Hi everyone,
Just a quick heads-up about the jams this week:

Due to the weather turning colder this week, the plan is to hold the beginner jam tonight and the intermediate jam tomorrow night indoors at the Powderhaus in the large back area of the building. I'll arrive there at 6pm today and tomorrow to set up, trying to arrange the chairs in a way that best accommodates distancing, and I intend on wearing a mask at all times while in the building, and especially when sitting in the jam circle, except when taking a sip of my drink.

If you are intending on coming to the jam tonight and/or tomorrow night, then I'll see you soon and look forward to playing music with you. 

Please feel free to email me back with any questions you may have.
Happy Pickin',

Jason

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Little Birdie' in the key of Bb.

Recordings
Red Smiley - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-dSrfm47XY

Jason Homey & The Snake River Boys - key of Bb (song starts at 15:55)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJAtP8irWYs  

The Stanley Brothers - key of Eb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sakr_M1KMaM

Lonesome River Band - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaQXT-sgtOg


Jam Videos
Here are four youtube jam videos I have made for Little Birdie. I recommend starting with the one listed first. In that one, I am on guitar, and am playing the song in the key of Bb.
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)

Progression
The chord progression I use for Little Birdie is;

1155
5511
1155
5511

On the Basic Chord Progressions handout, this is the first half of Progression V9 (and Progression W9) played through twice.      

                       1        5          Guitar & Banjo                       Banjo 5th string tuned to
Key of G         G       D         No capo, play in G                  G
Key of A          A       E         Capo 2, play as if in G             A  
Key of Bb       Bb     F         Capo 3, play as if in G             Bb (=A#)
Key of B         B       F#       Capo 4, play as if in G             B
Key of C         C       G        No capo, play in C                   G
                                           or Capo 5, play as if in G         C
Key of D         D       A         Capo 2, play as if in C              A
                                           or No capo, play in D                A
Key of Eb       Eb     Bb       Capo 3, play as if in C              Bb (=A#)
                                           or Capo 1, play as if in D          Bb  (=A#)
Key of  E        E       B         Capo 4, play as if in C              B
                                           or Capo 2, play as if in D          B
Key of  F        F       C         Capo 5, play as if in C              C   
                                           or Capo 3, play as if in D          C

Note for Banjo Players: Tuning the fifth string up to A, Bb, B, and C notes is usually done with the help of either a 5th string capo or spikes. For the A note, the 5th string is capoed or spiked at the 7th fret. For the Bb note, the 5th string is capoed or spiked at the 8th fret. For, the B note, the 5th string is capoed or spiked at the 9th fret. For the C note, the 5th string is capoed or spiked at the 10th fret. For banjo players who use spikes but, like me, do not have 8th and 10th fret spikes, for the Bb note, spike the 5th string at the 7th fret and then manually tune it up a half step to a Bb (A#) note, and for the C note, spike the 5th string at the 9th fret and then manually tune it up a half step higher to a C note. 

Caution: If you try to tune the 5th string up to B and C notes without the help of spikes or a 5th string capo, don't be surprised if the string breaks. Even tuning the 5th string up to A and Bb notes without the help of a spike or a 5th string capo can be risky, especially if your strings are old. Also, tuning one string up manually a whole step or more will put the other four strings out of tune enough on most banjos that you will likely need to retune all five strings in order to be reasonably in tune.

On the Red Smiley recording, half a measure of the 5 chord is deleted from the last line of the progression during the banjo break. Two extra measures of the 1 chord are added to the progression at the end of the first two breaks, and one extra measure of the 1 chord is added to the progression at the end of the third (last) break.

On the Stanley Brothers recording, an extra measure of the 1 chord is added to the end of the last line of the first three breaks, and two extra measures of the 1 chord are added to the end of the last line of the fourth  break. Lines 1 and 3 of the verses are lengthened sometimes to six and half measures, and at other times to seven measures, with the last three of the measures being where the 5 chord is played. Line 2 of each verse is six measures long: 551111. The first and fourth verses are twenty-three measures long, the second verse is twenty-four measures long, and the third verse is twenty-three-and-a-half measures long. 

On the Lonesome River Band recording, the progression is:
11155
5511
11155
5511
with an extra two measures of the 1 chord being added to the end of the progression for the breaks, the first chorus, and the second verse.


