A New Series (Clawhammer Banjo Tab “Walk-Throughs”)

I’ve recently started a new series of video tutorials in the Brainjo Virtual Classroom where I “walk-through” one of the tabs in The Vault, measure-by-measure, as you see in the video above for the tune “Cold Frosty Morn”.

These videos air live on YouTube, and then the entire archive of recordings are available to members of the Breakthrough Banjo course.

(RELATED: click here to view the tunes and songs currently in The Vault)

The purpose of this series is to help you work through the tab arrangements, and in particular to understand how the various techniques of clawhammer banjo sound, and how they fit together to produce a final arrangement.

This will also include demonstrations of the vocal backup for the song tabs, so that you can understand how the backup part and singing fit together.

If you want to make sure you catch these when they air, and be notified in advance, make sure you’re subscribed to the Clawhammer Banjo youtube channel by clicking here.

Related Links

The Brainjo “Tune Learnin’ System” – To prevent “tab dependency” and to help build the ability to play by ear, I strongly recommend using this system when learning from tabs.

The Schedule of Upcoming Live Workshops

The Breakthrough Banjo Course. Access to the entire archive of workshops, The Vault library, plus all of the primary learning modules is included with membership.

Click on the button below to get the PDF download for this tab delivered to you, and get 2 new tunes and tabs sent to you every week!

Click Here To Get The Tab

(REMINDER: The “Getting Started with Fretless & Gourd Banjo” Workshop will be held Mon., Dec 17 at 2pm EST in the new Brainjo Virtual Classroom. Click here to learn more, and see what workshops are up next.)

It may come to you as a surprise that Angelina Baker hasn’t officially been a tune of the week installment. Why? Because it’s a tune just about every banjo player plays – often one of the first learned in “double C” (or “double D”) tuning.

I’ve recently been adapting a lot of the classic clawhammer repertoire for 2 finger thumb lead for the fingerstyle course, as having familiar material makes it that much easier to pick up.

In fact, you’ll hear that 2 finger version in this week’s video, presented as a duet of the two styles.

(RELATED: If you’re a clawhammer banjoist looking to try your “hand” at fingerpicking, including old time 2 and 3 finger, click here to check out the fingerstyle course.)

The rendition played most of the time these days – and the one played here – I believe is a mash-up of several versions.

While the illustrious Stephen Foster published a song of the same name (“Angeline the Baker”), its melody bears almost no resemblance to this one. And the story of how the name of that song got mapped onto this fiddle tune appears to have been lost to history.

By the way, if you play clawhammer, and you’ve never tried “double C” tuning (or double D, which is the same tuning, just tuned 2 frets up to place it in the key of D), this is a great tune to start with (note that it’s a Brainjo level 2).

(NOTE: For those considering acquiring a Brainjo banjo, the banjo played in this video is a “Hobart” model. Click here if you’d like to learn more, or claim one in the next batch.)

 “Angelina Baker”

aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 2

Notes on the Tab

Notes in parentheses are “skip” notes. To learn more about these, check out my video lesson on the subject.

For more on reading tabs in general, check out this complete guide to reading banjo tabs.

[RELATED: Level 2 arrangements and video demos for the Tune (and Song!) of the Week tunes are now available as part of the Breakthrough Banjo course. Learn more about it here.

Click here for a current list of all the clawhammer songs and tunes currently available inside of The Vault

Click on the button below to get the PDF download for this tab delivered to you, and get 2 new tunes and tabs sent to you every week!

Click Here To Get The Tab

(REMINDER: The “Clawhammer Backup Made Easy” Workshop will be held Mon., Nov 26 at 7pm EST in the new Brainjo Virtual Classroom. Click here to learn more, and see what workshops are up next.)

I believe that economist Tyler Cowen is responsible for the concept of a “quake” book – a book that you read that causes a tectonic shift in how you see the world.

In retrospect, we can often trace a major inflection point in our lives to reading it. Our life, or our worldview, is heading one way, and then a profound idea causes it to deflect in another direction.

I also think there are “quake” songs. Songs we hear that also fundamentally alter the direction of our lives.

I’m sure all of us have certain songs that came around in our most formative years, somewhere between the ages of 15 and 21, that had a substantial influence in shaping our forming identity.

But I imagine banjoists also have a separate set of songs that had a disproportionate influence over their trajectory as musicians.

“Forked Deer” was one of those for me. Rather, Mac Benford’s rendition of Forked Deer. Or rather, Mac Benford’s rendition of Ed Haley’s fiddle version of Forked Deer.

I listened to that track off his wonderful album of Ed Haley tunes in the car far more times than I count, and it has remained an aesthetic touchstone ever since (regrettably, I don’t have any digital versions to link to).

And it’s the 4-part Ed Haley version you’ll hear in this week’s Tune of the Week, which contain elements not found in the more commonly played 2-parter that was featured as a prior TOTW. While unmistakably rooted in Mac’s original arrangement, I’m sure mine has drifted a bit over the years.

So what about you? Do you have a “quake” song, or songs? If so, feel free to share in the comments.

(NOTE: For those considering acquiring a Brainjo banjo, the banjo played in this video is a “Hobart” model. Click here if you’d like to learn more, or claim one in the next batch.)

 “Forked Deer”

aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 3-4

Notes on the Tab

Notes in parentheses are “skip” notes. To learn more about these, check out my video lesson on the subject.

For more on reading tabs in general, check out this complete guide to reading banjo tabs.

[RELATED: Level 2 arrangements and video demos for the Tune (and Song!) of the Week tunes are now available as part of the Breakthrough Banjo course. Learn more about it here.

Click here for a current list of all the clawhammer songs and tunes currently available inside of The Vault