Homestead On The Farm

Hi everyone,
The song of the week is 'Homestead On The Farm' (a.k.a. 'I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home') in the key of A.

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Bluegrass History and Recordings  
Homestead On The Farm was recorded by the Carter Family in 1929, but in bluegrass circles, this song tends to be more closely associated with Mac Wiseman, who first recorded the song more than 20 years after the Carters. On the points where Mac Wiseman's arrangement differs from the Carter Family's arrangement of the song (chord progression, melody, etc.), bluegrass players have tended to follow Mac.

Mac Wiseman played guitar and sang harmony on Flatt and Scruggs' Mercury Sessions recording of 'We'll Meet Again Sweetheart', which was one of the very first records Flatt and Scruggs made together after they left Bill Monroe's band. And, in the role of lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Mac Wiseman was Lester Flatt's immediate successor in Bill Monroe's band. Mac, for instance, is the lead singer on the original 1949 Bill Monroe recording of the popular bluegrass standard 'Can't You Hear Me Calling'. 

Here are two of Mac's recordings, and one live performance, of Homestead On The Farm:
key of Bb:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6uxNzkH1Vc

key of A:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBzQXXDC6w4

key of A:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82_0ui4taWI


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


Progression & Arrangement 
Verse:
1411
1144
4411
2255

Chorus:
1411
1144
4411
2511 

In the key of G: 2=A.

In the key of A: 2=B.
In the key of Bb: 2=C.
A typical jam arrangement of the song is:

Intro break - played over the chorus progression, (so that the intro break sounds resolved)
Verse 1
Chorus 
Break - played over the verse progression
Break - played over the chorus progression (by a different instrument than the one that played the immediately preceding break)
Verse 2
Chorus
Break - played over the verse progression
Chorus

If more breaks are needed than this, another break over the verse progression followed by another break over the chorus progression may be inserted right before Verse 2, and/or another break over the chorus progression followed by another break over the verse progression may be inserted right before the final chorus. 


Song List
19 songs were played at last night's jam: 11 from the main list, 4 from the additional songs list, and 4 that are on neither list:

Before I Met You - A
Cherokee Shuffle - A
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Columbus Stockade Blues - G
Down The Road - B
Homestead On The Farm - A
I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore - Bb
I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling - Bb
Mama Don't Allow - A
Red Wing - G
Will You Be Loving Another Man - C
Cluck Old Hen - A
Cryin' Holy - G
Lonesome Feeling - A
Wreck Of The Old '97 - D
Big Sciota - G
I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes - C
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong - E
Why You Been Gone So Long - A

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Files:
Homestead On The Farm - Banjo tab
Download File

Homestead On The Farm - Guitar tab
Download File

Homestead On The Farm - Mandolin tab
Download File

Homestead On The Farm - Melody in A
Download File