Nine Pound Hammer,Merle Travis

[Hawkswill]

Have you heard the Comer Moon Mullins version. If not, check it out. He added two more fingers to the picking style.....Awesome. Keith Payne

[theoriginalbadbob]

I just checked all 94 comments, and nobody has pointed out that the "announcer" is Tex Ritter.

[bennay3000]

finger pickin' good :)

[yoho300]

I'll just add that I love this. :)

[chester777ful]

The first finger picking tune i learnt he was fantastic

[tarnish]

Jeezus, can he wail!

[dixierebel4ever6]

Hazard Kentucky, represent =)

[whipsnade13]

Merle played and sang with such an easy grace. The word "genius" is thrown around a lot, but this man truly fit the bill. What a fine musician!

[RockinRita45]

Love that pickin'!

[mountainat85]

man could he play!

[boc234]

'Folk Songs of the Hills' best version of this song and a brilliant album.

[robbourassaguitarist]

This is great.

[Whiskeyfirst]

So nice when he closes his eyes singing: Well when i'm long gone, you can make my tombstone...

Love townes' version too. Well, i came to Merle Travis through Townes van Zandt.

Both absolute gems of people

Ahh, heightened music..

[Atkinsfan]

May I never get tired of this mans:s brilliance

[robbourassaguitarist]

This is the best.

[steeltunes]

As classic as classic gets.

[CodyCEngdahl]

I can not listen to this enough. I just wrote done the words. I'm singing this in my bluegrass class and there's too many versions, so I decided to use this as the definitive. It really doesn't get better than this.

[MsJohnedwin]

Merle Travis ! So relaxed. One of the best versions of this song

ever !

[dinguitas]

Is so good to see in You tube this amazing songs from the past!Why Youtube don´t comes 20 years ago??

Why,why ??

[drewenstevenson11]

I like your english style

[cabinbowman]

Great version of Charlie Bowman's Nine Pound Hammer...It's a shame that he never gave credit to the person that wrote the song...

[skydogz1]

Merle digs in and cooks . .the originator and best.

[LynchburgSourMash]

guitar CAT GO GO GO!!!!!!!!

Rockabilly gitt

[bawdybill]

Can you hear a precursor of Johnny Cash?

[maphisshredcore]

my brothers god father

[harryfoster22]

Can anyone tell me what is going on in the first break where he moves up the neck? It seems to me he must be abandoning the alternating bass. I think he's playing a pattern of two downstrokes with the thumbpick, followed by one finger stroke. Does anyone agree, or is it something different?

[bloodonthestrings]

See Miche Lelong's videos and ask him... He wrote gook tabs from Travis that he picked by ear.

[billga2007]

It is diff from Chet. The left hand . 9780,8780,9780,7570,9780. Merle's thumb brushes down on the D then G string, then the index finger hits up on the B string on the first roll and the E string on the second. See Travis play Rock-a bye Rag or Cannonball Rag.

[bongfodder]

that's how I play the similiar bit in cannonball rag don't know this one yet sounds like it though.

[dm325]

you've got that right - two downstrokes with thumbpick, one finger stroke, played in triplets (3 notes = 1 beat).

[tactteam00]

this is so old. listening to this version today shows how timeless the music is.

[yarnow]

Listen to the version of Nine Pound Hammer of the Atkins & travis traveling show, it'll explain when Merle met Ike and Mose.

[SonnyREast]

Thats why they call his technique "Travis Pickin".

[thomastjb]

Don't miss the point. We all have influences. Merle was able to bring together many influences with his own ideas into a new form. His songwriting abilities complemented his guitar playing into a form which was widely appreciated. Thanks to Merle.

[EyeKnows]

lol @ MT originating this style, people are so ignorant.

[BlShkspr]

Merle wasn't the originator of the thumb style, he was just the first to get famous. Merle learned a lot from Mose Rager and Ike Everley (father of Phil and Don). And Mose learned from a fella named Levi Foster and some from the son of a slave named Arnold Shultz. And on and on before that. The style has been around for quite some time.

[saullouis]

And the reverend Gary Davis too.

[rockinredneck57]

Just a thumb and forefinger, I had forgotten! Merle was the originator of this style of fingerpicking that later inspired Chet and from him Tommy and so many others. Merle had a good voice too. It's great to see Tex Ritter as well. Roll on Mr Travis!

[alphamon7]

I discovered this song only a few months ago. Found it on an American Roots album. Both Country and Blues originators.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH!!!!

It's summer here in New Zealand and we'll be listening to it on holiday a lot.

Thanks for posting this one.

[mrgreanjeans]

townes van zandt did one of the best versions of this song i have ever heard on his live at the old quarter tapes from houston tx.one of the best finger pickers i know of.

[Sevisija]

Agreed. This is how its done ! When Finger Pickers will take over :D

Respect to our finger picker of today , Tommy Emmanuel . LOVE

[3439ra]

lol. its still chet atkins even he is dead. no tommy boy

[ffairlane57]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it's done!

[raabeyta]

Great post...I'm learing this song now!

[AppalachianSC]

On his head, is a coal miners lamp. Self explanatory.

[oOoACFREEMANoOo]

great , thanks for posting but wtf is that on his head ffs

[somncountry]

had to see this again--  loved it

[Cojpe]

Awesome!!!

[mephistox1010]

Now that puttin a thumb to good use =o), not many guitar players that use clawhammer banjo style that i know of.

[Antarblue]

I still do Merle's "Travis pick" long after he's gone! Thanks Marcus!*****

[katiusk1]

how beautiful to see our americana xxxx and what a treasure !!!!!!!!!!!!!

katiuska xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[eamorgan123]

Thank you Marcus for posting.You cant beat the old timers just great Elizabeth.

