The material that’s part of the traditional banjo repertoire can be divided into different categories. 

You have your fiddle tunes – tunes originally written for the fiddle, naturally. Banjoists originally learned these to accompany fiddlers playing for dances. Nowadays they’re often played in jams, sans dancing. 

You have your traditional and popular songs adapted for banjo. These are oftentimes played with other musicians as well, where the banjo player might play a mix of lead and backup. 

And then you have bonafide banjo tunes. Tunes written by banjo players for the banjo.

Tunes intended to showcase the banjo. Not surprisingly, these sound great when played solo, and are perfect for porch pickin’. 

One such favorite is “Marching Jaybird,” a tune that was recorded by Etta Baker as well as her sister in law, Lacey Phillips. 

(RELATED: Breakthrough Banjo members will find a collection of more “Solo Fingerstyle Classics” inside The Vault. Click here to learn more

There’s a reasonable chance I wouldn’t be a banjo player today were it not for Jim Henson.

Though I grew up in the southern US, I’m pretty sure my first real encounter with the banjo was the iconic opening scene of The Muppet Movie, released in 1979.

The opening notes of “The Rainbow Connection” rival only those of “Dueling Banjos” for the title of the most iconic banjo riff in popular culture. 

That scene, and riff, are certainly my first memories of the banjo, and together planted a love for the instrument that has only grown since.

The banjo played for the song in the movie, and in many Muppets musical numbers thereafter, was a 4-string tenor banjo.

So this version has been adapted for fingerstyle on the five.

As winter continues to tighten its grip on those of us in the northern hemisphere, cold frosty morns have become commonplace. 

The original source recording for this tune (which you may also see as “Frosty Morning”) comes from West Virginia fiddler Henry Reed. You may sometimes find it said that this tune was written to commemorate the 1746 battle of Culloden, but apparently that is the history of a different but similarly named tune. 

With this particular banjo rendition, we put two common misconceptions to rest. 

The first being that one must wear fingerpicks when playing fingerstyle (the standard convention for bluegrass banjo, but certainly not for the rest of the fingerpicking banjo world). 

And the second that one cannot play fiddle tunes with just 2 fingers. 

Not only can fiddle tunes be played with 2 fingers, but as you hear, they can sound quite fantastic!

People love the banjo because it is different. 

It looks different than other instruments. It sounds different than other instruments.

And it’s played differently than other instrument – the 5-string banjo in particular.

Contemporary music is all about chords. That’s because the guitar, an instrument well suited for chord-based playing, has played such a prominent role.

But much of the traditional repertoire of the banjo isn’t about chords. It’s about melody and drone.

That’s because the banjo, with the aforementioned short 5th string, is a drone instrument.

Fortunately, it’s also versatile enough to be played in “modern,” chord-based music (like bluegrass).

But there’s a reason the old, pre-chordal songs, like Shady Grove, sound especially great on the banjo.

I’m always a little reluctant to include chord progressions on these modal tunes. Some consider it sacrilege – I think that’s taking things a bit too far.

But I do think we should take advantage of the opportunity these “modal” tunes provide to shift into the “melody-drone” mentality. It opens us up to new musical ideas, and keeps us connected to the banjo’s roots. 

You may have never heard of Gilliam Banmon (“G.B.”) Grayson (1887-1930).

But you’ve definitely heard his music.

Tom Dooley, Train 45, Little Maggie, Handsome Molly, Omie Wise, Handsome Molly…

All were recorded by Grayson, a blind multi-instrumentalist (with most of his recorded works on fiddle) from the hills of East Tennessee, along with guitarist and bandmate Henry Whitter.

As was this week’s song, “Short Life of Trouble.”

That song, as well as so many others in the Grayson and Whitter repertoire, has been recorded by scores of artists since.

As one person said of him: “almost everything he recorded has become a standard.”

The version I play was inspired most by Ralph’s Stanley take on it. I love the juxtaposition of non-stop, hard-driving, staccato banjo, and waltz time signature.