Deep Elem Blues

Deep Elem Blues

When you go down in Deep Elem,
Just to have a little fun.
Better have fifteen dollars,
When the policeman comes.

Chorus:
And itโ€™s oh sweet mama,
Daddyโ€™s got them Deep Elem blues.
Oh,ย  sweet mama,
Daddyโ€™s got them Deep Elem blues.

When you go down in Deep Elem,
Put your money in your pants.
Those Deep Elem women,
They donโ€™t give a man a chance. (Chorus)

When you go down to Deep Elem,
Put your money in your socks.
Them Deep Elem women,
They will throw you on the rocks. (Chorus)

I used to know a

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Bigfoot’s Gone Away (+tab for banjo,fiddle & mandolin)

bigfoot Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Abominable Snowman. Whatever name you want to call him, this mythical creature has crept into our collective imaginations as far back as 1811. That year, just outside what is now the town of Jasper, Canada, a trader by the name of David Thompson discovered footprints in the snow that made him stop in his tracks. He swore that the impression left in the snow had four toes, was fourteen inches long and eight inches wide. Word quickly spread and imaginations ran wild about the existence of a huge hairy ape-like creature that walked upright on two legs. Of

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Welcome to Our New Website

We’re happy to launch our brand-new site!

So, what did we change? Most importantly, we’ve improved the product search so it will be easier for you to browse our books and recordings. You’ll find it easier to locate the specific book you’re looking for. We also upgraded the process for placing individual and wholesale orders.

We also made sure that the free stuff — the articles, tabs, and videos that were on our previous site — are all still available for you.

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy the new site.

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Curly & Jack, The Shelton Brothers

Among the favorite pastimes in the mountains was music. They say fiddlers and banjo players were so numerous they practically fell out of the trees when it rained. Although banjos and fiddles were common, it is said that guitars were a rare and precious commodity in the early days. Anyone who could play one was awarded the respect due only to a preacher or a moonshiner.

Accordingly, it was a special day in the Shelton household when Charlie Pack came to visit. Charlie always brought with him a black Stella guitar. In the evenings, Charlie would chord the Stella and

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Wayne Erbsen teaches C run for Bluegrass guitar

In Bluegrass, you will often be in the key of G which means you will frequently be changing chords to C.ย  In this lesson, Wayne teaches you different fingering options for the G chord to help you most efficiently change chords.

To learn more about playing bluegrass guitar, check out Wayne’s guitar instruction book, ‘Flatpicking Guitar for the Complete Ignoramus!

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‘Run Mountain’ – Music + Lyrics

Among the more bizarre songs in old-time and early country music is one called Run Mountain. The song is curious both for the melody and because some of the lyrics are rather mysterious. The melody is set in the key of G but it starts in the key of A. By the time the chorus comes around, it is in the key of G. Are you confused yet? If so, join the club!ย  As if the melody and the key changes are not strange enough, what really takes the cake are the words to the chorus. More on this

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Katie Dear

Katie Dear

Oh Katie dear go ask your mother,
If you can be a bride of mine.
If she says yes, come back and tell me,
If she says no, we’ll run away.

Oh Willie dear I cannot ask her,
She’s in her room taking a rest.
And by her side is a silver dagger,
To slay the man that I love best.

Oh Katie dear go ask your father,
If you can be a bride of mine.
If he says yes come back and tell me,
If he says no, we’ll run away,

Oh Willie dear I cannot ask

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One-Finger Easy Chords for Banjo

By Wayne Erbsen

People are always searching the Internet for the easiest way to play the banjo. Who can blame them? Arenโ€™t we all looking for the easiest way to do things? Many of them end up on this website, and find the article Banjo Chords. This article demonstrates that with two- and three-finger chords, the beginner can play thousands of bluegrass, folk, and gospel songs.

Right now Iโ€™m going to make things even easier! Many thousands of songs can be played using just one-finger chords. Yes thatโ€™s right. One finger.

For bluegrass music, banjos are generally tuned in

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The Hanging of Fiddlinโ€™ Joe Coleman

By Wayne Erbsen

The story of the hanging of Fiddlinโ€™ Joe Coleman is enough to send chills up and down your spine. In 1847, near the town of Slate Fork, in Adair County, Kentucky, a shoemaker and fiddler named Joe Coleman was living with his wife, and his wifeโ€™s mother and sister. According to some accounts, Joe had been acting erratically and not long after that, someone smothered his mother-in-law to death with a pillow. A few days later, Joeโ€™s wife went into the woods to gather bark and never came back. Joe went searching for his wife in the

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The Hanging of Fiddlin’ Joe Coleman

American Fiddler cBy Wayne Erbsen

The story of the hanging of Fiddlinโ€™ Joe Coleman is enough to send chills up and down your spine. In 1847, near the town of Slate Fork, in Adair County, Kentucky, a shoemaker and fiddler named Joe Coleman was living with his wife, and his wifeโ€™s mother and sister. According to some accounts, Joe had been acting erratically and not long after that, someone smothered his mother-in-law to death with a pillow. A few days later, Joeโ€™s wife went into the woods to gather bark and never came back. Joe went searching for his wife in the

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