Tab: Little Birdie, as recorded by The Stanley Brothers

I went to the Oxford Bluegrass and Old Time/Appalachian music jam last Thursday, and had a really cool time. There just a really nice bunch of guys, who welcomed my mate Tom and Me with open arms. Most of what I they played I was not too familiar with, but then I am new to this game. However I was able to play along easily and take the odd solo. I also got asked to play and sing a song, and choose Down Beside The Ohio, the Obray Ramsey way, and it went down really well. Anyway, I should get to the point, that being, how to play Little Birdie.

I was put onto this song by a Mandolin player at the Bluegrass jam, and agreed to learn it for next time. I quickly scoured the Internet for a tab or a YouTube video, but was unable to find a version similar to the Stanley Brothers version. However I found out that it was in drop C tuning, and I could hear it was obviously frailed. Next I figured the chords, C and G, that’s easy, but its really fast! Next the melody, then worked on mixing it all together, and here you have it, enjoy! 

D----------------------------2---|2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|
B----------------------------1---|----1-------1-------1-------1---|
G------------------------0h2-0---|----0-------0-------0-------0---|
C--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
g------------------------------0-|------0-------0-------0-------0-|


|2p0-0-------0-------0-------0---|----0---0---0---2---2---2p0-0---|
|----1---1p0-0-------0-------0---|----0-------0-------0-------0---|
|----0-------0---0---0---0---0---|2/4-0-------0-------0-------0---|
|--------------------2-------2---|------------2-------2-------2---|
|------0-------0-------0-------0-|------0-------0-------0-------0-|


|----2---2p0-0-------2-------2---|--------------------------------|
|1---1-------1---1---1-------1---|--------------------------------|
|----0-------0-------0---0h2-0---|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------0-------0-------0-------0-|--------------------------------|

Note that the verses are the same as the instrumental breaks minus the melody.

Posted by Garry J Richardson

1 comment:

  1. Andrea6 May 2011 at 07:05

    Thanks for taking the time to share the tab. I've just started learning the banjo so will keep an eye on your blog.

    Andrea

    (http://dressmakerelves.blogspot.com/ probably not your kind of thing!)

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

I have been playing guitar for over 20 years, at first playing in indie bands, followed by a long stint playing rockabilly on the streets of Oxford, a short excursion into dance music, followed by looking at early blues styles. Now after a few years of listening to Dylan, Guthrie, and early Americana I find myself in possession of a banjo, and I'm addicted! Currently I play Banjo and Guitar in an Oxford based group called Swindlestock, you can hear our music our myspace page.

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