Banjo song and tab of the week

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “Aint Gonna Work Tomorrow”

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These days, the prevailing view seems to be that, if you want to sing and play the banjo, or will be playing mostly solo banjo, then clawhammer is the best style for you. Clawhammer is like a complete band all wrapped up in one style, which means it sounds great played solo, or as vocal accompaniment.

Fingerstyle, on the other hand, sounds better with a band, and not so well suited to playing as vocal backup (there’s also the impression that this is harder to do).

I used to think this myself.

Until I realized that what we were talking about here was Scruggs style banjo, rather than the broader world of fingerstyle, or up-picking.

Because yes, Earl’s highly syncopated style of playing banjo breaks sounds best when there are other instruments to fill things out (which makes perfect sense, since this style evolved within a band context, and because Earl was a singing banjoist).

But, in the world old time fingerpicking, singing and playing was not only common, it seems to have been the norm – amongst old time fingerpickers who used 2 or 3 fingers.

Back in the day, banjo players wanted to pick something on their back porch and sing along, so they figured out what sounded good.

And it turns out that 2 finger thumb lead has a lot in common with clawhammer when it comes to the aforementioned issues. With melody and rhythm all baked into one style, it works great for solo playing, and for vocal accompaniment.

So just as 2 finger thumb lead is the ideal first technique to learn when learning fingerstyle banjo, because it builds such a solid foundation, the same is true for learning to play and sing fingerstyle.

(RELATED: Many more arrangements of 2 finger thumb lead songs with vocal backup patterns are available, and many more still to come, inside The Vault in the Breakthrough Banjo course. Click here to learn more.).

Playing & Singing Workshop for

“AINT GONNA WORK TOMORROW”

I’ll be doing a live (and public) “singing and playing” tutorial for this song on June 9 at 2pm EDT. To catch it live, click here or below to subscribe to the Fingerstyle Banjo YouTube Channel. The replay of the video will be available in the workshop archive of the Breakthrough Banjo course.

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And click below to check out the schedule of past and upcoming workshops (which includes the new “playing and singing” tutorial series:

Click for the Schedule of Workshops

“AIN’T GONNA WORK TOMORROW”

gCGBD tuning, 2 finger thumb lead

Aint Gonna Work Tomorrow 2 finger thumb lead tab part 1

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.

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Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “Liberty”

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In a recent workshop on “Branching Out With 2-Finger Thumb Lead Style” banjo (now available in the workshop archive for Breakthrough Banjo members) I reviewed what has become my favorite tuning for playing fiddle tunes in the key of D, and why.

And I’ve had a great time working out many of the classic D tunes in both 2 and 3 finger style using this tuning (and adding these arrangements to The Breakthrough Banjo Tune Vault).

As is often the case, choosing the right tuning can spell the difference between a tune that is awkward to play, and lackluster in sound, to one that fingers easily and sounds fantastic.

Old time banjo players have long recognized the value of using various tunings, including old time fingerpickers. Again, the prevalence of standard G in bluegrass banjo is primarily an artifact of Earl Scruggs’s influence (though Earl certainly availed himself of alternate tunings as well).

REMINDER: I’ll be posting the tab “walk-through” video for this 2 finger version of Liberty on May 24. Click below for the schedule of past and upcoming workshops:

To see the schedule of workshops, click the button below:

Click for the Schedule of Workshops

“Liberty”

aDADF# tuning, 2 finger thumb lead (Brainjo level 2)

Liberty 2 finger thumb lead banjo tab

Note here that I am capo’d at the 2nd fret to bring the banjo to aDADF# tuning, which places the tune in the key of D. You could also tune the banjo without the capo to gCGCE and play it just as it’s shown – the only difference being that the song will now be in the key of C.

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.

Learn about the BREAKTHROUGH BANJO course

Fingerstyle Banjo Song and Tab of the Week: “Handsome Molly”

Click on the button below to get the PDF download for this tab delivered to you, and get a new song and tab delivered to you every week!

Click Here To Get The Tab

As I’ve said before (and will surely say many times again), there’s seemingly no end to the number of ways you can make wonderful music on the banjo.

It’s also amazing what you can do on it with just 2 fingers! I’m especially fond of the surprisingly versatile 2 finger “thumb lead” style of playing, which doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves (another casualty of Scruggs banjo myopia).

Two finger “thumb lead” style is the perfect introduction to fingerstyle banjo, and an ideal stepping stone to 3 finger Scruggs style. In fact, it’s so useful in the learning progression, it should be a mandatory stepping stone, which is precisely why it’s the style covered first in the Breakthrough Banjo course.

(RELATED: If you’re still just getting started with fingerstyle banjo, or if you’ve struggled with 3 finger bluegrass, I HIGHLY recommend learning 2 finger thumb lead first. It’ll make learning Scruggs banjo so much easier – though you may find after learning it that you no longer have a desire to do so! Click here to learn more about the Breakthrough Banjo course for fingerstyle banjo.)

Of course, it’s more than just a stepping stone. It’s a fantastic way to play the banjo in it’s own right, and I’ve been delighted by the growing interest in it, along with the number of request from course members for more tune demonstrations in this style.

As part of my efforts to do just that, I’ve been revisiting some of the classic 2 finger material (though don’t get me wrong, you can play essentially any tune in this style).

One of those classics is this week’s Song of the Week selection, “Handsome Molly,” a heartbreaking of lost love (and yet another banjo tune with Molly as the female protagonist). Its simple, repeating melodic line also makes it a great song to learn early on.

Given the level of interest 2 finger thumb lead, I’ll be presenting more songs in the style. It’s one I’ve experimented with quite a bit in the last several years, and is a lot more versatile than most might think, which I’ll demonstrate in future installments (course members can also look forward to the upcoming course module on playing 2 finger “up the neck”).

“Handsome Molly”

gDGBD tuning, 2 finger banjo (Brainjo level 3)

Handsome Molly 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.

Learn about the BREAKTHROUGH BANJO course