Month: April 2020

  • But Not Tonight

    I had so much fun with Little 15 on the guitar and ukulele, I thought I’d try another favorite Depeche Mode tune about the moooooon shining in the sky. I’m not sure if the main riff has ever been performed on banjo before.

  • Hard Times Come Again No More

    Let’s try another tune from the 1800s. This one is by Stephen Foster, the father of American music. He wrote Camptown Ladies, Beautiful Dreamer, Old Folks at Home (“way down upon the Swanee River”), and Oh! Susanna, among others. During the American Civil War someone made a parody called Hard Tack Come Again No More…

  • Freebies during Isolation

    Several companies and individuals are offering freebies to help pass the time in isolation. Here are some of my favorites. Got any others? Blues guitar lessons – 5 lessons over 5 days with a helpful PDF and backing tracks BitGym – great little app for the treadmill or stationary bike. Pick a beautiful hiking trail…

  • Arthur McBride

    An Irish folk song from the 1800s, in which some British military recruiters try to convince two Irish cousins to join and they all end up beating the crap out of each other for 8 verses. Be sure to check out Paul Brady’s amazing 1977 performance of it in open G tuning – I think…