Hi,
The song of the week is the Flatt & Scruggs classic 'Why Don't You Tell Me So' in the key of G.

Recordings
Here is the original Flatt & Scruggs recording of Why Don't You Tell Me So - key of F#
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MGGsdf7L0

Here is a good cover version of the song from Tony Rice - key of F
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgTiqz2X1Mg&list=PLJcseQaUtw9WQvE_F-tmDHRwhKTfOr6iz&index=5

Tuning
The Flatt & Scruggs recording is in the very rarely used key of F# (or Gb, if you prefer) instead of the much more common key of F only because the instruments were all tuned a half step higher in pitch than standard. To play along with the recording, I advise banjo, mandolin and fiddle players to either tune their instruments a half step higher and then play as if in F, or to tune their instruments a half step lower and then play as if in G. (Guitar players need not retune their instruments, for there is little advantage in doing so: either capo 4, and then play as if in D, or capo 2 and then play as if in E will work just fine for playing along with the recording.)

Note to Banjo Players
If the band had been tuned to standard pitch, Scruggs' playing on Why Don't You Tell Me So would be an example of playing in F without a capo (banjo tuned in G tuning with the 5th string capoed at the 7th fret so that the 5th string registers as an A note, a note that is part of the F chord).

For banjo players who wish to learn Earl's backup parts and break from the record, I point out that there is little difference in how it feels to play Scruggs' parts out of G (tuned down a half step from G tuning to be in tune with the recording: F#,C#,F#,A#,C#), or out of F (tuned up a half step from G tuning, with the 5th string capoed at the 7th fret: A#,D#,G#,B#,D#.  B#=C) since only in a couple of spots in his backup playing does Scruggs use an open string, and in his break, the only open string he makes use of is the 5th string. There are however, a couple of spots during the backup parts in which one will run out of frets if tuned down instead of tuned up, but an easy fix for this is to simply drop those spots a whole octave: i.e., play the notes 12 frets lower.

For banjo players who have little or no experience playing up the neck (besides vamping), I recommend working up down-the-neck breaks and backup parts out of G with the help of banjo tab melody sheet in the attachments. 

Finally, it should be observed that Scruggs' up the neck break that occurs after the second chorus of the song does not follow the melody closely enough to be used as an effective intro break for the song.

Progression
The chord progression for the verses and breaks is the very familiar progression:

1111
1155
1144
1511
(Prog. V2 on the basic chord progressions chart)

The chord progression for the choruses is the most common progression for choruses in songs in which the verses use Prog. V2 while the choruses use a different progression. Only the first line differs from V2:

4411
1155
1144
1511
(Prog. X2)

The Mercury Sessions
Why Don't You Tell Me So was the 8th song that Flatt & Scruggs recorded together after leaving Bill Monroe's band. It is one of 28 songs that Flatt & Scruggs recorded together on Mercury Records between 1948 and 1950 (before they went to a different record label: Columbia). This collection of 28 songs is commonly referred to as 'the Mercury Sessions', and I consider it to be essential listening for students of Bluegrass music. 

Most of these 28 songs have become Bluegrass standards and have been covered by numerous Bluegrass artists.

In the order in which they were recorded, here are youtube links to the 28 songs of the Mercury Sessions. Songs that I especially recommend listening to several times over are marked with an asterisk

*1. We'll Meet Again Sweetheart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3RcgwB6KU0

2. God Loves His Children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEBnwo4Ib1k

*3. My Cabin In Caroline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2pgJPPbpPg

4. I'm Going To Make Heaven My Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KkvX1Ovzqw

5. Baby Blue Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWUg88uAwec

*6. Down The Road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q40vZj20E4I

7. Bouquet In Heaven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukuGbljTHTc

*8. Why Don't You Tell Me So
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MGGsdf7L0

*9. I'll Never Shed Another Tear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRaYfXow3C8

*10. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Y3mnj-8lA

*11. No Mother Or Dad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPkNgMdqbWE

*12. Is It Too Late Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTlBvA2mpxY

*13. My Little Girl In Tennessee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MSou2EEiTQ

14. I'll Be Going To Heaven Sometime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkKK4KeolyQ

15. I'll Never Love Another
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enZQBRDkQQU

16. So Happy I'll Be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqDD_KvbjoA

*17. Doin' My Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMdYyoF_uOM

*18. Pike County Breakdown
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjKthlpnP-o

19. Preachin' Prayin' Singin'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xxa44eER4g

*20. Cora Is Gone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vtLYK1aWNw

*21. Pain In My Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blG497HwaQE

*22. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riHYkRKXydU

23. Back To The Cross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zuog7ra1-Y

*24. Old Salty Dog Blues 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms2IOc_HA4E

25. Will The Roses Bloom (Where She Lies Sleeping)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgqTLm35j4c

*26. Take Me In A LIfeboat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCZPhsfAtI

*27. Farewell Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m259Pg25wdY

28. I'll Just Pretend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h8IB33hUf

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi,
The song of the week is 'Down The Road' in the key of B.

