AO_c

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi,
The song of the week is 'Beautiful Brown Eyes' in the key of G. At the jam next week, it will be played first in 3/4 time, and then in 2/2 time.


Recordings
Gibson Brothers - key of Bb - 2/2 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IupOvRqFqSo

Arthur Smith Trio - key of G - 3/4 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZqWNuJPd6o

Red Allen (Beautiful Blue Eyes) - key of G - 2/2 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhPgbKqwNkc

Jason Homey & The Snake River Boys - key of G (first break, verse, and chorus in 3/4; remainder of the song in 2/2); starts at 5:16.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1NKw99Anlo  


Time Signature
Beautiful Brown Eyes is one of a handful of songs that may be played at a bluegrass jam in either 3/4 (waltz) time (1-2-3: boom-chuck-chuck rhythm on guitar) or in 2/2 (cut common) time (1&2&: boom-chuck-boom-chuck rhythm on guitar). In the attachments, I have included two sets of melody sheets for Beautiful Brown Eyes, one in 2/2 time, and one in 3/4 time.

The classic example of a bluegrass song played in both 3/4 time and in cut common time is Bill Monroe's 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky'.  Bill originally recorded the song in 3/4 time.  But after Elvis Presley recorded his non-3/4 time version of the song  (which the Stanley Brothers later copied), Bill recorded it again, playing the first half of it in 3/4 time and the second half of it in cut common time. 

Bill Monroe: 3/4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtpiqdN2lJk 

Elvis Presley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7M0CmkJ-2o

The Stanley Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g67Y9Q15cNU 

Bill Monroe: 3/4 & 2/2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSRlegwWnoc 


Other examples of songs for which there are both 3/4 and non-3/4 versions include:  

The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band Bill Monroe 3/4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATc22oHWitg  

The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band Hylo Brown 2/2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbwk6Ka5HQc


How Mountain Girls Can Love (Stanley Brothers 2/2;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrqhZxvsxTs

How Mountain Girls Can Love  Gibson Brothers 3/4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bVc0u3dvoI  


Down In A Willow Garden (banjo solo: first in 3/4 and then in 2/2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iudBMZgsPDM    


Streamline Cannonbali Hank Snow 3/4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9vNUJJX6-k  

Streamline Cannonball Doc Watson 2/2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Ri4YBDnt4

Before I Met You
Paradise
I'm Thinking Tonight Of The Old Folks (a.k.a. Dixie Home)
Philadelphia Lawyer
I Never Will Marry
Dark As A Dungeon 

Progression
The chord progression for Beautiful Brown Eyes is:

1144
1155
1144
5511
This is Prog. W7 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout.
(In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, 5=D)

This chord progression differs by only one measure from the most common chord progression in bluegrass, namely the progression that is used to play 'Bury Me Beneath The Willow', 'Come Back Darling', 'I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand', 'A Memory Of You', 'Wreck Of The Old '97', etc.:

1144
1155
1144
1511
(Prog. V7 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout.)

In order to avoid accidentally playing Progression V7 in place of Progression W7 for Beautiful Brown Eyes at the jam, some may find it helpful to remind themselves before the song starts that in the last half of the progression for Beautiful Brown Eyes, the 4 chord is followed immediately by the 5 chord (instead of returning to the 1 chord first before going to the 5 chord).   


Melody
The melody, as I sing it, consists of the first 6 notes of the Major Scale. 

                  do  re  mi  fa   sol  la
                  1    2    3    4    5    6
Key of G:   G   A    B    C   D   E
Key of A:   A    B    C#  D   E   F#
Key of Bb: Bb  C    D   Eb  F   G
Key of B:   B    C#  D# E    F# G#
Key of C:   C    D   E    F    G   A
Key of D:   D    E   F#  G    A   B
Key of E:   E    F#  G#  A    B  C#
Key of F:    F    G    A   Bb  C  D  
 

Harmony
I welcome all to sing harmony with me on the chorus of the song. Since the starting note of the melody is the 3rd note of the Major Scale (a B note when in the key of G), and the progression starts with the 1 chord (a G chord when in the key of G), the starting note for the tenor harmony (i.e., the harmony part directly above than the melody) is the 5th note of the Major Scale (a D note when in the key of G), and the starting note for the baritone harmony (i.e., the harmony part directly below the melody) is the 1st, or root, note of the Major Scale (a G note when in the key of G). For, together, these three notes make up the 1 chord (a G chord when in the key of G.)

