Doc Watson (from album cover)
Shady Grove is a well known ballad with origins in the Appalachian mountains. More specifically, eastern Kentucky.
It’s often described as a love song (or a “courting song”), and that seems to be the general theme for every version I’ve heard.
However, the lyrics often change a bit as they’re passed along. This is common with a lot of traditional folk songs. Owing to that, I think Shady Grove must have over a hundred different verses!
A Popular Tune
Shady Grove has been recorded by a lot of great artists; Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs…
Unquestionably though, I’d have to say my “all time favourite version” was done by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. I’ve always been a fan of both. I love Garcia’s raspy voice and acoustic guitar, and Grisman.., well he can pretty much make the mandolin do anything he wants. (Although, for Shady Grove, I’ve been told he’s playing a mandola.)
So, I hope you’re not expecting a foot stomping, high-octane bluegrass version.
The Chords
Just a couple of chords used here – Dm and C Major. Here’s a couple of simple, two finger shapes you can try. But, as always, experiment with whatever you like.
The Tune
Shady Grove is a Dorian tune, and therefore tends to have a bit of a minor feel.
This version is in D Dorian. As a result, there are no sharps or flats. Additionally, you may also find this tune in A Dorian or E (or whatever}.
Verse and chorus both have the same chord progression which makes for a short break. So, I’ve just played it through three times.
Have a listen to Shady Grove for mandolin… (Just ignore the furnace fan in the first several measures)
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Flat Picking Shady Grove
With his unmistakable flat-picking style, Doc Watson did a lot to help popularize this tune. He often played the tune throughout his career, being that it was a big hit for him in the mid 60’s.
Without a doubt, there are probably over a million flat pickers out there that would name Doc Watson as their inspiration for the style. Also, I’ll bet that every one of them, at one time or another, has tried to learn Doc’s version of Shady Grove.
As a result, the tune quickly made its way into the bluegrass genre and soon became a standard.
I hope you like the arrangement.
Cy…
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