Flatt and Scruggs - key of B (studio recording): all breaks are on banjo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmBOl82qXqs

The Bluegrass Album Band - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqJVrqQO1Dk

Flatt and Scruggs - key of A (live recording): banjo, fiddle and dobro breaks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc0iFZSeY6A


Form
The form of this song is unusual. Except for the last verse of the song (which has a common 8 measure form: 2 lines consisting of 4 measures each: this does not include the 2 measure tack-on 'shave-and-a-haircut' ending that follows the last verse), the form for Down The Road consists of 2 lines of unequal length. The first line is the standard 4 measures that lines in most bluegrass songs consist of, but the second line is 5 and a half measures long.  This brings us to a total of 9 and a half measures. 

Add to this the bluegrass tendency to allow 1 or more extra measures of the '1' chord to go by at the end of a break that occurs right before a verse is sung, and you can end up with 10 and a half, or 11 and a half, or 12 and a half measures or more for the length of a break that occurs before a verse.

Notice that on the first Flatt & Scruggs recording given here, the breaks are consistently 10 and a half measures long, while on the second recording, even more measures are added to the end of the breaks, but not always the same number of extra measures. However, and this is important to observe, on all the recordings, all the sung verses that are followed by a break are exactly the same length: 9 and a half measures. One way to think about this is that the number of beats that go by between the last sung syllable and the first full measure of the break that follows is always the same.

Progression
Not counting extra measures of the '1' that might occur at the end of some of the breaks, the chord progression for Down The Road is:

1     1/6m  1     5/1
1     1/6m  1     5 1     1
The 'half' measure in the form occurs in the spot where the 5 chord is played in the second line.

If one is counting the beats in the second line in cut common time (2/2), one would count it as: 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,1,2.1,2. Notice the spot where there are two 1s back to back without a 2 intervening between them. On the sheet music attached here, I have written the 'half' measure (measure 8) with a time signature of 1/2. And then to indicate that the remaining two measures in the form return to 2/2, I have placed the time signature symbol that represents 2/2 at the beginning of the measure that follows the 1/2 time measure.)

In the key of B: 1=B; 6m=G#m; 5=F#
The B (major) chord consists of the notes: BD#F#
The G#m chord consists of the notes: G#BD# (it has two notes in common with the B major chord)
The F# (major) chord consists of the notes: F#A#C#

Banjo and guitar players should capo to the 4th fret, and then play as if in G. In the key of G: 1=G; 6m=Em; 5=D

Breaks 
When you look at the sheet music attached here for Down The Road, observe that the first measure of the break begins two measures from the time that the last syllable of the verse is sung. Another way of looking at this is that there are two measures of the 1 chord that are played at the end of the verse before the break begins.  If enough of us make it a point to observe and practice this, this will go along ways towards minimizing the confusion that can easily result (due to the unusual form of the song) when Down The Road is played at a jam.

There are two things that one can do to help prevent confusion about when the break begins (i.e., when the form starts over again): 

1) Use three quarter-note pickup notes for leading into your break: F#, G#, A# (leads to a B note) for the key of B. The corresponding notes for the key of G are D, E, F# (leads to a G note).

Dig into your three pickup notes really hard so as to draw attention to yourself, and then dig into the note that comes next (namely, the first note of the first measure of your break) even harder so that there can be no room for doubt as to where the first measure of the form begins.  These three pickup notes should be played during the last three-quarters of the last measure of the form, and they should be spaced apart from each other evenly. 

Breaks & Backup
2) Play a fill-in lick in the measure that contains the last syllable of the verse, and end that fill-in lick on the first downbeat of the next measure. Bring your volume up as soon as after the last syllable is sung, and hit the last note of your fill-in lick really hard (make it 'pop', especially if you are playing a G run on the guitar: the G chord fill-in licks that are given in the attachments are three versions of what is commonly called 'the G-run'. Fill-ins for banjo, mandolin, and fiddle are also included in the attachments.). This makes it clear as to where the last measure of the form begins - which is helpful to make clear on account of the half measure that the form contains in its second line, after which some people may find the beat 'flipped around' in their head and/or in their playing.  The first of the three pickup notes into the break begin right after the last note of the fill-in lick is played. 

