Pretty nice looking guitar uh? This is the Vintage Ibanez Classical Guitar that will be given away at the end of the Blind Pig & the Acorn’s Spotlight on Music in Appalachia. Of course how it sounds means a whole lot more than how it looks-so Paul picked out an old tune for you to hear. East Virginia Blues-its what you call a traditional song-meaning it’s so old no one really knows who wrote it. The song has many variations-which is typical with songs that have been preserved literally by word of mouth-or maybe I should say word of singing.
It’s easy to imagine how the various verses and chords came about-for example: Say-Uncle Gaylord heard the song played in a tavern he visited on his way back from working down in the flatlands. Once he was home-he couldn’t remember exactly what the words were-or exactly every chord-but he remembered the jist of it-and he adjusted the words as he picked out the song sitting on the front porch after a hard days work.
A few of the songs Paul and Pap sing-have been added to or changed by them. One that comes to mind is Early One Morning. It’s a song Pap remembered from his childhood-even with today’s technology no amount of searching found the exact lyrics-so Paul made up what Pap couldn’t remember.
Everyone from the Country Gentlemen to the Carter Family has sung East Virginia Blues. The version we like-comes by way of Flatt and Scruggs. The words are slightly different-and the tune is as well-kinda like a slowed down version of Little Maggie. See what you think about this version-and see how good the giveaway guitar sounds.
Now that you’ve heard the sound-and the song-here are the giveaway details-it’s only open to residents of the USA:
- to be entered in the guitar giveaway-all you have to do is comment on a Spotlight On Music in Appalachia post-if you commented on the first one-you’ve already been entered once
- each time you post a comment on a spotlight post-you’re entered in the giveaway again-the spotlight posts will run through out the coming weeks-basically if the post is about music in any way-it’s a spotlight post and a comment on it will get your name entered again
- if you’re interested in additional entries-10 to be exact-you can help me spread the word about the Spotlight on Music in Appalachia-take this button-copy the code in the scroll box-making sure you scroll down to get it all and and put the button in your blog sidebar or on your website-just let me know you posted the button on your site and I’ll make sure to add in your extra entries-you can also email me if you need help adding the button
Leave a comment!
Tipper
I LOVE MUSIC WISH I COULD
PLAY LIKE YOU GUYS.
JOHNIE IN ARK,
johniearant@yahoo.com
I LOVE MUSIC WISH I COULD
PLAY LIKE YOU GUYS.
JOHNIE IN ARK,
johniearant@yahoo.com
GREAT MUSIC AND SINGING LOVED
THEM ALL.
JOHNIE IN ARK,
GREAT MUSIC AND SINGING LOVED
THEM ALL.
JOHNIE IN ARK,
Good music, good name!
Tipper, just stopped by to do some reading of your fine articles and discovered that I could get one more entry in, before the drawing. Hope that this does so. I must say that I was deeply moved and enthralled with your article “Veterans Day -From the VA Hospital In Oteen. As a retired veteran (US Navy, 26 years)I must say that your words are right on. I’m always amazed at how deep the feeling of the “Brotherhood” takes over when one vet is in the presence of another, no matter what branch of the Armed Sevices he or she may have served in. Glad I stopped in tonight, took in some great reading!
Great Site! Love the playlist, and I’ve bookmarked it to visit again. It’s also pretty appropriate that I stumbled in here, ’cause, you know… even a blind pig finds a good web site once in a while.
Love your blog.. the mister is retired from the railroad.. heck his whole family are railroad men and woman.. we live 2 blocks from the tracks here in town.. and I love the sound of the train cars going clackity clack clack down the track our little town are all railroad people.. I also love the church bells in town… trains.. church bells and the wabash river across the road nothing beats a good ole bonfire with some catfish snackin and bluegrass playing and a train coming down the track.. I love my life…
The East Virginia Blues & A Guitar Giveaway
I love the music. Your whole family is so talented. I am learning to play the guitar & piano. I am in love with the guitar : )
Just thought I would get one more entry in. Love the player on the site. Thanks for all your effort tipper.
Don’t know if I can still get in to win that fine guitar, but hope that I can. Love Blue-grass, Mountain music, when I hear it, it always reminds me of just finishing a fine Sunday supper, on a late lazy summer evening, just lean back and enjoy!!
