The Boatman

This tune I learned from John Fitgerald Hilt of Tannersville, VA. I was introduced to John by Frank George, then residing in Bluefield, WV.

If you wish to hear John Hilt, go to www.fieldrecorder.com and type in Frank George. John and Frank do 12 tunes on Frank's CD. What a wonderful time I had playing with and collecting both of them.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fred Coon
• The Boatman
• oldtime
• banjo
• frailing
• clawhammer
• folk
• Virginia fiddle tunes
• John Hilt
• acoustic

[fredcoonbanjo]

The tone ring and tension hoop is from OME and is 12". The neck and body are made from the same Walnut tree I hunted under as a boy and is made by Bill Burke who is a wonderful instrument maker who lives up the road from me in Flagstaff AZ (wjbanjo@hotmail.com). Bill and I ordered the inlay (Perl an Abalone) from Vietnam and it was already engraved and Bill laid it in by hand, not on a router or machine. Hope this helps and thanks for asking.

[fredcoonbanjo]

this is a clawhammer "look alike" that I invented 50 years ago and is a variation of my fathers two-finger style he learned from an Uncle in Boone County, WV in the 1930's when he was 14 or 15.

It is really a one finger style that strikes down most of the time using the 1st finger. Once in a while I will pull up with that same finger but the thumb only stays on the 5th string. Some day, I will do a video on how this is done for all to see. Thanks for the nice comments

[drybonesband]

Great! I've been listening to Franklin George a lot lately, trying to learn some of the songs he recorded. You've certainly got it down.

(If you get a chance, please see my two finger up picking original song The Lost Hiker)

db

[fredcoonbanjo]

Very nice picking. Not too fast. I could tell so many stories of the "old" days when Frank and I travelled around West Virginia and Virginia playing together. Throw in the Morris brothers and what an old time band.

Keep up the picking.

[fiddlinred]

Awesome version. Love the banjo style!

[ukuleletim]

hell, yea!

[77Fairbanks77]

I love your unique version of Boatman with all those bouncy pull-offs. Beautiful banjo too! What kind of banjo are you playing?

[kohjij]

clawhammer lookalike? That's inspirational, thankyou. My clawhammer looks like a floppin' fish but it's nice to see somebody just playing their own style and sounding dynamite!

[sparkyfiddle]

Excellent! Hope I can get that good one day!

[blackflag133]

is this clawhammer? it looks and sounds like it but i can't tell for sure.

damn good playing though.

[tssuila]

This is some great playing. I also play this tune and learned it from Frank George.

Mind you I also learned it from Jon Blizard and through some others too ... I can't remember anymore actually.

Regardless, great playing. Check out my version if you want. I'll warn you that my sound quality is not so good, and you have to turn down the volume before you listen.