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While I love playing old-time and “traditional” tunes on the banjo, I also feel like in many ways we haven’t scratched the surface of what’s possible – both with clawhammer technique and the 5-string banjo.
Given the unique sounds and rhythms of clawhammer and the many varieties and voices of banjos, there are all sorts of sonic combinations still left unexplored.
And it seems that many out there in the world of clawhammer banjo who, while appreciating the richness of the clawhammer tradition, also see it as more than just a vehicle for old time music.
Along those lines, today we have a “contemporary” song (i.e one written by a musician who’s still living, Don Schlitz, though the song was popularized by Kenny Rogers) played in clawhammer style, on a gourd banjo.
The best part? By mixing a traditional playing technique with an instrument of ancient origin, we end up with something that, to my ears, sounds fresh and new.
(Note: most of the songs on the gourd banjo are played in the same “relative” tunings used on modern banjos, but the strings are each tuned down by a specific amount. Here, the gourd is tuned down to d#BbD#GBb, which puts the tune in the key of D#. However, this is the same relative tuning as standard G, or gDGBD, just with every string tuned down by 4 half steps in pitch. This means you can play the song as written out of standard G, and it will sound just fine, but will instead be in the key of G (the key of G is a wee bit hard for me to sing this one in, which is why I’ve instead chosen a more vocal friendly key)).
The Gambler
gDGBD tuning (d#BbD#GBb), Brainjo level 3-4
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”
- Episode 29: “Mountain Dew”
- Episode 30: “Blue Tail Fly”
- Episode 31: “Otto Wood”
- Episode 32: “Down on the Corner”
- Episode 33: “City of New Orleans”
- Episode 34: “Big Rock Candy Mountains”
- Episode 35: “Come to the Bower”
- Episode 36: “Old Kentucky Home”
- Episode 37: “Long Journey Home”
- Episode 38: “Dixie”
- Episode 39: “Hard Times”
- Episode 40: “Corrina Corrina”
- Episode 41: “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain”
- Episode 42: “Johnson Boys”
- Episode 43: “Bad Moon Rising”
- Episode 44: “Reuben’s Train”
- Episode 45: “Let the Mermaid’s Flirt With Me”
- Episode 46: “Rocky Top”
- Episode 47: “Groundhog”
- Episode 48: “Lazy John”
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.
Click here for a current list of all the clawhammer songs and tunes currently available inside of The Vault
View the Brainjo Course Catalog