Key of Bb: Tips for Fiddle & Mandolin Players
Some may find it helpful to think of a less familiar key in relation to a more familiar key. One way of approaching playing in Bb is to think of the key of Bb in relation to the key of A. Bb is a half-step higher than A. Therefore, if one raises by a half-step all the notes of the A major scale, or all of the notes of a melody played in A, this will result in playing in the key of Bb:

The corresponding notes of the A and Bb Major Scales are as follows:
                             1     2     3     4     5     6     7
A Major Scale:   A     B    C#   D    E    F#   G#   
Bb Major Scale: Bb  C     D    Eb   F    G     A

For mandolin players who play closed position chords (no open strings being played), this way of approaching playing in less familiar keys can be especially useful. For instance, to find the 1, 4, and 5 chords for the key of Bb (Bb. Eb, and F), one can just simply take the chord shapes that one uses for the 1, 4, and 5 chords for the key of A (A, D, E) and move them up one fret higher, knowing that this will result in the corresponding 1, 4, and 5 chords for the key of Bb. The same principle applies also to closed-position (no open strings) double stops on mandolin and fiddle.


Melody                      
In ascending order of pitch, the melody notes for Little Birdie are:

                   5    6    7    1    2    3  
                   sol  la   ti    do  re   mi
Key of G:    D   E    F#  G   A    B  
Key of A:    E   F#  G#  A   B    C#
Key of Bb:  F    G    A   Bb C    D
Key of B:    F#  G#  A#  B  C#  D#
Key of C:    G   A     B    C   D   E
Key of D:    A    B    C#  D   E   F#
Key of Eb:  Bb  C    D   Eb  F   G 
Key of E:    B    C#  D#  E   F# G#
Key of F:    C    D    E    F   G   A
For melody sheets for Little Birdie in Bb, written in standard notation, mandolin tab, guitar tab, and banjo tab, go to Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association and scroll down to the bottom of the page where the attachments are.


Arrangement & Lyrics
On the Red Smiley recording, the arrangement is: break, verse, break, verse, break, verse, with the last verse being a repeat of the first verse.

On The Snake River Boys recording, the arrangement is: break, verse, break, verse, break, verse, break, break, break, break, verse.

On the Stanley Brothers recording, the arrangement is: break, verse, break, verse, break, verse, break, verse. 

On these three recordings, there are no harmony vocals. This is common in bluegrass arrangements of songs that are sung without a chorus.

On the Lonesome River Band recording, the arrangement is as follows:
Banjo Break
Chorus
Verse 1
Chorus
Fiddle Break
Verse 2
Verse 3
Chorus
Mandolin Break
Verse 4
Chorus
Banjo Break
Chorus

The lyrics for the chorus, which is sung with harmony, are essentially the same as the lyrics for the first verse on the other recordings. But, of the four verses in this arrangement, only the last one is similar to any of the verses on the other recordings.

When leading Little Birdie at the jams, I have almost always used Ralph's set of lyrics (four verses, no chorus), and to lengthen the arrangement, I usually have called two breaks back to back between the second and third verses, and two or three breaks between the third and fourth verses. 

Pickup Notes
The set of pickup notes that the melody of 'Nine Pound Hammer' starts with are equally effective to use to start an intro break for Little Birdie. Refer back to the section titled 'Pickup Notes' in the beginner jam song of the week write-up for Nine Pound Hammer:

https://www.idahobluegrassassociation.org/jasons-beginner-jam-blog/category/nine-pound-hammer (scroll about 2/5ths of the way down the page)

On banjo, another effective way to start an intro break for Little Birdie is to play a half-note pinch (e.g., 5th and 1st strings played together simultaneously, lasting for half a measure before the next note is played) followed by the two quarter notes that the melody starts with.

Fill-in Licks in Backup & Breaks
The third measure of lines 2 and 4 of each verse has only one syllable in it, which is sung at the beginning of the measure. And, the measure that follows begins with a rest. During these kinds of 'dead spaces' within the melody of a song, it is very common for a fill-in lick to be played on one or more of the instruments. In the attachments (go to Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association and scroll down to the bottom of the page) I have included a chart of simple fill-in licks for guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin that will fit well into measure 3 through to the first quarter of measure 4 of lines 2 and 4 of the progression for Little Birdie when the song is played in the key of Bb. These same licks are also good to use in measures 3 to 4 of lines 2 and 4 of your breaks. 
On the chart of fill-in licks, notes in parentheses are not really part of the fill-in lick proper and may be omitted if they are inconvenient to get into from what you were doing immediately before the fill-in measures begin. For instance, if you are playing chop chords on the fiddle or mandolin right up to the point where the fill-in measure starts, you may wish to substitute a quarter note rest in place of the quarter note in parentheses that occurs at the beginning of the fill-in lick measure.  Likewise, the notes you play in a guitar break in measure 2 of lines 2 and 4 may lead you more naturally to play the open 3rd string at the beginning of measure 3 of those lines than to play the note at the 3rd fret of the 6th string. When this happens, just substitute the open 3rd string note in place of the lower note shown in parentheses on the chart.

