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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 
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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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