Idaho Bluegrass Association
  • Home
    • About
    • 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

Wabash Cannonball

2/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Hi,
The song of the week is 'Wabash Cannonball' in the key of A.


History
Originally recorded by the Carter Family in 1929, 'Wabash Cannonball' has gone on to become a Country classic, and has been recorded by many notable Country and Bluegrass artists, including Johnny Cash, Hank Snow, Willie Nelson, Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Norman Blake, and Claire Lynch. But perhaps the most well-known version of the song is still the 1936 recording by Roy Acuff - many people in both country and bluegrass circles still associate the song especially with him. and this record is one of the less than 40 singles to have sold more than 10 million copies. 'Wabash Cannonball' also happens to be the oldest song on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.


Recordings
Mac Wiseman - key of A: good banjo and fiddle breaks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8HHFCDRFBk

Note; In place of an intro break that follows the melody and chord progression of the song, a quote from another old well-known 'train' song 'The Orange Blossom Special' is used instead. Also, immediately after the fiddle break, Mac goes into another 'Carter Family' song 'Homestead On The Farm' (a.k.a., 'I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home'), which in bluegrass circles has become more associated with Mac than with the Carters.)

Doc Watson: key of G (includes guitar, dobro, fiddle, and banjo breaks):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoJwNwB2N9E

Norman & Nancy Blake: key of A: good guitar breaks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4RwJWXQYAU

...and for those interested:

Roy Acuff: key of A:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i435ovKX9aE

Notice that no two of these versions use exactly the same set of lyrics, and that there are also differences among them in notes that make up the melody, and in the case of the Acuff recording, the chord progression as well (1144 for lines 1 and 3, which works with the notes that Acuff sings here, but would not fit well with other versions of the melody)


Progression
The chord progression that I use for 'Wabash Cannonball' is:

1114
5551
1114
55511

(In the key of A: 1=A, 4=D, 5=E. In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, 5=D.)

Of the progressions on the 'Basic Chord Progressions' handout, this progression is most similar to progression W8, which is the progression used for 'Blue Ridge Cabin Home', 'Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong', 'We'll Meet Again Sweetheart', etc.:

1144
5511
1144
5511

The order of chord changes for Wabash Cannonball is the same as in Prog. W8, just the timing of the changes is different; the change to the 4 occurs a measure later in Wabash Cannonball, as does the change back to the 1 after the 5.


Melody
The melody sheets attached here correspond to how I usually sing the first verse of the song, with one exception. In the banjo tab of the melody, measures 4 and 12 have a higher starting note than what is given on the other melody sheets. The only reason for giving this alternative melody note here is because, in the octave in which the melody is written in the banjo tab, the note on the other melody sheets is inaccessible on the banjo when playing in G tuning with the capo on the 2nd fret for the key of A.

​
Song List
23 songs were played at last night's jam:

Angel Band - Bb
Canaan's Land - E
Cherokee Shuffle - A
Cry, Cry Darlin' - G
Dooley - A
Down In A Willow Garden - G
Homestead On The Farm - A
I Saw The Light - A
Little Willie - A
Love, Please Come Home - A
Red Wing - G
Roving Gambler - A
Steel Rails - G
Turkey In The Straw - G
Wabash Cannonball (played twice) - G & A
Your Love Is Like A Flower - A
Gathering Flowers From The Hillside - G
Down The Road - B
Mountain Dew - A
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Reuben - D
Golden Slippers - G
Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky - G

Happy Pickin',
Jason
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ​Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021

    Was weekly on Thursdays
             6:30pm
    at Pioneer Building in downtown Boise
    ​

    started Jan 2017
    ​as  Beginner jam 
    (click to see Beginner blog 2017-18)

    ​with Jason Homey

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

    ​

    All of Jason's Songs
    in alphabetical order

    ​

    Categories

    All
    0 - Basic Chord Progressions
    0 - Nashville Number System Charts
    0 - Song List 2020 Jan
    5 - Song List 2019 Sept
    7 - Song List 2019 April
    8 - Song List 2019 Jan.
    9
    Angel Band
    Are You Missing Me
    Ashes Of Love
    Auld Lang Syne
    Banks Of The Ohio
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
    Bill Cheatham
    Black Mountain Rag
    Blue Night
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Cabin In Caroline
    Canaan's Land
    Can't You Hear Me Calling
    Cherokee Shuffle
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cold Corn
    Columbus Stockade Blues
    Cora Is Gone
    Cry
    Cry Cry Darlin
    Cry Darlin'
    Cryin' Holy
    Dark Hollow
    Devil's Dream
    Diamonds In The Rough
    Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky
    Dooley
    Down In A Willow Garden
    Down The Road
    East Virginia Blues
    Feast Here Tonight
    Fireball Mail
    Foggy Mountain Breakdown
    Foggy Mountain Special
    Footprints In The Snow
    God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
    Gold Rush
    Gold Watch And Chain
    Hallelujah
    Hard Hearted
    Hard Times Come Again No More
    Head Over Heels
    Homestead On The Farm
    Home Sweet Home
    Honey
    Hot Corn
    How Mountain Girls Can Love
    I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore
    I Hope You've Learned
    I'll Never Shed Another Tear
    I'm Ready To Go
    I Never Will Marry
    In The Pines
    In The Sweet By And By
    I Saw The Light
    I Still Miss Someone
    It's Mighty Dark To Travel
    I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
    John Hardy
    John Henry
    Joy To The World
    Keep On The Sunny Side
    Last Train From Poor Valley
    Liberty
    Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Little Darling Pal Of Mine
    Little Darlin Pal Of Mine
    Little Georgia Rose
    Little Liza Jane
    Little Maggie
    Little Willie
    Lonesome Feeling
    Long Black Veil
    Love
    Love Of The Mountains
    Love Please Come Home
    Man Of Constant Sorrow
    Mountain Dew
    Nellie Kane
    Nine Pound Hammer
    No Mother Or Dad
    Old Home Place
    Old Joe Clark
    Ole Slew Foot
    O Little Town Of Bethlehem
    On And On
    Over The Hill To The Poorhouse
    Please Come Home
    Red Haired Boy
    Red Wing
    Reuben
    Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
    Roving Gambler
    Sally Goodin
    Salt Creek
    Salty Dog Blues
    Shady Grove
    Sitting On Top Of The World
    St. Anne's Reel
    Steel Rails
    The Lone Pilgrim
    Think Of What You've Done
    Thirty-Two Acres:
    Tiny Broken Heart
    Turkey In The Straw
    Two Little Boys
    Wabash Cannonball
    We'll Meet Again Sweetheart
    We Three Kings
    What Child Is This
    Whiskey Before Breakfast
    Why Don't You Tell Me So
    Wildwood Flower
    Will You Be Loving Another Man
    Wreck Of The No. 9
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    You Don't Know My Mind

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

ConTACT US!


ADDRESS:
​Idaho Bluegrass Association
PO Box 6074
Boise, ID 83707

Email

idahobluegrassassociation@gmail.com
Copyright © 2021 IBA.
  • Home
    • About
    • 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