The last note of the melody for Beautiful Brown Eyes, like for most songs, is the 
root (1st) note of the Major Scale, and, also like in most other songs, the progression at this point in the song calls for the 1 chord to be played. Therefore, the ending note for the tenor harmony part is the 3rd note of the Major Scale (a B note when in the key of G), and the ending note for the baritone harmony part is the 5th note of the Major Scale (a D note when in the key of G). 


Breaks
When the melody for the chorus of a song differs from the melody for the verses of the song, it is much more common for melody-based breaks to follow the melody for the verses, rather than the melody for the chorus. However, since the verse and chorus melodies for Beautiful Brown Eyes do not differ much from each other in versions in which there is a difference, it is of little consequence whether one bases one's break on the verse melody or on the chorus melody. Examples of both types of melody-based breaks are found on the recordings. For example, the first two breaks on the Gibson Brothers recording are based upon the chorus melody, whereas the third break (the guitar break) is based upon the verse melody. 


Pickup Notes
Beautiful Brown Eyes starts with the same melody note as My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, and the progressions for both songs start with the 1 chord. Therefore, the same set of pickup notes that I suggested for starting an intro break for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains in the song of the week email from four weeks ago will also work for starting an intro break for Beautiful Brown Eyes. (Using three quarter notes for a pickup measure of an intro break works just as well in 3/4 time as it does in 2/2 time.) Refer back to the section on 'Pickup Notes' and the melody sheets in the song of the week write-up for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains:

https://www.idahobluegrassassociation.org/jasons-beginner-jam-blog-2019---2020/category/my-homes-across-the-blue-ridge-mountains  


Song List
17 songs were played at the jam on Thursday: 14 from the main list, and 3 from the additional songs list:

Angeline The Baker - D
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - C
Cripple Creek - A
Down The Road - B
Foggy Mountain Top - G
I'll Fly Away - A
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms - A
Long Journey Home - G
Mama Don't Allow - G
Nine Pound Hammer - B
Old Joe Clark - A
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong - F
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - A
Amazing Grace - G
Little Cabin Home On The Hill - A
Wreck Of The Old '97 - D

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi,
The song of the week is 'Beautiful Brown Eyes' in the key of G.

Recordings
Jimmy Martin (Jimmy's daughter Lisa on lead vocal) - key of D - 3/4 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWFQn6-WgSY

Gibson Brothers - key of Bb - 2/2 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IupOvRqFqSo

Arthur Smith Trio - key of G - 3/4 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZqWNuJPd6o

Red Allen (Beautiful Blue Eyes) - key of G - 2/2 time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhPgbKqwNkc

Time Signature
Beautiful Brown Eyes is one of a handful of songs that may be played at a bluegrass jam in either 3/4 (waltz) time (1-2-3: boom-chuck-chuck rhythm on guitar) or in 2/2 (cut common) time (1&2&: boom-chuck-boom-chuck rhythm on guitar). Other songs like this include 'Before I Met You', 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky', 'Down In A Willow Garden', and 'Paradise'.

On the current main song list for the beginner jam, Beautiful Brown Eyes is specified as being played in 3/4 time. One reason why I did this is because there is only one other song on the list that is in 3/4 time, namely, All The Good Times Are Past And Gone, but being just as comfortable with 3/4 time as with cut common time is an essential bluegrass playing skill. Another reason is that people who are new to bluegrass but who are already familiar with this song are more likely to know a version of it in 3/4 time rather than in cut time. So, until the current main list is revised near the end of the Summer, whenever Beautiful Brown Eyes is played at the jam during the first half of the evening, I will lead it in 3/4 time; but, during the second half of the evening, if the person who calls the song wishes to play it in cut common time instead, then that is how it will be played.

Progression
The chord progression for Beautiful Brown Eyes is:

1144
1155
1144
5511
This is Prog. W7 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout.
(In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, 5=D)

This chord progression differs by only one measure from the most common chord progression in bluegrass, namely the progression that is used to play 'Bury Me Beneath The Willow', 'Come Back Darling', 'I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand', 'A Memory Of You', etc.:

1144
1155
1144
1511
(Prog. V7 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout.)

In order to avoid accidentally playing Progression V7 in place of Progression W7 for Beautiful Brown Eyes at the jam, some may find it helpful to remind themselves before the song starts that in the last half of the progression for Beautiful Brown Eyes, the 4 chord is followed immediately by the 5 chord (instead of returning to the 1 chord first before going to the 5 chord).   