[geena6]

Thankyou Marc for sending.This is great.

[somncountry]

that's what i am talkin about--real country

[mskerripa]

this was great :)

[heatherireland]

Awesome! Love it! Thanks to blue65gibson for sending!

[weeyin1155]

Terrific! 5***** video share from oldcountrytunes.Thank you.Hugs..Jan and Susan.x

[OldTimeVoice]

That was simply great 5*****......Colin.

[111oldie]

thanks for posting it!

[willy350z]

Old time favorites! Just great, and thanks for the share!!!

[iamjohnnyprice]

gr8 video ty for posting.

[oldcountrytunes]

This goes straight to my favorites and out to some of my contacts. Thanks for sending.

[sammipink]

thanks for sending love it

[jtls8]

Thank you blue65gibson for sending me this

wonderful video.

[backstageblues]

I LOVE THIS!!! It must have been recorded in early 1950 or the late 40s because his Martin acoustic doesn't have the modifications made by Paul Bigsby (new Bigsby neck and Merle Travis custom pickguard). Gotta love the horns in there too!

[halpeters]

Well, it was recorder 1956 or 1957. That guitar is not THAT D-28.

Yours,

HP

[hindview]

Welldogggeees,i've never looked charlie brown up but if i do he'll be a black man..ha,ha..

[hindview]

if you don't like MR.TRAVIS suck a big hillbilly turd right of my redneck ass!!and die!!!!!!!!"

[Mitul454]

oh god thats nice

[ffairlane57]

And that, ladies & gentlemen, is how it's done!

[65telecaster]

i used to play up and down scuddy holler kentucky,just south of hazard.what memories this song brings back.thx for posting.

[guitarman63mm]

Probably the first video of anyone I've seen with a solid 5 stars.

Very deserving as well.

Really is one of the best.

[panamintjoe]

Merle might be playing the modified D-28 in the "Lost John" video. Looks like a new pickguard as well as the BIGSBY neck. Looks like he is having more fun than with the old Martin neck. Thanks for the post. Would love to see Merle with the Browns Ferry Four.

[panamintjoe]

Merle might be playing the Martin D-28 here that he later modified with a Fender neck.

[halpeters]

Well,that's D-28 allright, but neck is BIGSBY,

made by Paul A.Bigsby himself.

[panamintjoe]

thanks for the correction. BIGSBY was actually in the back of my mind when I made the comment but not exactly sure.

[9GoldenArceus0]

tight, i have to learn how to play the basic version of this sond and with the original as a guide, this video was great help, thank you.

[cabinbowman]

What a great version he did of Charlie Bowman's classic "Nine Pound Hammer"

[guitarman63mm]

I'd never heard of a Charlie Bowman, and when I looked into it, it's just another prison work song.

So it can't be credited to anyone really.

[cabinbowman]

There's a Historical marker in Grey Station, Tennessee (where he was from) that credits him as the author. Original recording was in 1927. He also wrote East Tennessee Blues and Roll On Buddy.

[fiddlefeller]

Pretty quick on the drawn and slim on research, aren't ya?

If's you had taken 30 seconds to Google Charlie Bowman, you'd have been on your way to being education.

Maybe you'll be a little slower on the drawn before the next time you declare that nobody gets credit for a tune because you don't know the answer.

And if you still haven't looked up Charlie Bowman, shame on you.

[guitarman63mm]

I take it my ignorance hit a nerve?

I didn't look up Charlie Bowman, no. I looked up Nine Pound Hammer.

"Take This Hammer (Roud 4299) is a prison work song. It was collected by John and Alan Lomax. The song Nine Pound Hammer has a few phrases in common with this song, and the same Roud number. This group of songs are referred to as 'hammer songs' or 'roll songs'. According to the Columbia State University, the earliest collected version was made by Newman Ivey White in 1915."

[dm325]

owned.

[wilfredsnipple]

Originator of a picking style. "Travis picking."

[billga2007]

Merle's ; folk,blues,country,pop .

[JustinSandercoe]

that's amazing - all that melody with just his thumb and one finger!! wow. legend.

[Ezekiel16banjo]

This guy is very good on the guitar. he his one of me favorite. this is real music.

[ffairlane57]

Merle is a guitar god. I hate to say it but I think he made Joe Maphis look like a hack.

[theoriginalbadbob]

@ffairlane57 Have you seen the videos of Merle and Joe playing two guitars, with their arms going every which way, with one hand on the fret board of one guitar and the other hand on the other guitar? Merle was the greatest, but Joe was far from being a hack, as you call him. I watched both of them every week, on the Town Hall Party (from Compton), in the 50s.

[anotherjoshua]

effortless. and pure

[guitarmaniax]

That's a miner's hat, with carbide lamp.

[jessupar]

a baseball cap (with what exactly on it?) and a plad shirt is dressed up for tv? wtf lol?

[gareof]

hard to believe they'd dress up Merle for tv. They didn't they were filming history - Thanks for posting this

[jessupar]

I really hate country music... but somehow i love this song!

[Heathenhellion]

Because this is real country music, not that shit you see on CMT. Jimmie Rogers, Hank Williams, Carter Family, Roy Acuff, Merle Travis, and on and on and on. There's a ton of great country music out there that isn't commercialized bullshit you know.

[TMVGee]

I'm European So country never was my thing but when i started checking out the guys names you posted..Damn so much great stuff in there, for me country ain't a bad word anymore.

[sweettwinkies]

What a gift to have a video of Merle the master performing his classic

[Tamborr]

Merle Travis, composer, guitar virtuoso, songwriter: a genius