Going Down to Georgia O

WV fiddler Melvin Wine. He plays in the neighborhood of D. He starts every phrase down-bow and ends every phrase up-bow. He uses longbow for melody but fast saw & shuffle for the endings.

Key of D. Two parts. The tune is also called "Gunboat."

  • This was recorded as Gunboat by WV fiddler Ernie Carpenter. The LPs and CDs are hard to find. There is a track on the Slippery Hill companion to the Milliner-Koken book.
  • Gunboat played fast then slow by Andy FitzGibbon [utoob].
  • Gunboat played by the Iron Leg Boys [track]
  • Gunboat on solo fretless banjo [utoob].
  • Street performance in Dallas [utoob].
  • "Going down to Georgia O" is not to be confused with "Take me back to Georgia" recorded by New Lost City Ramblers [Smithsonian]

For students...

The first part is longer but both parts end the same way. The first melody note, F#, comes with syncopated flicks of other notes; this is hard to get right so you can just play F# at first. You can think of this as having a two-note pickup before each phrase, with emphasis on each measure's first note.

Fiddle fingers. High part. Play it 2x.

E -0|1-31|0110|----|--12|3-12|3-1-|0---|--
A 3-|----|----|31--|----|----|----|--3-|--
G --|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|--
D --|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|--

Fiddle fingers. High part continued...

E -0|1-31|0110|----|----|----|----|----|--
A 3-|----|----|31--|--31|0---|----|----|--
G --|----|----|----|----|--2-|1-12|1-0-|0-
D --|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|--

Fiddle fingers for fiddle students. Low part. Play it 2x.

E --|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|--
A 31|0-2-|2-31|0-2-|--31|0---|----|----|--
G --|----|----|----|----|--2-|1-12|1-0-|0-
D --|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|--