Compare this section with the 'Fill-in Licks in Backup & Breaks' section in the Nine Pound Hammer song of the week write-ups for the beginner jam:
Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association

Song List
15 songs were played at last night's jam: 12 from the main list, 2 from the additional songs list, and 1 that is on neither list: 
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G
Boil The Cabbage Down - A 
Buffalo Gals - G
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - C
Foggy Mountain Top - G
I'll Fly Away - G
Little Birdie  - Bb 
New River Train - F
Nine Pound Hammer - B
Shortnin' Bread - G
Soldier's Joy - D
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - G
Long Journey Home - A
This Land Is Your Land - G
Rose Of Old Kentucky - G
​
Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Shortnin' Bread' in the key of G, played as an instrumental.

There is a lot of information included in this song of the week write-up, which I don't recommend trying to absorb all at once. The write-up is divided into nine sections: 1) Recordings, 2) Jam Videos, 3) Form & Arrangement, 4) 8 Potato Intros, 5) Progression, 6) Double Endings, 7) Melody, 8) Keys, and 9) Song List. Of these, the most important section is the first one: the recordings. The other sections are bound to have differing degrees of relevance or irrelevance to each individual person reading the write-up, depending on where each person is currently at with their playing, musical knowledge,  interests, and frequency of participation in jams, among other things.


Recordings
Flatt & Scruggs - key of G (starts at 0:49)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FgpQyk5ibw

Ron Block - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFUvwpqPb8E

The Freight Hoppers - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfb_LddQ738

David Parmley & Cardinal Tradition - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN6u9FnCOrE  

Jason Homey & The Snake River Boys - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1NKw99Anlo  

Hillary Klug - key of D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsefjHKdmFM


Jam Videos 
Here are four youtube jam videos I have made for Shortnin' Bread. I recommend starting with the one listed second. In that one, I am on guitar, and am playing the tune in the key of G.
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)


Form & Arrangement
Shortnin' Bread is a two-part fiddle tune.  Each part is 4 measures long, and is repeated before going on to the next part. This form (2 parts each repeated) is called AABB.  'A' stands for 'A-Part', i.e., first part, and 'B' stands for 'B-Part', i.e., second part. 

Since each part is 4 measures long, it takes 16 measures (4x4) to get through a single complete break for Shortnin' Bread. This is half the length of a single AABB form break for 'Boil The Cabbage Down', 'Buffalo Gals' and 'Soldier's Joy'. For, in those tunes each part is 8, instead of only 4, measures long.

On the Flatt & Scruggs recording, the AABB form is altered the second time through it. After playing AABBAA, Scruggs plays four B-Parts back to back, the first two of which are a variation on his basic B-Part.  

The Ron Block recording copies Scruggs on this, but also has four B-Parts back to back for the last banjo break as well. The arrangement in full is as follows:

Banjo:  AABB
             AABBBB
Fiddle: AABB
             AABB 
Banjo:  AABB
Guitar: AABB
Mandolin: AABB
Mandolin/Fiddle (split break): AA (mandolin) BB (fiddle)
Banjo: AABBBB
Banjo: Double Ending (4 measures)

The Freight Hoppers consistently stick to the AABB form, despite the fact that only one of their vocal sections in the arrangement (the second one) takes up the length of one complete round through the form. The first, third, and fourth vocal sections are sung over the second A-Part of the form and the two B-Parts that follow it. The fifth vocal section is sung over the final two B-Parts of the song, which is then followed by a double ending. 

On the David Parmley recording, each of the five breaks is 24 measures long. Each of the three banjo breaks essentially consist of Scruggs' A-Part, played twice (AA: 8 measures) followed by Scruggs' B-Part variation (BB: 8 measures), followed by Scruggs' basic (or default) B-Part (BB: 8 measures). In both of the two fiddle breaks, there is also a consistent distinction made between the first pair of B parts and the second pair of 'B' parts. Because of all this, I am more inclined to think of the David Parmley & Cardinal Tradition version of Shortnin' Bread as having the form AABBCC (three parts) rather than as having the form AABBBB (two parts). 

