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Clawhammer Banjo Tune of the Week: “Good King Wenceslas”

Click here to subscribe to the tune of the week (if you’re not already a subscriber) and get a new tune every Friday, plus tabs to all the ones to date.


Okay, so who’s ready for a Feast of Steven?!

You see, before the days of the internet, one could merrily sing songs with odd references such as this, blissfully unaware of what on earth they were referring to. And that was part of the fun. But alas, this is the information age, when the answer to everything is but a google search away.

But I digress. Actually, I’m pretty sure I never even gressed in the first place.

Anyhow, we’re up to day 5 of the 12 Days of Banjo, and for this installment we’ve given our good King Wenceslas a clawhammer makeover. I think it’s a good look for him.

You’ll hear in the video I play both a down and “up the neck” variation of this tune. The up the neck part is a wee bit trickier, depending on the speed you choose to play it at, but a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.

Good King Wenceslas

gDGBD tuning, Brainjo Level 3

Screen Shot 2014-12-12 at 9.32.03 PM

Up the Neck Variation, Brainjo Level 4

Screen Shot 2014-12-12 at 9.49.06 PM

Notes on the Tab

Strums: Any time you see more than one note to be played at the same time, this should be played as a strum. The number of notes indicated is merely a suggestion.

Skip notes: The notes in the shaded box are “skip” notes, meaning they’re not actually sounded by the picking finger. Instead, you continue the clawhammer motion with your picking hand, but “skip” playing the note by not striking it (this is a technique used to add space and syncopation). The fret number you see in the shaded box is the suggested note to play should you elect to strike the string.

About the Author
Josh Turknett is founder and lead brain hacker at Brainjo Productions
 

Breakthrough Banjo: Month Two

Welcome to month two of Breakthrough Banjo! The primary objective for this month is to introduce you to the concept of drop thumb. We’ll also continue to develop the skills we’ve previously learned, and add some more tunes to your repertoire.

 

Prerequisites for Month Two

Before you work through the content for this month, I’d recommend that you at least be able to play through the level one arrangements for Long Journey Home, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and Cripple in time with the backing tracks (if you haven’t reached that point, it is fine to work through the Drop Thumb lesson video if you’d like, since this is focusing on single skill development, but wait to work on the tune tutorials until you’ve met the prerequisite).

I’d also recommend continuing to revisit all the level one and two tunes from month one until you can ultimately play them all along with the “performance speed” backups.

 

Goals for the Month

Here are your goals for this month’s installment of Breakthrough Banjo. Remember, the monthly installments are here to provide you with the right structure and sequence. Do not worry if it takes you more than a month to reach these goals.

Drop Thumb

  • Watch the Drop Thumb video lesson and practice the exercises
  • Practice the new arrangements (with drop thumb added) to Cripple Creek, You Are My Sunshine, and Darling Nellie Gray.
  • Work through the tune tutorials for Cluck Ol Hen, John Henry, and John Brown’s Dream. If you conquer these, take a stab at the Level 3 arrangement for “Angels We Have Heard on High.” This is the most challenging arrangement I’ve given you to date as part of the course, and should tax the full range of your technical skills. So don’t worry if it’s too much for you at this point – just something to be working towards.

Prior Skill Reinforcement

  • Continue progressing through the level 1 and 2 arrangements from month one
  • Check out the level 2 arrangements for the “12 Days of Banjo” (coming soon). Learn any that strike your fancy.

 

Month Two Course Contents:

 

Video Lesson: Drop Thumb Without Tears

Video Lesson: Drop Thumb Picking Exercises

Drop Thumb Exercises (from the video) in PDF

Drop Thumb Exercise 1

Drop Thumb Exercise 2

 

TUNES FOR THE MONTH

 

Tablature for this Month’s Tunes

Tunes from Month One with Drop Thumb

As covered in the Drop Thumb video lesson, I’ve added in some drop thumb to a few of the arrangements from last month. Here are the tabs for those:

Cripple Creek

Darling Nellie Gray

You Are My Sunshine

New Tunes

Here are the tabs for the new tunes for the month (with video tutorials for each below).

John Henry

Cluck Ol’ Hen

John Brown’s Dream

Angels We Have Heard on High

 

 Video Tune Tutorials and Backups

Click on the name from the menu below when you’re ready to start learning:

Cripple Creek

Darling Nellie Gray

You Are My Sunshine

Cluck Ol’ Hen

John Henry

John Brown’s Dream

Angels We Have Heard on High

 

Mp3 Backups

You can download the slow, moderate, and performance speed backups for all this month’s arrangements with the link below (as a .zip file). This is to allow you to practice along with the backup tracks when you’re away from your computer (by transferring these files to a smartphone or other playback device):

MP3 Backups Download

Extra Content

The “12 Days of Banjo” tab book

The “12 Days of Banjo” mp3 demos (as a zip file): Level 2 arrangements, Main Arrangements

The “12 Days of Banjo” Video Tutorials

 


 

Back to Member Headquarters

You Are My Sunshine Video Tutorial and Backups (Level 3)

Darling Nellie Gray Video Tutorial and Backups (Level 3)

Cripple Creek Video Tutorial and Backups (Level 3)

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