# What is Your Favorite Banjo Tune **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567 "2020-07-28T02:14:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/42 "2020-07-29T17:29:47Z")
Ha! Thanks. Hadn’t seen that before. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/43 "2020-07-29T18:03:34Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Check out that list of instructors. Wow. Didn’t take long to find two of my banjo heroes: Alan Munde and Stephen Wade. I’m also happy to see Janet Davis there, a long-time columnist for Banjo Newsletter, which I mentioned up thread and subscribed to back in the 70s, when I was _attempting_ to learn bluegrass banjo. I’m thinking about starting up again, but think I will go the old-time route this time. I am under no illusions that it will be easy, but it should not be quite as hard as the bluegrass style. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/44 "2020-07-29T18:08:31Z")
I mentioned John Hartford hearing Scruggs for the first time. Here is the story of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”, if anyone is interested. Hartford, in his exact words: > [@](#): > > “The first time I heard Earl on the radio, I didn’t know what to think,” he says. "I couldn’t tell if it was a banjo or electric guitar or if it was lightning bolts from heaven. I didn’t know–it was like these notes, and they glowed and they had light in them, and everything like that. And they were coming out of that radio like pile drivers, something like–like, I was going to have to dodge them or something. > **[The Story Of 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'](https://www.npr.org/2000/04/01/1072355/npr-100-earl-scruggs)** > > Earl Scruggs's song may have been the first to introduce audiences to bluegrass music. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/45 "2020-07-29T18:30:48Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Wow. Didn’t take long to find two of my banjo heroes: Alan Munde and Stephen Wade. I’m also happy to see Janet Davis there, a long-time columnist for Banjo Newsletter, … I’ve spoken/picked w/ all 3 at length. All super nice and approachable. Then it is neat, when you later go to a concert w/ an instructor from camp, and they call you out by name like a good buddy! Let’s see a baseball or rock music fan get that kinda proximity to their heroes! Last summer, a buddy of mine took a class w/ SW, and it turned out he was the only one who showed up, so he had an uninterrupted hour w/ him. After, my buddy and a couple others were jamming, and SW stopped by and joined us. A lot of fun (and obviously, a helluva picker.) In addition to classes, you can eat meals w/ them and jam all night. And 2 nights the faculty puts on a concert, where they try to impress each other - and blow us mere mortals’ minds. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/46 "2020-07-29T21:41:29Z")
I’m still fond of Flatt and Scruggs myself. _Pearl_ is a great one. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q1z95xIkOXo/hqdefault.jpg "Beverly Hillbillies-Flatt & Scruggs-Pearl Pearl Pearl - Short Version") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1z95xIkOXo) ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/47 "2020-07-29T21:54:47Z")
[Don Vappie and Jazz Creole](https://youtu.be/x0O5bxxsNeE) ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/49 "2020-07-30T14:53:13Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > Don Vappie and Jazz Creole First jazz banjo here, I believe. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/50 "2020-07-30T15:20:33Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I mentioned John Hartford hearing Scruggs for the first time. Here is the story of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”, if anyone is interested… Good article - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/51 "2020-07-30T18:03:57Z")
A not entirely serious answer, but “Don’t Leave Your Records In The Sun\*” by John Hartford has got to be in the running. \*Because they’ll get all warped and not be of use to anyone" ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/52 "2020-07-31T14:52:38Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > One of my favourites is Emily Strayer/Erwin/Robison of the Chicks, formerly the Dixie Chicks. Smooth as butter and quite attractive too. Here she is with the Chicks doing one my favourites off the “Home” album, “White Trash Wedding.” > > [https://youtu.be/dM65uGRxUmI](https://youtu.be/dM65uGRxUmI) Loved that! ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/53 "2020-07-31T18:28:18Z")
Abigail Washburn - Song of the Traveling Daughter [https://youtu.be/f83N391o4vc](https://youtu.be/f83N391o4vc) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567/54 "2020-08-01T01:58:28Z")
For your listening enjoyment: [Lukas Pool](https://lukaspool.bandcamp.com/track/900-miles) [The Carolina Chocolate Drops](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJL1iDkF3OM) Seriously, too many CCD tunes to pick. Rhiannon is a national treasure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-banjo-tune/916567.md?page=2)