The Snake River Boys recording never deviates from the AABB form.

Hilary Klug keeps to the AABB form, except that she ends the tune on the A-Part, playing AABBAABBAABBAA


8 Potato Intros
On the Snake River Boys and the Hilary Klug recordings, and on the jam videos, the tune starts with an 8 Potato Intro before the first A-Part is played. This is a highly effective way to start most fiddle tunes at jams.

An 8 Potato Intro consists essentially in droning in a straight but rhythmic manner the root note of the key that the tune is in (often together with another one of the notes that also belong to the 1 chord) for four measures to lead into an intro break.

In the attachments (go to Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association and scroll down to the very bottom of the page), I have included sheets that show good ways to play on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo, 8 Potato Intros for the keys of G and A. I have also included on these sheets, simpler (unfortunately, also less effective when both are played correctly) ways to play this type of intro on each of these instruments for those who are new to playing this type of intro, and may have difficulty playing the more developed forms of the 8 Potato Intros with the right feel and with rock-solid timing. 
For 8 Potato Intros in the key of D (and for banjo and guitar, the key of C also), refer to the attachments in the song of the week write up for Soldier's Joy:
https://www.idahobluegrassassociation.org/jasons-beginner-jam-blog-2019---2020/category/soldiers-joy (scroll down to the very bottom of the page)

For 8 Potato Intros in the key of C on fiddle and mandolin, drone C and E notes together, with the C being the lower of the two notes. This can be done on either the fourth and third strings (5th fret on the fourth string and 2nd fret on the third string on mandolin), or on the second and first strings (3rd fret on the second string on mandolin, and open first string).

Playing with the right feel and timing are crucial to making the 8 Potato Intro an effective jam tool. If anything at all goes wrong with the timing or feel of the 8 Potato or with the transition from the 8 Potato into beginning of the A-Part, the whole purpose for using it is thereby defeated.


To hear examples of this way of starting a tune on fiddle in the key of A, refer back to the recordings given in the 'Boil The Cabbage Down' song of the week write-up. On the Grascals and John Hartford & The Dillards recordings, the fiddle starts the tune with an 8 Potato Intro. On the Tommy Jackson recording, and in the mandolin video lesson, a shorter two measure version of this manner of starting a tune is used, which is called a '4 Potato Intro'.


Progression
Both parts of Shortnin' Bread use the same chord progression:

1  1  1  5/1 
That is, three measures of the 1 chord, followed by half a measure of the 5 chord, followed by half a measure of the 1 chord. The progression is played four times to get through one complete round of the AABB form.

In the key of G: 1 = G; 5 = D.
This progression shows up frequently in fiddle tunes in which each part is only 4 measures long. Other tunes besides Shortnin' Bread that use this progression for at least one of their parts include 'Cotton-Eyed Joe' (both parts), 'Cripple Creek' (B-Part), 'Cumberland Gap' (both parts), 'The Eighth Of January' (B-Part), and 'Sally Goodin' (both parts).


Double Endings
On five of the six recordings of Shortnin' Bread given here (and also on the four jam videos), there are an extra 4 measures played at the end of the tune after the final B-Part. These are called 'double endings', for they consist of two 2-measure length ending licks played back to back. (On the Hilary Klug recording, there are only an extra 2 measures played at the end. This is a single ending. But the last 2 measures of her final A-Part sound much like the first half of a typical double ending, and she plays these right before going into her single ending.)

For most songs that use a progression that ends with two measures of the 1 chord (e.g., songs that use any of the progressions in row V, W, or X on the basic chord progressions chart), it is common for a two-measure ending lick to be played on one or more of the instruments over the last two measures of the progression to end the song. Most AABB tunes, however, do not use progressions that end with two measures of the 1 chord, and the last melody note in their parts almost always occurs at either the beginning or in the middle of the last measure of the progression, rather than at the beginning of the second to last measure of the progression. For these reasons, ending licks for AABB fiddle tunes almost always are playedafter the last measure of the final B-Part rather than during the tail-end of the final B-Part.

In the attachments (go to Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association and scroll down to the very bottom of the page), I have included examples of double-endings for fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo suitable for most key of G and key of A  fiddle tunes.

