The Complete “Ashokan Farewell” Mandolin Tutorial w/Tabs

In this lesson, we’ll look at the “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason from Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary. It’s a hauntingly beautiful tune written for the violin that, of course, translates great to the eight stringer. First, I’ll play through the song and then break it down with full tabs. There are a lot of one finger chords and no fast runs making this tune accessible to everyone. If you’d like a PDF of the tabs to print out, they are available on my Patreon page :)
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[@amandasteven1400]

been noodling around with this fun tune for a while but ther's sooo much more to it than meets the eye i would always get overwhelmed (i'am easily overwhelmed) so this arrangement helps immensely...thank u kind sir! i finally see how all the parts fit together

[@COMANDOLIN]

Wonderful - So glad to hear it was helpful! Enjoy it, Thanks so much and have a great day :)

[@oleheggen9453]

Thank you for this tutorial. Enjoyed it very much.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much :)

[@williambrennan5935]

Thank you for that great tutorial. I leaned to play it many years ago on the fiddle, and now am learning to play the mandolin. The chords, double stops and ornaments add a real richness to the sound of this lovely piece of music. I am watching your video in Pickering, Ontario.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey, thanks so much! You’re on the map :)

[@TheCheermeister]

Another great song choice Neal and also a masterful tutorial. Thanks! Love the hoodie,( I have the t-shirt), as we head into my favorite time of year.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks Rick Great to hear from ya as always. Yeah, the hoodie will get a lot more use as we head into the “challenging” part :)

[@stevewoods2408]

Watching from Hartford (in the country-forest about five miles North of town)

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there - thanks for checking in! You’re on the map :)

[@davidvetter6103]

Thank you for showing this tune- I've checked other tab sites and found your notes to be 100% consistent with other versions available online. It is a challenging tune to play in terms of timing so listening to recorded versions definitely helps. Most of us learners can identify that your Eastman mando is an affordable import, providing good bang for the buck quality, putting a decent instrument within reach of the everyday player, whereas domestically made mandolins are generally out of the realistic price range for many of us. Certainly if SOMEONE out there knows where I can get a Weber or a Gibson F5 for a few hundred bucks, please post a link! Keep up the good work!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey, thanks so much - I very much appreciate that :) I certainly know the comment you’re referring to, but I never responded because I just don’t reply to negative comments. But, that was my thought as well - I’d obviously rather have a sweet Gibson Fern or some hand made model, but this Eastman was $750 which is a lot for me to plunk down for an instrument that I play as a hobby. Honestly, if I had that kind of extra cash laying around, I’d buy a bigger motor for my boat :) Thanks so much and have a great day - Cheers :)

[@lauramiller6872]

watching from Roxbury, CT ... home of the world famous Roxbury Pickin' 'n' Fiddlin' contest!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Sounds like a sweet contest!

[@lawrencemundy4811]

Thank you. I'll try to mimic, at least, the skeleton melody. Port Townsend, WA.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much - good luck with the tune! You’re on the map in Port Townsend :)

[@COMANDOLIN]

Also, what an awesome looking town!

[@oldsoldier181]

This tune sounds very familiar....coming from a celtic playing background, I cannot exactly place it...maybe waltzing matilda?? This is gonna haunt me, lol

[@Ravenscaller]

It's an origional fiddle tune by a fellow named Jay Unger. It was picked up and became famous as the theme music for Ken Burns award winning TV documentary on the Civil War. And yes it has a very sad Celtic sound. The documentary is ageless and I recommend it to everyone. The mix between vocal storytelling and the music is a masterpiece. It would never work on TV now though because they would chop it to bits with commercials.

[@oldsoldier181]

@@Ravenscaller Thank you!!! I am willing to bet thats where I have heard it too. We just recently went to Gettysburg, and watch the documentary before going, as an historical refresher. I am willing to bet thats why I remember it.

[@DaveF8]

Yorkshire

[@COMANDOLIN]

Awesome - Thanks so much :) Cheers 🍻!

[@mandolin8297]

sorry - but this a quite primitive if not clumsy performance on a (worse yet) cheap Chinese instrument. If you want to learn this sophisticated work correctly and with finesse, look elsewhere. The notes he plays might be 75% correct but his rhythm and phrasing are klutzy. All you need to do is listen to Ungar's own performance to learn the rhythm and phrasing. Sorry, but if a "teacher" isn't playing a decent American-made mandolin instead of cheap Chinese junk he can't hope to give your ears a lesson in how the damn thing is supposed to SOUND.

[@rharold56]

Sorry indeed. You present yourself as a very unhappy person. This tutorial seems to be helpful for other beginning players and myself. Meanwhile, you offer nothing. Music should foster happiness and generosity and somehow that didnt happen for you. I hope it does someday..