Before there was Earl, before there was Grandpa, there was Uncle Dave.

Uncle Dave Macon, that is. Also known as the “Dixie Dewdrop.”

And here’s a fun fact I just learned: Uncle Dave didn’t begin his professional performing career until the age of 50. Prior to that, he ran the Midway Mule and Mitchell Wagon Transportation Company, which he was forced to shut down in 1920 thanks to the arrival of the automobile.

In other words, had it not been for Henry Ford, we may have never known of Uncle Dave.

Nor would we still be playing one of his signature songs, “Way Down the Old Plank Road.”

Uncle Dave would of course go on to become one of the most popular entertainers of his day, the first star of the Grand Ole Opry, and an inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

As 2020 mercifully draws to a close, the airwaves fill with songs of the holiday season.

And as I’ve mentioned before, this collection of music makes for ideal learning material. Not to mention a way to add some crowd-pleasing numbers to your repertoire (regardless of whether that crowd is a paid audience, friends and family, a nosy neighbor, or your pet parakeet).

I’m currently working on the second installment of the “12 Days of Banjo” for the Breakthrough Banjo course (if you’re a course member, you’ll soon find the book in the “Bonus Stuff” section), so I’m knee-deep in holiday tunes!

The reason these songs make great learning material is that they are so familiar.

Since you’ve heard them a thousand times, there’s little chance you’ll be trying to learn them without a clear idea of how they’re supposed to sound.

The first “12 Days of Banjo” book focused on the centuries-old classics. Those songs tend to have a simpler harmonic structure and are great for burning in those I, IV, and V chord positions.

This second book is composed of more of the “contemporary hits” (as in less than a century old). Here, the harmonies and chord progressions are more adventurous.

As such, they’re a great way to branch out into less familiar territory on the fretboard.

One of those songs is today’s holiday hit, “Let It Snow” – one that uses every chord in the key of G except for the vii (and even one chord that isn’t in the key – can you spot it??). 

For years, whenever someone asked me “You know any tunes about a pig’s ankle?” my answer was a sheepish no. 

Up this week is a rock solid fiddle tune in the friendly key of G.

This particular rendition of “Lost Girl” appears to have first entered the old-time canon by way a couple of icons of Kentucky fiddling – John Salyer and Emmett Lundy. 

It’s rollicking and peppy, and a great one for kicking up the energy in a jam. 

Relatedly, I’ve played it on the faster side here, but feel free to play it at whatever tempo suits your ears and fingers (there is also a Brainjo level 2 version available inside the Breakthrough Banjo Vault).