Old-Time Banjo Resources

Common Tunes

So many tunes, so little time. If you’re new to old-time music, you might be a bit overwhelmed by all the tune choices. If you haven’t discovered it yet, check out this page at Banjo Hangout. Every week, a member submits a tune, and others discuss it:

A few years ago there was an interesting thread at Banjo Hangout: Your Top 5 Favorite Old-Time Tunes to Play. Members responded, and posted more than 500 tunes. The results were compiled, and here’s a list of the tunes that got at least two mentions. It’s certainly not a comprehensive list, and tune popularity varies a lot by region. But if you’re looking for something new to learn, this list is a good place to start.

  1. June Apple
  2. Soldier’s Joy
  3. Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine
  4. Cold Frosty Morning
  5. Angelina Baker
  6. Kitchen Girl
  7. Rock The Cradle Joe
  8. Old Joe Clark
  9. Forked Deer
  10. Sally In The Garden
  11. Needlecase
  12. Red Haired Boy
  13. Arkansas Traveler
  14. Cripple Creek
  15. Big Sciota
  16. Mississippi Sawyer
  17. Julianne Johnson
  18. John Brown’s Dream
  19. Year Of Jubilo
  20. Sally Ann
  21. Fortune
  22. The Cuckoo
  23. Sandy River Belle
  24. Colored Aristocracy
  25. Boatman
  26. Fall Of Richmond
  27. Sourwood Mountain
  28. Sugar Hill
  29. Bill Cheatham
  30. Old Molly Hare
  31. Blackberry Blossom
  32. Spotted Pony
  33. Turkey In The Straw
  34. Reuben
  35. Bonaparte’s Retreat
  36. Coleman’s March
  37. Sandy Boys
  38. St. Anne’s Reel
  39. Golden Slippers
  40. West Fork Gals
  41. Snowdrop
  42. West Virginia Girls
  43. Cuckoo’s Nest
  44. Whiskey Before Breakfast
  45. Sail Away Ladies
  46. Wildwood Flower
  47. John Henry
  48. Snake River Reel
  49. Santa Ana’s Retreat
  50. Little Rabbit
  51. Greasy Coat
  52. Wind That Shakes The Barley
  53. Cindy
  54. Nancy
  55. Shaking Down The Acorns
  56. Cumberland Gap
  57. Callaway
  58. Whistlin’ Rufus
  59. Sugar Babe
  60. Willie Moore
  61. Walkin’ Boss
  62. Piney Woods
  63. Last Chance
  64. Pretty Polly
  65. Shady Grove
  66. Quince Dillons High D
  67. Shooting Creek
  68. Ragtime Annie
  69. Buffalo Gals
  70. Darlin’ Cory
  71. Grasshopper Sittin On Sweet Potato Vine
  72. Ducks On The Pond
  73. Half-Shaved
  74. Roustabout
  75. House Carpenter
  76. Durang’s Hornpipe
  77. John Lover’s Gone
  78. Clear The Palate
  79. Walking In The Parlor
  80. Blackest Crow
  81. Lady Of The Lake
  82. Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
  83. Lazy John
  84. Barlow Knife
  85. Old Mother Logo
  86. Over The Waterfall
  87. Moses Hoe The Corn