For double endings in the key of D (and for banjo and guitar, the key of C also), refer to the attachments in the song of the week write up for Soldier's Joy.
https://www.idahobluegrassassociation.org/jasons-beginner-jam-blog-2019---2020/category/soldiers-joy (scroll down to the very bottom of the page)

For key of C double endings on fiddle and mandolin, take the fingerings you use for the key of G double endings and lower them by one string, so that you will have C notes in place of G notes, A notes in place of E notes, G notes in place of D notes, etc.

On the recordings, the double endings are played on the same instrument that played the final break. On the Flatt & Scruggs and David Parmley recordings, the double ending is played on the banjo alone, while being backed up by the other instruments on the first half of the ending, and then on the last note of the second half of the ending. On the Ron Block recording, the fiddle plays the double ending together with the banjo, while being backed up by the other instruments on the whole ending. On the Snake River Boys recording, the banjo plays the first half of the double ending alone, and then the banjo and the guitar together play the second half of the double ending; there is no backup being played during either half of the double ending.
At the beginner jams, what tends to happen most often, and usually works better than some of the other options, is for everyone who wishes to play a double ending to do so, regardless of which instrument section played the last break, while the rest of the players play nothing during the double ending, except on the last note of the ending. 

What is played on the last note of the ending by the backup instruments typically includes things such as a single strum on the 1 chord (good for guitars and mandolins, and sometimes for banjos), the root note of the 1 chord being played by itself (especially good on the bass and in the low register of the fiddle), a double stop consisting of two notes of the 1 chord (especially good for fiddles), and a three-note pinch on banjo consisting of notes of the 1 chord 


Melody
When played in the key of G, the melody of Shortnin' consists of, in ascending order of pitch, the notes GABDEG. 

Compare this with the set of notes used to play the melody for two other recent songs of the week: 'My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains', and 'Nine Pound Hammer'. When played in G, the melody notes for these songs are, in ascending order of pitch: DEGABD. Notice that both sets of notes have in common with each other that they consist of nothing but G's, A's, B's, D's and E's. Only the range of the notes is different: G (lowest note) to G (highest note) for Shortnin' Bread, and D (lowest note) to D (highest note) for the two other songs.

Like in the melodies for many other AABB fiddle tunes, the two halves of each part of Shortnin' Bread begin the same way as each other, and both parts end the same way as each other. Notice on the attached melody sheets that  measure 3 of the A-Part is identical with measure 1 of the A-Part, that measure 3 of the B-Part is identical with measure 1 of the B-Part, and that measure 4 of the B-Part is identical with measure 4 of the A-Part.

Besides these commonplace repetitions within fiddle tunes, there are even more points of similarity within and between the parts of Shortnin' Bread than is typical for fiddle tune melodies. The 2nd measure of the A-Part is almost the same as the 1st and 3rd measures of the A-Part, and the 2nd measure of the B-Part is identical with 1st and 3rd measures of the B-Part. 

Finally, the only difference between the 1st and 3rd measures of the B-Part on the one hand, and the 1st and 3rd measures of the A-Part on the other hand, is which octave the G note is played in that starts the measure. There is very little in the melody of Shortnin' Bread to learn and memorize, for the tune is about as repetitive as what an AABB tune can be, while still having well-defined parts. The prominence of the high G note in the A-Part coupled with the absence of this note in the B-Part is enough to make the two parts readily distinguishable from each other in terms of a 'high part' and a 'low part'.

The melodic content of many of the breaks on the recordings given here deviate significantly enough from the version of the melody I have provided in the attachments (go to Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association and scroll down to the very bottom of the page to find the melody sheets for Shortnin' Bread) to warrant comment. The most commonly recurring differences involve little more than a reversal of the order in which two consecutive melody notes are played. For example, to reproduce a close semblance of the implied melody for the A-Part in the banjo breaks on the Flatt & Scruggs, Ron Block, and David Parmley recordings, all one needs to do is to play, when in the key of G, E notes in place of the D notes, and D notes in place of the E notes, or when in the key of A, F# notes in place of E notes, and E notes in place of F# notes. When playing breaks for Shortnin' Bread at the jam, I tend to make use of both types of versions of the melody, freely mixing them together with each other in a variety of combinations, much as I did in my banjo breaks on the Snake River Boys recording.


Keys
On the main song list for the beginner jam, both the key of G and the key of A are given as options for playing Shortnin' Bread when the tune is called during the first half of the evening. On account of this, I have included in the attachments melody sheets in standard notation and in mandolin tab written in A (in addition to the ones written in G), so that one can easily compare the notes used to play the melody in A with the corresponding notes used to play the melody in G. For the key of A on guitar and banjo, capo the 2nd fret and play as if in G.

