Banjo song and tab of the week

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week 2-for-1: “Redwing” & “Mountain Dew”

July 6, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

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For double your pleasure this week we have two “crossover” banjo tunes, by which I mean ones beloved by banjo pickers of both the clawhammer and fingerstyle persuasion.

First up is “Mountain Dew,” an ode to the irresistible lure of white corn liquor, written by banjoist Bascom Lamar Lunsford, and popularized by both Grandpa Jones and Stringbean.

And second up is “Redwing,” a wildly popular early 20th-century radio hit song turned fiddle tune that is surprisingly fun to play on the 5-string.

More evidence that good music stands the test of time.

“Redwing”

gDGBD tuning, 3 finger banjo

Mountain Dew”

gDGBD tuning, 3 finger banjo

Recent Banjo Songs and Tabs of the Week:

Notes on the Tab

For more on how to read the tab, click here for the How To Read Banjo Tabs article.

NEW! Watch the VIDEO TOUR inside BREAKTHROUGH BANJO

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “Darling Corey”

May 2, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

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I don’t think there’s a better song for showcasing all that’s great about the banjo.

A classic murder ballad in a tuning that looks like it must be a typo, only it isn’t. A haunting symphony of droning that only the 5 string can provide.

“Darling Corey”

gCGCC tuning, 2 finger thumb lead

Darling Corey 2 finger banjo tab

Recent Banjo Songs and Tabs of the Week:

Notes on the Tab

For more on how to read the tab, click here for the How To Read Banjo Tabs article.

NEW! Watch the VIDEO TOUR inside BREAKTHROUGH BANJO

Brainjo

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “Railroad Bill”

April 10, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

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Click Here To Get The Tab

I’ve mentioned before how 2-finger thumb lead banjo is much better suited for porch picking than 3 finger bluegrass style – it gives a complete sound played solo, it’s great for playing and singing, and it oftentimes shines most at slow to moderate tempos.

Translation: it’s perfect for lazy summer (or spring!) days.

Case in point – this week’s song selection, “Railroad Bill,” which ticks all 3 boxes I listed above.

“Railroad Bill”

gDGBD tuning, 2 finger thumb lead

2 finger thumb lead banjo tab for Railroad Bill part 1

2 finger thumb lead banjo tab for Railroad Bill part 2

Recent Banjo Songs and Tabs of the Week:

Notes on the Tab

For more on how to read the tab, click here for the How To Read Banjo Tabs article.

NEW! Watch the VIDEO TOUR inside BREAKTHROUGH BANJO

Brainjo

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “John Greer’s Two Step”

April 2, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Click the link below to get the tab, and subscribe to the Tab of the Week

Click Here To Get The Tab

Like so many of the great old-time fingerpicking numbers, “John Greer’s Two Step” is a tune composed on the banjo, for the banjo.

And also like so many of the great old-time fingerpicking numbers, it’s perfectly suited for solo porch pickin’.

It comes from the personal repertoire of Hobart Smith, one of my all-time favorite musicians. The first time I heard this tune, I had to learn it. Right there. Right then.

If you feel similarly upon hearing it, then you’re in luck!

“John Greer’s Two Step”

gCGBD tuning, Brainjo level 3 (3 finger banjo)

John Greer's 2 Step 3 finger banjo tab

Recent Banjo Songs and Tabs of the Week:

Notes on the Tab

For more on how to read the tab, click here for the How To Read Banjo Tabs article.

NEW! Watch the VIDEO TOUR inside BREAKTHROUGH BANJO

Brainjo

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “Banjo in the Hollow”

March 8, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Click Here To Get The Tab

There is an ocean of great music to be played on the banjo that’s pretty easy to pick up once you’ve learned the basic techniques. This is why I’m constantly trying to encourage people to explore this ocean fully before moving on to the more complicated stuff (and based on a couple of decades experience playing for others, audiences prefer the simpler stuff).

Case in point – this week’s tune, “Banjo in the Hollow,” was one of the first tunes I learned to play on the banjo. And it’s still one of my favorites to play!

As you’ll note, this arrangement is a Brainjo level 2, so great for tackling fairly early on (and taught early in the Breakthrough Banjo course).

RELATED: Level 2 arrangements are available for many tunes in The Vault.

Click here to check out the current list of tabs in The Vault library).

The tune itself was first released by Doug Dillard in 1964, his personal take on Cripple Creek, hence the similarities. The song perhaps best known for making its way onto the Andy Griffith show, played by the Darlings in an after-supper picking session (and under the name “Tearing Up Your Old Clothes For Rags.”)