There are new “old-time” tunes written from time to time, but many players prefer to find their own way to play songs that have been with us for a long time. Why write new songs where there are plenty of good ones around to play already? One of the things I love about old-time music – and by “old-time” I’m referring to mountain music or hillbilly music or Appalachian string-band music – is that most players know many of the same tunes but play them in any number of ways, all within a similar structural framework. It ain’t what ya do but the way how ya do it, or something like that.

Cumberland Gap is a good example. I’ve posted a few different versions on this blog in the past. Here are some more. Each of these performances is unique and yet it’s the same old song.

Here are Annie and Mac…

And here is Tommy Jarrell playing it on fretless banjo. This one has vocals as well…