I really enjoyed this weeks ghost stories, especially with the music for background. Perfect!!
Hey Tipper,
Love the blog and your family’s music. Don’t get no better than old bluegrass! Lucky you to have that talent in your family. 🙂
I don’t hold a candle to the guitar playing of your family, but if you get a chance, you may find some stuff on my you tube channel that you like. 🙂
Tebo
i am gonna win that guitar!
Entering again, Tipper.I guess you might remember about my hubby. I would like it for him, but even me, I can pick about 4 chords, so I want to learn to play before I leave this earth-haha! absolutely LOVIN’ the articles, they so brighten my day, and going to the other stories you can go to is wonderful.I love the old way.Have a happy day, and keep ’em coming
So glad you enjoyedyour visit to the Blind Pig! Supper refers to the last meal of the day-while Dinner isused for the mid-day meal.
Blind Pig The Acorn
Music, Giveaways, Mountain Folk
All at http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
found this site while researching for a novel i’m writing, and i stayed here way longer than i needed for my research cuz i like the site so much. thank you! (i needed to verify that supper meant dinner, in WNC speak. my granny used to say that, but i’d forgotten whether supper meant lunch or dinner meant lunch. i knew that had different terms for it but forgot which. ok, gotta go to supper now (dinner.) (not lunch.)
just found your blog and love it — i would love to win the guitar
I love your site. I feel right at home!
I know of one man whose soul belongs to this music and the heart and soul of Merle Haggard. I dedicate this to him – Tony Pressley – Papaw Tony. Love – Nana
Would love to win the guitar for my son! He had a Gibson that belonged to his father but the neck was stepped on by his ex wife!
Just found your blog and really enjoy it. We recently moveds to the mountains of Asheville from snowy Michigan!
Don’t know if you still have the guitar or have closed the give away, but if you haven’t then throw my name in the bag. I used to play a bit years ago and have been wanting to get back to it but haven’t yet gotten a guitar. Of course I can’t make it walk and talk like Paul but I do entertain myself.
Helen
I happened upon this site by pure accident, and I instantly fell in love! The music transports me back in time to my grandparents’ house when my uncles would bring out their guitars and start “picking and grinning”.
I lived in the Appalachians for a short time, and my heart still longs to go back. 🙂 Thanks for this wonderful site!
Please enter me in the contest for the guitar. I know someone very special who would love to have it.
I added your badge to my site too.
I really love to visit your site and listen to the music. All threee of my boys have guitars and play sometimes more than other and sometimes better than others. This would be a wonderful guitar to win.
Recently found your site looking up information on Appalachian music and traditional life. My singing group (Cantus, a full-time is working on Pretty Saro right now (a really pretty and sad tune) for our touring program for next season. A couple years back we also sang Bright Mornin’ Star, another famous mountain tune.
Even though I’m a trained classical singer, being a Kentucky native I knew and heard mountain music growing up. I’m excited to bring Appalachian music to audiences mixed in our programs.
Please enter me in the contest! Would love to have a guitar to bring on the road 🙂
Tipper, I posted the button on my blog at Life on a Southern Farm but I am confused about what other site I need to comment on.
When I clicked the Spotlight music link it came back here.
Please let me know if I need to comment somewhere else.
Thanks,
Pam
I would love to win the guitar. I think I could sound just like Loretta Lynn belting out “you ain’t woman enough to take my man”!! LOL…
I will put your button on my sidebar in a little while.
And what else?? comment on the other post.
Also feel free to come on over to my site for a chance to win a HenPals Chicken Nest Box this week.
Have a great day.
Pam
I would secretly like to win this guitar for my husband because he was taught by Bill Gaither as a young man and I’d like to see him play music again, as he loves it so much.His mom is from Tennessee around the appalachians and his history of music would just bring him such joy, he appreciates good music
I love this style of music!
Nice sounds!
Great looking guitar.
I love the Blues, the Bluegrass, and the fun of playing for four year-olds who attend our church’s Day Care.
I would love to have that guitar. I don’t have a classical and I could use one. I plat some weddings and I play at Church. Christmas carols sound real good on the classical. Let me know if you haven’t given it away already.
