Blackberry Rag
B
Blackberry Rag
Chords you’ll need to know
A
C
D
F
G
Jam-Along Backing Track
About This Song
Blackberry Rag is credited to Doc Watson, the North Carolina guitarist who did more than anyone to bring fiddle tunes onto the flattop guitar. The writing credit is his on Doc Watson in Nashville: Good Deal!, the 1968 album he made in Nashville when the folk boom was fading. Don't confuse it with "Blackberry Blossom," the G-major tune Fiddlin' Arthur Smith made popular, or with "Black Mountain Rag." All three get called at jams, and the names are easy to mix up.
| Year | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Doc Watson | Backed by Nashville session players, including Floyd Cramer on piano and Buddy Harman on drums |
| 1990 | The Doc Watson Family | Doc plays it on mandolin with Ralph Rinzler on guitar, in a medley with "Texas Gales" |
The B part's surprise is that the 6 and the 2 are major chords, not the minors the key of C would give you. They make a chain of ragtime-style chords that leads through the 5 back to the 1.