{"id":146254,"date":"2024-12-11T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=146254"},"modified":"2024-12-11T08:16:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T16:16:58","slug":"dont-let-your-deal-go-down-strum-through-this-bluegrass-and-folk-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/dont-let-your-deal-go-down-strum-through-this-bluegrass-and-folk-standard\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDon\u2019t Let Your Deal Go Down\u201d\u2014Strum Through This Bluegrass and Folk Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Campfire Songs: Learn to Play &quot;Don\u2019t Let Your Deal Go Down&quot;\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WQZfsX8R4pw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t Let Your Deal Go Down\u201d is a standard in bluegrass circles today, but the song predates the genre. Like many classic folk songs, its origins are murky, with some verses appearing to be mashups of even older traditional folk songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first popular recording was made in 1925 by Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, and it sold over 100,000 copies\u2014a huge number at the time. Since then, the song has been covered by Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, the New Lost City Ramblers, David Bromberg, and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As with many old songs passed down through generations, there are variations in both the lyrics and the simple chord progression. Check out Sierra Ferrell\u2019s wonderful reharmonized version in a minor key. \u201cDon\u2019t Let Your Deal Go Down\u201d even inspired other songs, such as Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter\u2019s \u201cDeal\u201d and Bob Dylan\u2019s \u201cWhen the Deal Goes Down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Don&#039;t Let Your Deal Go Down \/\/ Sierra Ferrell\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NU3KeiZwR00?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a simple song with just four basic chords. The verses and chorus are essentially the same, but the most challenging aspect for some beginners may be the spirited tempo many versions employ. Even a simple progression with four open chords can be tough to play cleanly at breakneck speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In keeping with our primary approach for these campfire arrangements, I take the tempo at a more relaxed pace, with the expectation that you can gradually speed it up as you get comfortable. The chords are all classic open cowboy voicings, played with a simple alternating bass strum. The repeating progression follows a VI\u2013II\u2013V\u2013I pattern, so in the key of C, the chords are A7, D7, G7, and C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the verses and chorus are essentially the same, I\u2019m using a couple of dynamic techniques to differentiate them. In the choruses, I open up the alternating bass strum, letting the strings ring more freely. Conversely, in the second half, I\u2019m dropping the dynamics by using palm muting to create more contrast between the verse and chorus. This combination of simplicity and variation is what makes \u201cDon\u2019t Let Your Deal Go Down\u201d such a timeless and adaptable song. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"778\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-1.png?resize=778%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-146256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-1.png?resize=778%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 778w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-1.png?resize=380%2C500&amp;ssl=1 380w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-1.png?resize=768%2C1011&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-1.png?resize=228%2C300&amp;ssl=1 228w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-1.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 778px) 100vw, 778px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-2.png?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-146257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-2.png?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-2.png?resize=375%2C500&amp;ssl=1 375w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-2.png?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AG350-DONT-LET-YOUR-DEAL-NOTATION-2.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-350-january-february-2025\" name=\"magazine\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 198px; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/001_350_Cover-150px.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Acoustic Guitar magazine cover for issue 350\"><\/a>\n<p style=\"font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 15px 0px;\">This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-350-january-february-2025\">January\/February 2025<\/a> issue of <em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a simple song with just four basic chords, but the most challenging aspect for some beginners may be the spirited tempo. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":146710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"It\u2019s a simple song with just four basic chords, but the most challenging aspect for some beginners may be the spirited tempo. ","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1661],"tags":[1961],"ppma_author":[1592],"class_list":["post-146254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-country-bluegrass-americana","tag-january-february-2025"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dont-let-your-deal-go-down-maurice-tani.jpg?fit=900%2C506&ssl=1","authors":[{"term_id":1592,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"maurice-tani","display_name":"Maurice Tani","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Maurice-Tani-holding-guitar.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Maurice-Tani-holding-guitar.jpg"},"user_url":"http:\/\/www.mauricetani.com\/","last_name":"Tani","first_name":"Maurice","job_title":"","description":"Maurice Tani is a veteran singer-songwriter and alt-country band leader based in California. 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