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Many of you have learned to play the banjo from my book ‘Clawhammer Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus‘… and this year this method is 50 years old! The book has been rewritten a few times over the years, and each time I think it’s gotten even better, but it’s always had the same down home and easy approach.
I thought you might like to know the story of how the ‘Ignoramus’, as we like to call it, came to be.
It was 1973 when I landed a job in Charlotte,
The Native Ground family is so excited to gather again for the holidays. This season is always a time for good music, tasty food food, and of course, gifts! The Native Ground catalog provides endless possibilities for thoughtful gift-giving and we’ve put together this short but sweet 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for you! Treat your friends and loved ones to any number of books on vintage baking or how to play their favorite instrument. Don’t forget that all of our books come in digital download form too!
Perfect for the holidays (or
“Shortenin’ Bread” has certainly wins a prize for longevity. After all, it has been around for over 150 years. This version of “Shortenin’ Bread” comes from my new book, Ukulele for the Complete Ignoramus!
I can’t tell you why, but I find playing Shortenin’ Bread almost addictive. When I start to play it, I can barely force myself to stop. I must not be alone because this song has been popular since the early to mid 1800’s. The song was first collected and published in 1915, and was known as a ‘plantation song.’ All this talk about shortenin’ bread
By Wayne Erbsen
This is an excerpt from Rural Roots of Bluegrass.
A while back I was invited to bring an instrument to a potluck party of some friends of mine in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. I brought along my fiddle in the hopes of finding some bluegrass musicians to jam with.
When I arrived at the converted barn where the party was being held, I saw a guitar learning up against the corner, so I sidled up to the guitar’s owner and introduced myself. As I shook howdy with him I asked him what kind of music
Songwriter and performer Hazel Dickens is among the most respected and celebrated folk or country music artists to come from West Virginia. She has recorded 11 albums, contributed to the soundtracks of nine feature films or videos – including such popular releases as Matewan and Songcatcher – and seen her songs recorded by artists such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Hot Rize, and others. Among the many honors and awards she has received is the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship, presented to her by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001.
Born in 1935
When he left his Alabama home on December 30, 1952, Hank Williams had his sights set on West Virginia. He was billed as the headline act for a gala “Western Style Revue” at Charleston’s Municipal Auditorium and was scheduled to perform two shows here on New Year’s Eve night. Sadly, he never arrived.
Little has been written about this Charleston engagement. Most authors, researchers, and fans have shifted their attention instead to Canton, Ohio, where Hank was expected to perform the following day. On January 1, 1953, in Canton, the first public announcement was made about the passing of this
Born in 1924, musician Everett Lilly has been going strong for nearly 85 years, living just a stone’s throw from the Clear Creek property where he was born. A casual observer might not realize that Everett, together with his late brother “B,” traveled the world over, performing and promoting the music of his Raleigh County home.
The Lilly Brothers, playing with neighbor Don Stover, introduced countless new fans to the down-home music of southern West Virginia at the peak of their popularity during the mid- to late 1960’s. Singing tight, “brother” harmonies and playing at a breakneck tempo on guitar,
Need a quick lesson on how to read Wayne’s free bluegrass banjo tabs? Read these brief instructions: “A Word About the Free Bluegrass Banjo Tabs.”
Bonepart’s Retreat (Erynn Marshall)
Icy Mountain
Lonesome Road Blues
Boys, My Money’s All Gone.
Ain’t Gonna Rain No More (Fred Price, and Clint Howard)
Ain’t No use in Your High Hattin’ Me
East Bound Train
Surely I Will
Tough Luck
I’ve Gota Mule to Ride (Ralph Stanley)
Bound to Ride
Black-Eyed Susie
Waves on the Sea (Big Medicine)
Brushy Run
Texas Gales/Blackberry Blossom
Little Girl Dressed in Blue (Bill Clifton)
Sales Tax on the Women
Hobo Bill’s Last Ride
Methodist Pie
Hell Amongst the Yearlings (Adam Hurt)
Love of the Mountains (Blue and Lonesome)
Shine Hallelujah Shine
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