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I know what you’re thinking.

Who is Morpeth? And why is he ranting? It is an election year, after all.

The story of old time music, and much of American music in general, is the story of the fusion of European and African musical traditions into new musical forms.

The African influence was on display with last week’s “proto-blues” tune, Chilly Winds.

This week’s number, Morpeth Rant, is decidedly European in its origin. It’s attributed to William Shield (1748-1829) of Northumberland (and Morpeth is a town there), though it’s suspected it may have already existed as a folk tune when he immortalized it in written form.

You may note some melodic similarities to a prior tune of the week, “Nancy,” another hornpipe with European heritage.

Sharing at least 25% of their melodic genome, these two are most certainly part of the same tune family. Cousins, or half brothers perhaps? The search for their last common ancestor is ongoing.

And as is often the case with tunes of European origin, you’ll find plenty of notes crammed into each measure. But, as you can hear, they’ve been very well chosen!

Morpeth Rant

aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 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.

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.

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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!

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I’ve been thinking a good bit about the Blues lately. The musical genre, not the psychological state.

This is partly because I’ve been working up some new Blues material for the clawhammer song library in the Breakthrough Banjo course. Doing so, I’ve realized just how much blues there is even in the traditional canon of banjo material.

Yet, these days, folks don’t typically associate the banjo with the blues.

There are likely multiple reasons why, though part of it just boils down to semantics.

The strictest definition of the Blues with a capital “B” involves a very specific 12 bar format and a pre-ordained chord progression. But this “blues form” came about in tandem with commercialization of the blues, and commercialization almost always breeds homogeny.

It’s much easier to reproduce, package, and market something that has a reproduceable formula. Creating these formulas often means sacrificing certain elements for the sake of commerce.

And I hear the sounds of the blues in MANY of the old banjo tunes, elements that would later be smoothed out and formalized into the standard form.

Chilly Winds, this week’s tune, certainly belongs in the “proto-blues” camp, at a minimum. And you can likely hear why. The theoretically inclined may note that this is on account of the use of the flattened 7th and 3rd notes in the major scale (even the flattened 5th makes an appearance).

No matter what label you stick on it, it’s a super cool tune.

Chilly Winds

aEAC#E 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.

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.

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Several folks have asked about whether the Brainjo shirt they’ve seen me sporting in recent videos could be purchased, and am happy to say it now is (in multiple colors, and mens and womens styles)! Click here for more info.

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!

Some of you have probably had more than that.

So rather than rage in futility against ol’ man winter, might as well embrace it. Heck, might as well even play a tune about him!

Like Cold Frosty Morn.

There’s much to like about this tune. It’s not especially notey, and so not too tricky to pick out. And, it sounds best at a slow to moderate pace.

So just play it clean and easy, and let the beauty of the “modal” tuned banjo steal the show.

Cold Frosty Morn

aEADE tuning, Brainjo level 3

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.

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.