Pete Seeger - Little Birdie

[metalmickeydolenz]

I'm doing some PhD research on Seeger (in the context of children's music) and I would be interested if anyone knew of the origins of this song. It's credited to Lair (I think). Does anyone know where Pete got it from, or where it might originate from geographically? Thanks!

[AbbeysideJudy]

I want this to be played at my funeral, I love it

[mancheromanchero]

@AbbeysideJudy lol. play the roscoe holcomb version. godspeed. godspeed.

[TheTricksterTrio]

little birdie!

[ladymosconi]

IL BANJO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kobe24bballking]

good song has alot of meaning

[SunCMF]

I 've a short while to be here, and a long time to be gone

[AudioAndroid]

how can anyone dislike this?

[sazji]

Pete Seeger's version is nice, kind of pretty, but Rosco Holcombe's is in another class, it's raw and straight from the gut.

[ceepatton]

Pete Steele's version is beautiful as well

[MrVmaggy]

Sarah McGuire was so inspired by this song she did a slightly different cover to this.

Please check some of her songs.

[ceepatton]

this floored me

[09jpick]

what the heck that 5th string starts around the 9th fret, whats up with that?

[bigdjindustriez]

@09jpick It's a Vega long neck, 3 extra frets, tuned down to E. Some say Pete actually invented this, but it's hard to say.

[mzeesimba]

@bigdjindustriez Seeger did indeed invent the extra long neck, and made the first one by having a luthier lengthen an existing banjo neck. Then he made a neck himself. Then Vega started manufacturing them under the name of the Pete Seeger banjo. They gave him the one he is playing here, and he played that one for years, but he has gone back to playing the one with the neck he made himself in recent years.

[setwo1]

anyone know if he's playing clawhammer banjo or finger picking?

[Fozzymaple]

@setwo1 He's frailing, downpicking

[youllregretit]

@setwo1 yep. E A E F# B. i do a version and have a tab. i'll look around for it

[mzeesimba]

@setwo1 He's playing clawhammer. Clawhammer, frailing and downpicking are all synonyms.

[momentoftransition]

anyone know the tuning?

or the chords?

[tinderhorn]

I like the cameo appearances by Johnny Cash's shoe and the back of June Carter's head.

[LuckyTHlRT33N]

lol

[hairyfish3]

Stanley brothers do it best

[notserp89m]

Roscoe Holcomb is my vote

[nogoodbastid]

the line: "I've a short while to be here,

and a long time to be gone."

is just like the line:

"Such a long long time to be gone

and a short time to be there"

from "box of rain" by the grateful dead

[f91044]

Jerry Garcia was a big fan of this kind of old music.

[bouledji]

merci pour ce moment de bonheur

[billga2007]

That lifted my spirit,bigtime. Thanks.

 Hey I got Wanda and June stuff on my site too .

[nancythetall]

This is an amazing version, but can you post it unsquished?

[JSethKey]

@nancythetall

it's not squished. that's the aspect ratio

[comateensnyc]

This man is a genius. A true American original. That voice, that singing style, that banjo style, that huge personality. There's no one like him and will never be again. Instantly recognizable, like all true originals. He's on the Mt Rushmore of American musicians.

[qwertyqwerty89]

anyone know how you would play this on guitar?

[A66]

You might try tuning your guitar into one of the 'banjo tunings.' DGDGCD is a good one to start with. Guitar players sometimes call it 'Sawmill Tuning' and banjo pickers call it 'Mountain Minor.' Gives you a high drone on the two top strings that calls a banjo fifth string (or a sawmill) to mind.

[JohnAGood]

very good

[MaxwellsDemon86]

oh this is good. this is very good.

[banjobilly9]

Ive practiced many of Pete Seeger's songs

on my banjo, and hope one day to able to

play as well as him

Thankyou

allan

banjobilly9

[baanjoguy]

Little birdie ,Little birdie what makes you fly so high?I dont know about the bird but that kind of playing makes me feel like I could fly. Thanks for posting this!!

[hartabe]

awesome job pete as always

[etheangel2220]

Johnny Cash was enjoyin that

[venessamalachim]

very interesting, and moving it is....

venessa malachim