The 'G-Run'
It is especially helpful if the guitar players make it a point to play the G-run at the end of every break, and at the end of every verse (except for the last verse), regardless of which instrument is going to play the upcoming break.
 
Ending
For the last verse, which is 8 measures long, rather than 9 and a half, it works best if everyone plays their last note at the same time as the last syllable is sung (as on the standard recordings given here). Then the banjo players can add a two measure tack-on ending appropriate for the '1' chord of the song (doesn't have to be the same ones that are on the recordings) that everyone else remains silent on except for the on the very last note of the ending.

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Hi,
The song of the week is 'Keep On The Sunny Side' in the key of G. 

Progression
The chord progression that I use for the song is as follows:

for the verses and breaks:
1411
1155
5511
5511

for the chorus:
1141
1155
1141
1511

Note: Some play the first line of the chorus as:  1   1   4   4/1 and/or the last line of the chorus as:  1/4  1/5  1  1, or  1/4  5  1  1.  But, as always, regardless of how you are most used to playing or hearing the song, follow the leader for the progression.

Recordings
Here are some youtube links to listen to.

The Carter Family - key of B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbmQQ4RfzVE

This is the original recording of 'Keep On The Sunny Side'. Though it is pre-bluegrass (1928), it is likely still the most well-known recording of the song amongst dyed-in-the-wool bluegrassers, and has directly influenced many bluegrass versions of the song. As on most Carter Family records, all the breaks are played on guitar, and are played 'Carter-style', which means that the melody is carried on the bass strings, with chords being strummed on the treble strings between melody notes when there is time for them between the melody notes.
Although recorded in the key of B, the guitar is played here as if in the key of C. This means that each of the strings of the guitar were tuned down a half step when the song was recorded. It is common on old recordings for the instruments to be tuned either lower or higher than how we are used to tuning them. You might notice the odd timing between the end of the verses and the beginning of the choruses on this recording. The chorus starts a half measure earlier than what one would ordinarily expect. I don't recommend this way of playing the song (most of your fellow jammers will not appreciate it): most bluegrass versions of the song have the usual 2 measures of the '1' chord at the end of the verses that is so common in bluegrass songs.

Flatt and Scruggs - key of F
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCbhM_Ud3YA

All the breaks are played on guitar, and in 'Carter-style'. Here the influence of the Carter Family recording is obvious.
With those in mind who wish to play a Carter-style break for this song similar to the ones on the recordings, I have included a guitar tab melody sheet written in the key of C: capo 7 to play in G. (Try also capo 2 to play in D, since Keep On The Sunny Side is also often played at the jam in D.)

Mac Wiseman - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hZsCDXn7Oc

Here are some good examples of breaks being split between two instruments. This is good for recordings and band performances, but not something that is usually desirable to do at a jam, except on the occasional slow song, especially when both halves of the break have the same chord progression (which is not the case with Keep On The Sunny Side). Also notice how short the intro break is: it is based upon the last 4 measures of the chorus. When a break is this short, it is called a 'turnaround'.  Once again, at a jam, it is usually best to play a complete break to intro a song. (A complete break means the length of the verse - in this case, as in most cases - 16 measures, not the length of a verse and chorus together.) However, since it is fairly common on recordings for Keep On The Sunny Side to begin with a turnaround, it would not be an odd thing to do to intro it this way at a jam. Having said that, I still don't recommend starting the song with a turnaround at the jam while it is the song of the month, for the turnaround intro tends to occur mostly in versions which use 1/4 1/5 1  1  or
1/4  5  1  1 as the last line of the chorus (and as the progression for the turnaround), and not so much in versions which use 1 5 1 1 as the last line of the chorus.

Breaks
Instrumental Version: banjo, fiddle, dobro, guitar breaks: key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fb7ULaz3ec

Here is a good source for ideas for breaks on banjo, fiddle, dobro, and guitar. Because this is an instrumental version, each break is the length of a verse and chorus put together. Keep in mind that in versions with vocals, it is far more common for breaks to be played only over the verse progression: at the jam, once you have played through the verse progression once for your break, your break is over: it is time either for more singing, or for the next person to start their break.

As is the case for most songs played at the jam, if you are working up an intro break for the song, it is best to stick close to the melody. Subsequent breaks need not follow the melody all that closely. For instance, one approach that I like to take for playing a (non-intro) break for 'Keep On The Sunny Side' is  follow the melody closely for the first half of the break, and then to disregard the melody for the last half of the break, playing 'stock' licks I know that fit well over the 5511 progression that the last two lines of the verse progression consist of. Give it a try and see if you come up with something you like. 

Happy Pickin',
Jason