While most fiddle tunes have only one key in which they are traditionally played in (e.g., 'Angeline The Baker', 'Liberty', and 'Soldier's Joy' are 'D' tunes; 'Boil The Cabbage Down', 'Cripple Creek', and 'Old Joe Clark' are 'A' tunes), some have two, or even three different keys  associated with them (e.g., 'Miss McLeod's Reel' - G and A, 'Fisher's Hornpipe' - D and F, 'Golden Slippers' and 'Turkey In The Straw' - G, A, and D.)  However, in the case of Shortnin' Bread (and also 'Buffalo Gals'), it would not be odd for the tune to be played at a jam in any of the four most fiddle-friendly keys: G, A, C, or D.

For the key of C, on fiddle and mandolin, lower the fingerings for the key of G down one string. For the key of D, on fiddle and mandolin, lower the fingerings for the key of A down one string.

For banjo and guitar, I have provided in the attachments (go to Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association and scroll about 3/5ths of the way down the page) melody sheets in the keys of C and D in addition to the key of G. Another good way to play the tune on banjo and guitar in the key of C is to capo the 5th fret and play as if in G, and another good way to play the tune on banjo and guitar in the key of D is to capo the 2nd fret and play as if in C.
In the key of G: 1 = G, 5 = D
In the key of A: 1 = A, 5 = E
In the key of C: 1 = C, 5 = G
In the key of D: 1 = D, 5 = A

The notes that make up the melody for Shortnin' Bread form a scale that is called the Major Pentatonic Scale. The Major Pentatonic Scale consists of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th notes of the Major Scale. The following chart shows the notes that make up the G, A, C, and D Major Pentatonic Scales.

                      1     2     3     5      6     (8 = the same note as 1, but an octave higher)
                     do   re  mi   sol   la   (do)
Key of G:     G     A    B     D     E    (G)
Key of A:      A    B    C#   E     F#  (A)
Key of C:      C    D    E     G     A    (C)
Key of D:      D    E    F#   A     B    (D)


Melody Sheets:
Shortnin' Bread - banjo tab
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - banjo tab (D)
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - banjo tab (C)
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - guitar tab
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - guitar tab (D)
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - guitar tab (C)
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - mandolin tab (A)
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - mandolin tab (G)
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - melody in A
Download File

Shortnin' Bread - melody in G
​Download File

​8 Potato Intro in G
Download File

​8 Potato Intro in A
Download File

Double Endings in G
Download File

Double Endings in A
Download File


Song List                                                                                              
15 songs were played at the jam last night: 11 from the main list, and 4 from the additional songs list:

All The Good Times Are Past And Gone - A
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G (played twice)
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Buffalo Gals - A 
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - G
Cripple Creek - A 
Gathering Flowers From The Hillside - G
Nine Pound Hammer - B
Shortnin' Bread - G
Soldier's Joy - D
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - G
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms - A
Liberty - D
Little Cabin Home On The Hill - G
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong - E
Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
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
Country Club - Jimmy Martin - Beautiful Brown Eyes - YouTube

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

Bailey Brothers, key of F - 3/4 time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYnzyeM1orQ

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  


Here are four youtube jam videos I have made for Beautiful Brown Eyes. I recommend starting with the one listed first. In that one, I am on guitar, and am playing the song in 3/4 time.
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)

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 in the New Year, 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', '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).   

Arrangement
When there are three or 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, Arthur Smith, and Snake River Boys recordings than with the arrangements on the other three recordings. On the Jimmy Martin and Bailey Brothers recordings, 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 all three 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 (on the Snake River Boys recording and on the jam videos) 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 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, Arthur Smith and Bailey Brothers 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. Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association or Idaho Bluegrass Association - Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs
(In either case, you'll need to scroll down to find the write-up in these links.)


PDF files with melody sheets:
Beautiful Brown Eyes - banjo tab
Beautiful Brown Eyes - guitar tab
Beautiful Brown Eyes - mandolin tab
Beautiful Brown Eyes - Melody in G


Song List
16 songs were played at last night's beginner jam: 10 from the main list, 5 from the additional songs list, and 1 that is on neither list

All The Good Times Are Past And Gone - A
Beautiful Brown Eyes - G
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - G
Cripple Creek - A
Foggy Mountain Top - G
Gathering Flowers From The Hillside - G
I'll Fly Away - G
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains - G
New River Train
Nine Pound Hammer - B (played twice)
Angeline The Baker - D
Jambalaya - D
Long Journey Home - A
Old Joe Clark - A
Wreck Of The Old '97 - D
Wildwood Flower - G

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Nine Pound Hammer' in the key of B.