Arrangement
When there are four different types of lead instruments at the jam, I most often arrange the song as follows:

Break
Verse 1
Chorus
Break
Verse 2
Chorus
Break
Break
Verse 3
Chorus
Break 
Break
Chorus

or:

Break
Chorus
Break
Verse 1
Chorus
Break
Verse 2
Chorus
Break
Verse 3
Chorus
Break
Break
Chorus

with all breaks being full-length breaks (four musical lines: the same as the number of lines of complete verse or of a complete chorus). 

These arrangements have more in common with the arrangements of the song on the Gibson Brothers and Arthur Smith recordings than with the arrangements on the other two recordings. On the Jimmy Martin recording, the intro break is a half-length break (using the last half of the progression). On the Red Allen recording, the intro break is a quarter-length break (called a 'turnaround', using the last line of the progression). On both of these recordings, the first chorus is immediately followed by a verse instead of by a break.

Melody
The melody sheets attached here are based upon how I sing the melody for the chorus. My choice of notes for the chorus is more similar to the Arthur Smith recording than to the other recordings, but my timing on some of the notes is quite different. However, on the Arthur Smith recording, the melody for the verses is the same as the melody for the chorus, whereas on the other three recordings, and in the way that I also sing the song, the second line of the melody for the verses differs from the second line of the melody for the chorus. 

The melody, as I sing it, consists of the first 6 notes of the Major Scale. (In some versions of the melody the 6th note is absent):

                  do   re   mi   fa   sol  la
                    1     2     3     4    5    6
Key of G:    G    A    B     C   D    E
Key of A:    A    B    C#   D   E    F#
Key of Bb: Bb  C    D     Eb  F    G
Key of B:    B    C#  D#  E    F# G#
Key of C:    C     D    E     F    G   A
Key of D:    D    E    F#   G    A    B
Key of E:    E    F#  G#   A    B   C#
Key of F:     F    G    A    Bb   C   D  

Lyrics
For the chorus of Beautiful Brown Eyes, I use the same lyrics that are sung on the Jimmy Martin, Gibson Brothers, and Arthur Smith recordings. For the verses, however, I use essentially the same set of lyrics as those on the Red Allen recording.
 
Harmony
I welcome all to sing harmony with me on the chorus of the song. Since the starting note of the melody is the 3rd note of the Major Scale (a B note when in the key of G), and the progression starts with the 1 chord (a G chord when in the key of G), the starting note for the tenor harmony (i.e., the harmony part directly above than the melody) is the 5th note of the Major Scale (a D note when in the key of G), and the starting note for the baritone harmony (i.e., the harmony part directly below the melody) is the 1st, or root, note of the Major Scale (a G note when in the key of G). For, together, these three notes make up the 1 chord (a G chord when in the key of G.)

The last note of the melody for Beautiful Brown Eyes, like for most songs, is the 
root (1st) note of the Major Scale, and, also like in most other songs, the progression at this point in the song calls for the 1 chord to be played. Therefore, the ending note for the tenor harmony part is the 3rd note of the Major Scale (a B note when in the key of G), and the ending note for the baritone harmony part is the 5th note of the Major Scale (a D note when in the key of G). 

Breaks
When the melody for the chorus of a song differs from the melody for the verses of the song, it is much more common for melody-based breaks to follow the melody for the verses, rather than the melody for the chorus. However, since the verse and chorus melodies for Beautiful Brown Eyes do not differ much from each other in versions in which there is a difference, it is of little consequence whether one bases one's break on the verse melody or on the chorus melody. Examples of both types of melody-based breaks are found on the recordings. For example, the first two breaks on the Gibson Brothers recording are based upon the chorus melody, whereas the third break (the guitar break) is based upon the verse melody. 

Pickup Notes
Beautiful Brown Eyes starts with the same melody note as My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, and the progressions for both songs start with the 1 chord. Therefore, the same set of pickup notes that I suggested for starting an intro break for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains in the song of the week email from two weeks ago will also work for starting an intro break for Beautiful Brown Eyes. (Using three quarter notes for a pickup measure of an intro break works just as well in 3/4 time as it does in 2/2 time.) Refer back to the section on 'Pickup Notes' and the melody sheets in the song of the week write-up for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains.

Song List
14 songs were played at the jam on Thursday: 12 from the main list, and 2 from the additional songs list:

Beautiful Brown Eyes - G
Blue Ridge Cabin Home - A
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Buffalo Gals - A
Cripple Creek - A
Foggy Mountain Top - G
I'll Fly Away - G
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains - G
New River Train - F
Nine Pound Hammer - A
Way Down Town - E
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - G
Canaan's Land - A
Worried Man Blues - G

Happy Pickin',
Jason