Cumberland Gap

Key of D, usually. There are lots of versions of this tune: 2 or 3 parts, 2 or 4 repeats of the first part, sung or instrumental. The Phillips Collection lists 5 versions.

• Kyle Creed played it in Cumberland Gap tuning, a banjo tuning that is just for this tune.

• Fiddle, 3 parts (recording). This is an instructional recording from the Canote stringband camp in Seattle.

• Frank Proffitt on banjo [utoob].

• Adam Hurt plays it in his melodic banjo style (video).  

• Mike Seeger sang the words (video).

• Clean version, clawhammer banjo, 3 parts (video).

• Clean version, bluegrass banjo, 2 parts (video).

• Flatt & Scruggs on TV (utoob)

• Eldie Barbee recorded in the 1970s (utoob).

• Fiddle, 3 parts but the (video) has hissing throughout.

• Tommy Jarrell on fiddle & Fred Cockerham on banjo, 2 parts. Not tuned to 440! There is an mp3 at OldTimeSeattle.

• Meredith Moon, solo banjo [YouTube] plus singing and foot stomping.

• This tune has its own encyclopedia page (wikipedia). 

Not to be confused with... 

The Cumberland Mountain Deer Race sung by Uncle Dave Macon [utoob non-video] also known as the Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase sung by Pete Seeger [utoob non-video].