Here are three jam videos in which I have recorded Nine Pound Hammer in the key of B: one with me on banjo, one with me on mandolin, and on the bottom one (which I recommend starting with), I am on guitar.
Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association

But, an easier way to access the jam videos for Nine Pound Hammer is to click on
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)
and then scroll down on the list to the video you want, and it will take you right to the point in the video where the preamble to the song starts. (Note: If no instrument is specified beside the song title, then on that video I am playing guitar.)

Below the three jam videos (in the first link), there are two song of the week write-ups for Nine Pound Hammer. The top one is the most relevant to read through, since it deals with playing Nine Pound Hammer in the key of B, whereas the bottom one is a song of the week write-up for Nine Pound Hammer in the key of A.

But the most important part of the song of the week write-ups is the listening material: the youtube links to recordings of the song. I highly recommend listening both of the recordings:

Lonesome River Band - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tNA13W2cds

Tony Rice - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u964a0f38s

Also, here is a band recording (from a couple years back at the Bluegrass Open Mic) in which I am playing banjo on Nine Pound Hammer

Jason Homey and the Snake River Boys, IBA Open Mic, 2/26/19 - YouTube
The song starts at the 8:27 mark in the video.

For a copy of the jam handouts, and an explanation of the handouts, here are the PDF files that can be downloaded and printed off. There are 5 attached files total. (four at the bottom of the page, and one - the Main Song List - that comes earlier than at the bottom of the page)
Idaho Bluegrass Association - Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs

15 songs were played at last night's beginner jam: 12 from the main list, and 3 from the additional songs list:

Blue Ridge Cabin Home - A
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Buffalo Gals - A
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - G
Cripple Creek - A
Down The Road - A
Gathering Flowers From The Hillside - Bb
I'll Fly Away - G
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains - G
Nine Pound Hammer - B
Shortnin' Bread - G
Soldier's Joy - D
Jambalaya - D
A Memory Of You - G
Old Joe Clark - A

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi everyone,
I had a wonderful time leading the jam on Tuesday. Thank you to all who participated in the jam. I am looking forward to next Tuesday evening. (For more on how the jam went, scroll down to the bottom of this email message.)

The song of the week is 'My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains' in the key of G.

On the Idaho Bluegrass Association's website idahobluegrassassociation.org there are a few song of the week write-ups for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains that I have written. The write-ups include youtube links to recordings of the song, melody sheets for the song (written in standard notation, mandolin tab, guitar tab, and banjo tab), the chord progression for the song, plus more as regards explanations and tips about playing and singing the song. Song of the week write-ups also often include general information and tips about playing (and singing) songs at the jams.

Also on the website there are youtube jam videos that I have created for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. There are three of them: one each with me leading the song on guitar, banjo, and mandolin. For those who are new to playing along with a youtube jam video, I recommend starting with the guitar video. In the videos, when I say 'together' this means that we play a break together; when I say 'your turn', this means that you play your break while I accompany you/back you up; but, of course, you are free to play along with the videos in any manner that you desire to. When I raise my leg near the end of the song, that means that the song is about to end.

Remember also that on a laptop, you can slow down and speed up youtube videos without altering the pitch of the audio by clicking on settings and then clicking on playback speed.

In the following link, there are three youtube jam videos for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. In order from top to bottom, I am on banjo, mandolin, and guitar. And below this, there are two identical song of the week write-ups for the song.
Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association

A more convenient way, though, to access the youtube jam videos is by clicking on the following link, and then scrolling down to the song title, which is listed three times, since there are three videos for the song on the website. Click on the version that you want to play along with, and it will take you right to the point in the video at which I start the preamble to the song. That way you don't have to hunt around in the video to find the song. (Each youtube jam video contains three songs.)
Jason’s YouTube Links – Alphabetical Listing – Parisology (cyberplasm.com)
If no instrument is specified beside the song title, then on that video I am playing guitar.

For a shorter song of the week write-up on My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, click on:
Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Idaho Bluegrass Association

Finally, here is a live band performance in which I am playing mandolin (instead of banjo) for our song of the week, that is not included in the song of the week write-ups on the website.