You guys are great, added you to our blog…
http://frugalfarmblog.blogspot.com/
I do love some good music,just reminds me of my childhood!
Love Mountain music, any kind, grew up with family members that picked and sang,All my kids play or sing,not the same music but the gift of music is the same. Barbara
Thanks for including me on your You Tube email list. You guys have subscribed to my channel there and I appreciate it. I will be posting more BluegraSS vids from a few fesivals down here in Carolina in the upcoming weeks, so be sure and check those out. Thanks for the chance to win that fine sounding “geetar” as well. Grasshopperslim (You Tube Channel)
Tipper: That is one super song on the guitar, someone is going to be mighty lucky.
The Vintage Ibanez is absolutely beautiful and looks like a dream to play on, Tipper! I’ve just added the MUSIC IN APPALACHIA button on my blog. Music is a true connection on all levels to all living, anywhere! :))
What a sweet sound comes from that beauty of a guitar. My Mama just handed down the guitar Pa gave her when she was 18. It’s in need of repair but I love it. Now I have to learn to play.
I put the button on my blog, cause you know I’m all about spreading the word about you alls great music.
I have every CD Pappa nd Paul have made, or so I think I do.
Now to have a guitar would be great, then I could enroll in a class at John C Campbell and learn how to play it.
I’m with JD–we do NOT need another guitar (or violin, ahem, sorry, FIDDLE!), in this house, but I’m gladly adding the button to my blog!
🙂
The guitar sounds great! Wish I could play it. I put your ‘button’ on both my sites!
Paul can sure make that guitar talk. It sounds great!
By the way, I grabbed your button and put it on my sidebar, too. Love it!!
Nice looking guitar, nice sounding, too. I play a little guitar and a little 5-string banjo, but very little of either. Retirement is coming in a year or two and I plan to get more serious then, especially with the 5-string (Earl Scruggs style). I have worked professionally as a tuba player, but don’t see too many of them in bluegrass!!
Hi Tipper, just had to stop by, read and listen. Wonderful as always! blessings,Kathleen
Tipper,
I am a new subscriber to the Blind Pig and the Acorn (found you looking for info on planting by the signs.) I have enjoyed reading it and listening to the tunes. It stirs the deep mountain heritage in me. My ancestors settled in Western NC and it makes me long to be there. Remembering porch sitting, singing while my uncle played the guitar,
listening to the katydids, eating Grandma’s beans and corn bread, playing in the creek, listening to the old timers’ stories. Oh the longing. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that sure is a great looking guitar. And it sounds awesome.
I’m sure I’ll stop by again just to listen to East Virginia Blues. What a lovely song this is!
I so love listening to your family singing. I think I’m going to get my Dad a cd as a retirement gift. He’ll finally have time to sit back & listen to that awesome bluegrass!
Stacey
Tipper,
I don’t usually comment on blogs, mainly because there’s usually a phenomenal number of other comments & I wouldn’t think you’d have time to read them all. But I’m commenting today because your blog is really…something. I’m not even sure what or how to say it. I like that it’s not just mindless chit chat, it has value…like the civil war letters. I like that it has sweet memories and photos. I love that you are so passionate about your heritage & family that you want to share it. Cheers to you! Reading your posts usually brings back floods of childhood memories & a motivation to recreate some of that for my kids. Thank you for sharing the little games and the princess teepees and all those sweet little magical things about childhood. You live in a special place. Please keep sharing those things. They inspire me & it is very much appreciated…something good and uplifting in a very crazy world.
one admirer among many,
Heather Feather in Utah
I have always enjoyed listening to your family’s music so I took the button and placed it in my side bar. I hope it helps to get people to enter.
Good Luck!
That’s a pretty guitar and Paul really show it’s stuff. Makes me wish I knew how to play or sing. I only sing one song, “Bill Grogan’s Goat”, I learned it as a child and no one who has heard it will let me sing it for them again. Seems they think I can’t carry a tune in the proverbial bucket. lol!!
Tipper, I’m looking forward to reading more about Music in Appalachia. I enjoyed listening to Paul pick and sing.
(Please don’t enter me into the guitar giveaway. I already have a good guitar and no room for another.)
All the best,
JD
Wow he has a great voice. I enjoyed the video a lot Tipper.