Clawhammer Song of the Week: “Mountain Dew!”

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Let’s see, thus far in the Song of the Week series we’ve covered death, hangin‘, romance, murder, locomotives, unrequited love, homesickness, occupational truancy, and infidelity.

Something feels like it’s missing, don’t it? Ah yes…

Corn liquor! Aka moonshine, panther’s breath, white lightning…mountain dew.

Lest we have our banjo player’s club cards revoked, let’s remedy this situation immediately!

This particular sonic ode to un-aged corn spirits distilled by the cloak of darkness in the remote corners of the Appalachian mountains was originally penned by Bascom Lamar Lunsford, further popularized by two of the great rough and rowdy banjoists, Grandpa Jones and Stringbean.

Mountain Dew

aEAC#E tuning, Brainjo level 3

 

Notes on the Tab

In this arrangement, I’ve tabbed out the part I play in the banjo “solo,” as well as the vocal backup I play on the banjo while singing.

Notes in parentheses are “skip” notes – to learn more about skips and syncopated skips, check out my video lesson on the subject.

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

PRIOR SONG OF THE WEEK EPISODES

• Episode 1: “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”
• Episode 2: “Gumtree Canoe”
• Episode 3: “Crawdad Hole”
• Episode 4: “Oh Susanna”
• Episode 5: “Freight Train”
• Episode 6: “Grandfather’s Clock”
• Episode 7: “Hop High Lulu”
• Episode 8: “Been All Around This World”
• Episode 9: “I’ll Fly Away”
• Episode 10: “Leaving Home”
• Episode 11: “Poor Orphan Child”
• Episode 12: “Mr. Tambourine Man”
• Episode 13: “Swanee River”
• Episode 14: “Big Sciota”
• Episode 15: “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms”
• Episode 16: “Darling Corey”
• Episode 17: “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
• Episode 18: “America the Beautiful”
• Episode 19: “Bury Me Beneath the Willow”
• Episode 20: “Way Out There”
• Episode 21: “New Slang”
• Episode 22: “I Saw the Light”
• Episode 23: “Amazing Grace”
• Episode 24: “Blowin’ in the Wind”
• Episode 25: “Yankee Doodle”
• Episode 26: “Budapest”
• Episode 27: “Wildwood Flower”
• Episode 28: “Paradise”

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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.