Jason Homey and The Snake River Boys, IBA Open Mic, 2_24_20 - YouTube
The song starts at the 3:42 mark in the video.

For a copy of the jam handouts, and an explanation of the handouts, here are the PDF files that can be downloaded and printed off. There are 5 attached files total. (four at the bottom of the page, and one - the Main Song List - that comes earlier than at the bottom of the page)
Idaho Bluegrass Association - Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs

14 songs were played at the jam on Tuesday: 10 from the main list, and 4 from the additional songs list:

All The Good Times Are Past And Gone - A
Boil The Cabbage Down - A
Buffalo Gals - A
Bury Me Beneath The Willow - G
Cripple Creek - A
Foggy Mountain Top - G
I'll Fly Away - G
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains - G
Nine Pound Hammer - B
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - A
Angeline The Baker - D
Jambalaya - D
A Memory Of You - G
Old Joe Clark - A

There were about 20 people at the jam on Tuesday evening outdoors at the Powderhaus. I think that the jam went really well. Distancing was easy, not awkward, to achieve for all those who desired distance between them and their neighbours in the jam circle. The option of forming an outer ring outside the main jam circle, to help accommodate distancing, was also made use of. As far as I could gather, the jam was a positive and fun experience for everyone involved. People were mindful, respectful, and accommodating of their neighbours. It appeared to me that everyone was at ease, with each person's comfort zone being respected. If, however, you were at the jam, and your experience fell short of my assessment of how the jam went, please feel free to contact me to express your concerns. For, my goal is to provide a positive, healthy, comfortable, and accommodating environment for all who wish to participate in the jam. And, if you were not at the jam, but would like to hear more details as to how the jam went before deciding whether or not to come to future beginner jams that I'll be leading in the weeks to come, also please feel free to contact me with your questions. 

Happy Pickin',
 Jason

Hi everyone,
I will resume leading the weekly Beginner Bluegrass Jams in Boise after Labor Day.

The jams will be held outdoors at the Powderhaus (9719 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City, ID), for the months of September and October, until the weather gets too cold.

The jams will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 - 9pm, starting on Tuesday, Sept. 7th.

I am very happy to finally be able to say:
The song of the week is 'Boil The Cabbage Down'.

But before I go any further, I would like to express a special thank you to all who have contributed to the video jam cause, during the year and a half that I have been making the videos and sending them out in place of the song of the week write-ups for the live jams. Your support and generosity has been greatly appreciated by me and my family. Thank you so much. (I intended to keep on making the videos until the live jams resumed, but circumstances have gotten in the way of my doing this for the past couple of weeks.)

If you click on the following link, you will find three of the jam videos that I have made for Boil The Cabbage Down. In the order presented here, they are: 1)  banjo - key of A; 2) mandolin - key of A; 3) guitar - key of D. Below these you will find two song of the week write-ups that I have written for Boil The Cabbage Down: the first is a longer write-up, and the second is a shorter write-up. At the bottom of each write-up there are attachments that can be printed off. These include, amongst other things, melody sheets for Boil The Cabbage Down, written in standard notation, guitar tab, mandolin tab, and banjo tab.

Beginner Bluegrass Jam Songs - Boil The Cabbage Down,

For those who are new to the beginner jams, I recommend reading only the shorter of the two write-ups.

And, here is a fourth jam video that I have created for Boil The Cabbage Down (guitar - key of A), which I recommend over the other three jam videos, for playing along with, especially for those who are new to the beginner jam, or who have not spent much time playing along in the past with jam videos that I have made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju268pNhAkA

The preamble to the song starts at the 4:28 mark in the video.
The song starts at the 5:30 mark.

Remember: on a laptop you can slow youtube videos down to 75% (and to 50%) of the original speed by going to settings.

Happy Pickin'
Jason

​How The Beginner Jam Works: Song and Key Selection

For the first phase of the new beginner jam, we shall, for the first half of the night, play only songs on the 'Main List' and only in the keys specified for each song on that list (see the attachments). In this phase of the new beginner jam, I'll lead the singing on all songs called during the first half of the evening. 

For the second half of the night, people are welcome to call and lead the singing on any beginner-friendly bluegrass or quasi-bluegrass songs that they would like to play at the jam, and with most of the key restrictions removed, including for songs that are on the main list. For the person leading the singing on a song ought to choose a key for that song that suits his or her voice for bluegrass-style singing.