Authentic Old Time Music (Old Timey Music)
Authentic Old Time Music (Old Timey Music)
It is doubtful that most members of this site are familiar with Old Time Music, but if you have seen the movie O Brother Where Art Thou you have listened to a version of it. I say a 'version' because authentic Old Time Music is usually not so nice-sounding as more contemporary musicians perform it. Most people have not heard songs of this type performed by their original authentic musicians, but updated prettier versions. It has also been called Mountain Music or Appalachian Music.
Authentic, or genuine Old Time Music consists of songs usually sung by a sole performer (although there are exceptions), normally accompanied by a banjo, and often with a guitar and/or a fiddle. However there are other instruments that have been used to accompany singers, such as an Appalachian dulcimer, mandolin, autoharp, hammered dulcimer, jews harp, washtub bass, washboard, and even the spoons.
In my personal collection of instruments I had a 6 string guitar, a 12 string guitar, a banjo, a mandolin, an autoharp and my favourite instrument, an Appalachian dulcimer. When I left Canada, I gave all those instruments to my son.
As defined by Wikipedia:
"Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering on a combination of fiddle and plucked string instruments, most often the banjo, guitar, and mandolin."
Here are some examples of genuine Old Time Music, sung by authentic performers from days past. You are bound to find these songs by these performers on YouTube if you are unable to open my links.
Man of Constant Sorrow - Emry Arthur
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ea4y1E7MP?from=search&seid=12709624849527800350
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Otto Wood The Bandit - The Carolina Buddies
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1vJ41117Yn?from=search&seid=17121508689520891617
.
Tom Dooley - Frank Proffitt
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1v7411s7Lj?from=search&seid=4899084160930762201
...
Wildwood Flower - The Carter Family
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1VW411F7zN?from=search&seid=17639933744042088808
June Carter was married to Johnny Cash
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Somehow I don't think there are many aficionados of authentic American Old Time Music, but if you don't know it, since almost all of you are Americans, you should at least familiarize yourself with it.
The musical instruments in the picture at the top of the page are 2 guitars, a mandolin, an autoharp, a banjo and in the rear a hammered dulcimer. What is not in the photo is an Appalachian dulcimer, so below is a photo of me at home in Canada playing my Appalachian dulcimer. I bought it directly from Lyn McSpadden, the craftsman who made it, while I was at the Fox Hollow Folk Festival in upstate New York, which was run on the family estate of the Beers Family. Of all the folk festivals I have been to, the Newport Folk Festival, The Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Festival of American Folk Life (in front of the Smithsonian), and the one I was involved in running, Toronto's Mariposa Folk Festival, the Beers Family Fox Hollow Festival was the smallest, and provided the most authentic American folk music of all.
You can see my vintage Gibson B-45 12 string guitar, and Kavika will know who the artist was who did the picture on the wall.
Ancestors of bluegrass? The Carter Family certainly seems to be. The others are more in the solo artist tradition? (Guthrie?)
Bluegrass as a genre grew out of old time music - I guess the Carter Family were transitional, but it was the only song of theirs I have access to - it's probably their most famous one. Woodie Guthrie is a step up towards more current folk singer-songwriters.
Morning Buzz,
Interesting article. Couldn't old-time blues music fit into this category?
Oh, I surely recognize the artist, none other than Norval Morrisseau. (Copper Thunderbird)
The Blues, even the old-time Blues, is considered a different genre, even if it arose at around the same time as Old Time Music. As for the artist - give that man a cigar. Besides Morrisseau's major painting that you've seen, I had a set of his signed prints that we framed (that being one of them), besides the works of other First Nation artists. I just don't have photos of them and unfortunately don't remember their names.
Gentle On My Mind (Live) - John Hartford
John Hartford was a mainstay of "Americana" music for decades. In this video he even provides the percussion for the performance by shuffling his feet to the music.
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John Hartford
Okay, let's call that Old Timey Bluegrass revival music. Very fancy footwork. LOL
Thanks for the Bluegrass and memory of the movie.
I don't have access to that song, so I'll assume what I told John.