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Hi, The song of the week will be 'East Virginia Blues' in the key of F. Recordings The Country Gentlemen - key of G https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLaW4vPtxaw Ralph Stanley - key of E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59c6HgDvvjI Progression 1111 4411 4411 5511 (Prog. W4 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout.) Vocals East Virginia Blues may be sung either solo, or, as on the recordings, with harmony all the way through. The song does not have a chorus. The five verses that I sing when leading the song are: I was born in East Virginia, North Carolina I did go, There I met a fair young maiden, But her name I did not know. Oh her hair was dark and curly, And her cheeks were rosy red, On her breast she wore white linen, Where I longed to lay my head. I don't want your greenback dollar, I don't want your watch and chain, All I want is your heart darling, Won't you take me back again. The ocean's deep and I can't wade it, And I have no wings to fly, I'll just get me a blue-eyed boatman, For to row me over the tide. I'll go back to East Virginia, North Carolina ain't my home, I'll go back to East Virginia, And leave those North Carolinians alone. Melody Sheets for Guitar and Banjo For playing in the key of F, bluegrass guitarists usually either capo the 5th fret and play as if in C, or capo the 3rd fret and play as if in D. In the attachments I have included two melody sheets in guitar tab, one written in C, and one written in D. For playing in the key of F, 3-finger-style banjo players are faced with many options, some of which are: 1) play in G tuning without a capo; 2) keep the four long strings in G tuning without a capo, but raise the 5th string to an A note; 3) in G tuning, capo the 5th fret, and raise the 5th string to a C note, and play as if in C; 4) in G tuning, capo the 3rd fret and raise the 5th string to a C note, and play as if D; and 5) in D tuning (F#DF#AD or ADF#AD), capo the 3rd fret, and raise the 5th string either to an A note or to a C note, and play as if in D. For playing East Virginia Blues, I favor the first, fourth, and fifth options. Accordingly, I have included in the attachments melody sheets in banjo tab written in F (in G tuning), and D (in D tuning and in G tuning). For the key of D in G tuning, I have given two melody sheets, the second of which is written an octave higher than the first. Have a happy Thanksgiving! Jason
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Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018started as Beginner Jam in Jan 2015 
Songs regularly called at Bluegrass Jams and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails. (from Renee)
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