Clinch Mountain Backstep

Clinch Mountain Backstep played by Ralph Stanley. Ralph Stanley played it in A on Pete Seeger's black & white TV show. If YouTube takes it down, try this.

Key of A (sometimes played in G). Two parts. Crooked: second part has a backstep measure! This tune was written by Dr. Ralph Stanley. The melody has older origins (see Sandy Boys).

Bluegrass versions

  • Teenager pickup band at the guitar store [Utoob] (skip to 0:48) (key of G)
  • The requisite video of little kids playing it better than any of us. This is the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys [utoob]
  • A pretty nice, slow, live version with rotating leads. This is the Boxcar Boys [utoob]
  • Simple version is written in A in the attached PDF from BBU by Ira Gitlin.
  • Fancy clawhammer banjo [utoob] on stage.

Clinch Mountain Backstep, instructional video by Ryan Thomson, Captain Fiddle.