Keep On The Sunny Side

Happy New Year!
The song of the month is 'Keep On The Sunny Side' in the key of G. Matt Monroe will lead the song at the jam.
 
The chord progression that Matt will 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Sheet music:
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/american-mandolin-tab/keep_on_the_sunny_side_().htm (but different chord progression!)

Happy Pickin',
Jason