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Bury Me Beneath The Willow

1/1/2016

1 Comment

 
Happy New Year!
The song of the week is 'Bury Me Beneath The Willow' in the key of G.  Originally recorded by the Carter Family in 1927 (it was the first song they recorded), and then by the Monroe Brothers (Bill Monroe and his older brother Charlie) in 1937 (under the title: 'Weeping Willow Tree'), 'Bury Me Beneath The Willow' has gone on to become one of the most common of bluegrass standards.
 
The chord progression for Bury Me Beneath The Willow is the most common of all progressions in bluegrass (Prog. V7 on the Basic Progressions handout):
 
1144
1155
1144
1511
 
Here's a short list of standard bluegrass songs that use this same progression:
Wreck Of The Old '97
I Still Write Your Name In The Sand
I'm On My Way Back To The Old Home
Your Love Is Like A Flower
Y'all Come
Down Where The River Bends
Lost And I'll Never Find A Way
Come Back Darlin
Why Did You Wander
If I Should Wander Back Tonight
I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling
Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
Road To Columbus
Hold Watcha Got
Blue Moon Of Kentucky (verse)
Black Mountain Rag (C-Part)
Flint Hill Special
Rose Of Old Kentucky (verse)
Tiny Broken Heart (verse)
Little Annie (verse)
White Dove (verse)
Memory Of You

 
In the key of G: 1=G, 4=C, and 5=D
 
The G chord is made up of the notes: G, B, and D.
The C chord is made up of the notes: C, E, and G.
The D chord is made up of the notes: D, F#, and A.
 
Together, these 7 notes make up the G major scale, and the melody of Bury Me Beneath The Willow makes use of all of them. (See the melody sheets attached here.)
 
When played in the key of G, the first melody note of the first full measure of the verses (and choruses) is the D note above the G note that the melody resolves on. When this is the case, the most effective pick up notes to use to kick off the song are the B, C, and C# notes immediately below that D note. Use of this series of notes is equally effective on all the bluegrass lead instruments. Give it a try. Start by finding the B note on your instrument, and then ascend in half steps (on a fretted instrument, this means you will not skip over any frets) until you reach the D note, playing the B, C, and C# notes as quarter notes, and be sure to place a heavy accent on that D note, since it is the first note of the first full measure of the song.
 
Here are some youtube links to listen to:
 
Alison Krauss - key of E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzA68Ohwke4
 
Chris Thile - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ishkstoPiSg
 
Firebox Bluegrass Band - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La1TRQEmEVM
 
Chris Thile and Michael Daves - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCfzUZ3hklE
 
Roseanne Cash - key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVL8fIJLyYo
 
Happy Pickin',
Jason
Bury Me - banjo tab
File Size: 294 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Bury Me - guitar
File Size: 312 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Bury Me - mandolin tab
File Size: 263 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Bury Me - melody in G
File Size: 279 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

1 Comment

    Past
    ​Bluegrass ​Jam
    ​Song posts

    with Jason Homey

    Songs

    All
    Angeline The Baker
    Auld Lang Syne
    Away In A Manger
    Bury Me Beneath The Willow
    Can't You Hear Me Calling
    Columbus Stockade Blues
    Foggy Mountain Top
    Get In Line Brother
    Gold Rush
    Good King Wenceslas
    In The Pines
    I Saw The Light
    I Still Write Your Name
    Keep On The Sunny Side
    Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
    Little Birdie
    Little Darlin' Pal Of Mine
    Liza Jane
    Lonesome Road Blues
    Long Journey Home
    Mother's Only Sleeping
    Mountain Dew
    New River Train
    Old Home Place
    Old Joe Clark
    Red Haired Boy
    Reuben
    Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
    Shady Grove
    Silent Night
    Suggested Jam Songs
    Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
    Swing Low Sweet Chariot
    The Crawdad Song
    Turkey In The Straw
    Wabash Cannonball
    When The Saints Go Marching In
    Wildwood Flower
    Will The Circle Be Unbroken
    Will You Be Loving Another Man
    Worried Man Blues
    X Playing A Break
    X Playing In Bb

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PO Box 6074
Boise, ID 83707

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  • Home
    • About
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond Interview
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee 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
    • Winterfest >
      • Past WinterFests
    • SpringFest 2025
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Beginner Jam
    • Jason's BIBJ
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2023
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2023
      • 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