Hey Margo, it's time to learn your second tune in that lovely G mountain modal tuning [g-d-g-c-d]. It's going to be Shady Grove, and your clawhammer style is just perfect. Or else you can try double thumbing with both the 5th and 1st strings used as drones. In other words, use your thumb to pick out the melody on the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd stribgs only, keeping the 1st as well as the 5th string open at all times. The index finger alone or index and middle fingers can work out complex arpeggios on off-beats, and the thum plucks the 5th string when not picking the melody.

Here is a bare bones transcription for the thumb-melody notes only. Notation is word of lyrics followed by [string/fret]. o = open.

Sha-[3/o]-dy[3/o] Grove[3/o] my[3/2] li'l[3/o] love[4/3]
Sha-[3/o]-dy[3/o] Grove[3/2] my[2/o] dear[2/2]
Sha-[2/5]-dy[2/5] Grove[2/2] my[2/o] li'l[3/2] love[4/3]
Gone[3/2] to[3/2] Sha-[2/o]-dy[3/2] Grove[3/o]


It's up to you to work out the rhythm and to embelish the tune with pick-offs, hammer-ons, slides, chokes, etc.


I don't do any chording, but if you wish you can try using an F major with added d and g drones [o-3-2-o-o] for one measure at the end of the first line [4/3 note] and again from the end of the third line [4/3 note] at which time you stay on that F chord until going back to the G at the end of the line [3/o note].


Best of luck.

--- Steve