Married Man’s Blues, Part 1: Instrumental

This lesson is part of the course Old-Time Banjo with Bruce Molsky.

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Learn the tunes and techniques of some of the legends of old-time banjo, taught by one of the icons of contemporary old-time music.

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Mississippi Sawyer

Wade Ward’s solo version of the square dance tune “Mississippi Sawyer” is a little different than the way it would be played for a square dance, in that it drops a beat at the end of each part. It’s played in double-D tuning: aDADE, where the fourth string is D, third string is A, second string is D, first string is E, and fifth string is A. Bruce shows you the tuning, gives you advice on getting in tune. Then he starts showing you the first part of “Mississippi Sawyer,” which starts with a D chord shape at the fifth fret and a simple bum-ditty pattern. Bruce walks you through each phrase slowly, giving you lots of chances to play along with him as you learn the tune. You’ll learn a basic version of the A part of “Mississippi Sawyer” in this video.

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Married Man’s Blues

Married Man’s Blues, Part 1: Instrumental

Married Man’s Blues, Part 2: Vocal Backup

Married Man’s Blues, Part 1: Instrumental

Wade Ward’s recording of the song “Married Man’s Blues” is one of the first he ever made, recorded in 1925 for OKeh Records. In this lesson you’ll learn how to play “Married Man’s Blues” instrumentally as well as how to backup your singing. Bruce starts by playing and singing the song through, and then shows you the tuning he sings “Married Man’s Blues” in: an F tuning that is the same as G tuning but tuned down a step. Then he shows you the instrumental version, which is based on a simple bum-ditty strum and includes some nice bluesy slides and drop-thumb licks. He also shows you how to give the song a nice syncopated feel by leaving out the first note in the drop-thumb pattern.

“Married Man’s Blues” Tab (Available to subscribers)

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Married Man’s Blues, Part 2: Vocal Backup →

Previous Lesson

← Wade’s Lost Indian, Part 4: Play-Along Track

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Married Man’s Blues, Part 2: Vocal Backup →

Previous Lesson

← Wade’s Lost Indian, Part 4: Play-Along Track

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