“New Camptown Races” was written by bluegrass mandolinist Frank Wakefield in 1953 when he was 19 years old, and first recorded by Marvin Cobb & Frank Wakefield and The Chain Mountain Boys in 1957. The tune gained wider recognition when Wakefield recorded it again in 1964 with bluegrass singer/guitarist Red Allen for Smithsonian Folkways.
Since its creation, “New Camptown Races” has been recorded by numerous notable artists including David Grisman with fiddler Richard Greene, Randy Howard, Michael Cleveland, and many others, each bringing their own interpretation to Wakefield’s composition. The song is particularly notable for being written in the key of Bb and moving to G minor in the B part, making it an excellent vehicle for demonstrating modal playing and advanced bluegrass techniques. The tune is classified as a mandolin hoedown and is considered intermediate to advanced level.
“New Camptown Races” stands alongside Bill Monroe’s “Rawhide” and Bill Napier’s “Daybreak in Dixie” as one of the great mandolin tunes of the 1950s and 1960s. It has become a staple in bluegrass education, featured in numerous instructional materials for guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle, with different arrangements available for various skill levels.
Key: B♭ major
Tradition: Bluegrass
Music by: Traditional
Type: Hoedown
Year Written: 1957