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Hand Me Down My Walking Cane

1/3/2017

0 Comments

 
​The song of the week is 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane' in the key of G.

The progression is:

1111
5511
4411
1511

This progression is not one of the progressions on the Basic Chord Progressions chart, but, if it helps you to think of it in these terms, it can be thought of as a cross between two progressions on that chart: the 1st half of Prog. V5 (or W5) followed by the 2nd half of Prog. V4 (or V10).

Here are a couple of versions of the song to take a listen to:

Norman Blake: key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-V2zkXFFFM

Flatt & Scruggs: key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmqfZ0k2mxQ

In the version of the melody that I have provided in the attachments, the melody has a 'built-in' pickup phrase consisting of 3 quarter notes: D, G, and A. For the sake of ensuring that you are able to effectively kick off the song on your instrument, I recommend spending extra time practicing playing these three notes together with the B note that follows them that begins the first measure proper of the melody, paying attention to your timing and tempo. The notes need to be spaced absolutely evenly, and the B note that follows the three pickup notes needs to be played with a greater accent than the pickup notes.

Not all songs have a pickup phrase built into their melodies consisting of 3 quarter notes. Some song melodies have no pickup phrase at all. But, apart from 8 potato and 4 potato intros which should normally be reserved only for starting fiddle tunes, the use of pickup phrases consisting of 3 quarter notes tend to be the most effective way to start a song at a jam. Make use of your experience with songs that do have these 3 quarter note pickup phrases built into their melodies to guide you for selecting appropriate pickup phrases for songs that do not have such pickup phrases built into their melodies.

In the case of 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane', we are dealing with a song that is being played in the key of G, that starts with a G chord, and has a 'B' note as the first note of the first complete measure of the song. So, try using the same pickup notes that are given here in the melody of 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane', namely D, G, A, as pickup notes to use to start your breaks for other songs played at the jam in the key of G that start with a G chord and have a 'B' note as the first melody note of the first measure proper of the song: 'I'll Fly Away', 'My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains', 'All The Good Times Are Past And Gone', 'Beautiful Brown Eyes'. 'Blue Ridge Cabin Home'. 'I Still Write Your Name In The Sand', 'Leaning On The Everlasting Arms', 'Worried Man Blues'.

Raise each note in the pickup phrase up a whole step to E, A, B (either by capoing to the 2nd fret on guitar or banjo, or by manually transposing on fiddle and mandolin), and then you will be covered for kicking off these songs in the key of A. In the key of A, these songs will start with an A chord and the first melody note of the first complete measure of the song will be a C#. Go yet another half step higher and you will be set for the key of Bb: F, Bb, C, leading into a D note, etc.

Have a happy New Year!

Jason
Hand Me Down - Banjo tab
File Size: 304 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Hand Me Down - Guitar tab
File Size: 334 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Hand Me Down - Mandolin tab
File Size: 280 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Hand Me Down - Melody
File Size: 320 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

    Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018

    started as Beginner Jam in Jan 2015
    with
    ​Jason Homey

    Picture
    Songs regularly called at Bluegrass Jams and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails.  (from Renee)
    ​
    ​

    Songs

    All
    Are You Missing Me
    Auld Lang Syne
    Banks Of The Ohio
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
    Big Spike Hammer
    Bill Cheatham
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Canaan's Land
    Cherokee Shuffle
    Cheyenne
    Christmas Carol Progressions
    Christmas Songs
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cry Cry Darlin
    Cryin' Holy
    Devil's Dream
    Dooley
    Down In A Willow Garden
    Down The Road
    East Virginia Blues
    Fireball Mail
    Foggy Mountain Breakdown
    Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
    Gold Rush
    Gold Watch And Chain
    Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
    Head Over Heels
    Homestead On The Farm
    How Mountain Girls Can Love
    I Can't Feel At Home
    I Know You Rider
    In The Pines
    In The Sweet By And By
    I Saw The Light
    John Henry
    Keep On The Sunny Side
    Left Over Biscuits
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Little Darling Pal Of Mine
    Little Maggie
    Little Willie
    Love Of The Mountains
    Love Please Come Home
    Nine Pound Hammer
    Old Home Place
    Old Joe Clark
    O Little Town Of Bethlehem
    On And On
    Over The Waterfall
    Poor Wayfaring Stranger
    Red Haired Boy
    Red Wing
    Reuben
    Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
    Roving Gambler
    Sally Goodin
    Salty Dog Blues
    Shuckin' The Corn
    Steel Rails
    Turkey In The Straw
    We'll Meet Again Sweetheart
    Whiskey Before Breakfast
    Why Don't You Tell Me So
    Wildwood Flower
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    X-Hits And B-List Songs Of 2016
    X Music Theory
    X New Song List 2018
    X- Song List 2018
    X-Songs Of The Week Of 2017
    X- The Mercury Sessions
    X-The Original And Great Carter Family

    All of Jason's Songs
    in alphabetical order


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PO Box 6074
Boise, ID 83707

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  • Home
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    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond Interview
      • Honi Deaton Interview
      • Dennis Stokes Interview
      • Gary Eller Interview
    • Articles >
      • Glen Garrett - The Golden Years
      • Sammie Bush - came to Weiser
      • Mark O’Connor - My History at Weiser
      • Barbara Lamb - Fiddler Extraordinaire
      • Charlie Simmons -The Idaho Bluegrass Association from 1975 to 1985
      • Idaho's 19th century Fiddlers
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions ​ 1950s & 1960s
      • ​Byron Berline
      • Dave Frisbee
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions from 1970s and 80s
      • Megan Lynch Chowning
      • Fiddle Champion ​in 1990s and 2000s
      • Tashina and Tristan Clarridge
    • Snap Shot - Videos from IBA members
  • Events
    • Calendar (BCBB)
    • Open Mic
    • SpringGrass 2023 >
      • Springfest 2022
    • Winterfest
    • IBA Concert Series
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Songs in 2016
  • Camps & Contests
    • Idaho Bluegrass and Banjo Camp
    • Banjo Contest
    • National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest
  • Idaho Bands
  • Teachers
  • Classified
  • Links
    • General
    • Learning
    • Specific Instruments