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Clawhammer Tune and Tab of the Week: “Sandy Boys/Clinch Mountain Backstep”

May 11, 2016 by Josh 9 Comments

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I have mixed feelings when it comes to banjo contests. Mixing music (or art, in general) and competition makes me a little uncomfortable.

Personally, I’d always reveled in the skill development and personal growth that came with competitive sports, but part of what drew me into music was that nobody lost if I got better.

The part of sport I wasn’t crazy about was that my playing well meant somewhat else might end up feeling lousy. Sports are, by design, a zero sum game.

Music, however, is not. Unless you make it into one, that is.

Plus, there’s the whole subjectivity of music competition. In sports, the rules are well defined. In music contests, so much depends on the particular tastes of those judging.

That said, contests have long been part of the banjo-fiddle tradition, and this past weekend was the annual Georgia String Band Festival, home to the Gordon County Fiddlers Convention. Plus, for the most part, the contestants take the whole notion with an appropriate grain of salt – the main objective is to celebrate the music.

gordon county fiddlers convention

And, like it or not, people like to watch contests (as the bank accounts of the creators of American Idol, The Voice, et. al can attest…), so it’s a nice way to attract an audience.

This particular festival got its start in the early 20th Century, and boasts an impressive heritage. Many icons of southern old-time music have been prior contestants and winners.

So Justin – my Georgia Jaymate – and I packed our instruments and made the hour long drive north to Calhoun.

josh turknett banjoFor my two entries, I played Colored Aristocracy and a tune partly of my own invention: a blend of Sandy Boys and Clinch Mountain Backstep, which I present as this week’s tune.

You may recall me having played Clinch Mountain Backstep previously as a “Tune of the Week” selection. Many of you recognized it then as a close relative of Sandy Boys.

For that I arrangement I played it in standard A, but here played out of A modal to bring home its mountain roots.

Not surprisingly, for a contest with such heritage and a respectable bit of prize money, there was an incredibly talented group of competitors from all over. I did not envy the judges.

From a performer’s standpoint, I’m not sure there’s a more intimidating setting than contests like these – playing in a room full of some of the best players from around the country, and the primary purpose of the affair is for it your playing to be JUDGED.

Coincidentally, I’d just recently completed the latest “Laws of Brainjo” piece on “How to Scare Away Stage Fright.” And now here was a great opportunity to field test that advice!

I was fortunate to place 2nd. 1st went to Toronto native Kaia Kater, an outstanding and original talent who looks to have a lot more great music making in her future.

As a natural introvert, I don’t relish being the center of attention. But, as you probably know, I believe that anything can be learned, with the right tools.

So getting to the point where I’m comfortable on stages like this is a personal victory. And all of the 4 techniques mentioned in the article are ones I’ve relied on to get me there.

So if you’ve ever felt the sweat welling up on your palms when eyes are upon you, give it a read. If I can conquer stage fright, I know you can, too.

(CLICK HERE to read more about “How To Scare Away Stage Fright”)

Sandy Boys/Clinch Mountain Backstep

aEADE tuning, Brainjo level 4

sandy boys clawhammer banjo tab part 1

sandy boys clawhammer banjo tab part 2

Screenshot 2016-05-11 14.39.01

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.

Learn More About Breakthrough Banjo

 

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

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Filed Under: free banjo tabs, tune of the week

Comments

  1. Robert B Proctor says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    Congratulations on placing at the Fiddlers’ Convention!

    You have a winning touch. Good ideas, too.

    I liked Tambourine Man. Haven’t tackled it, myself. But worth the challenge. Thanks for the tabs.

    Reply
  2. Mandy Mitchell says

    May 13, 2016 at 8:22 am

    I haven’t touched my banjo in months. There have been a lot of changes in my life and are likely to be more. But if ever there was a tune to remind me why I picked it up in the first place, this is it. When the dust settles, there has to be time and space for me and my banjo.

    Reply
    • Josh says

      May 19, 2016 at 5:10 pm

      Here’s to you having time and space for banjo in your near future! 🙂

      Reply
  3. David says

    May 18, 2016 at 3:41 pm

    Josh thanks so much for this tune!! I can’t wait to get home and start working on this. Congrats on doing so well in your competition!

    Reply
    • Josh says

      May 19, 2016 at 5:04 pm

      thanks, David!

      Reply
  4. Jim Turner says

    June 6, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    Josh, I have playing this in G, however after hearing this version in A modal, I feel like I have been playing a kindergarden’s version. I can hardly wait to start working on this..
    Thanks
    Jim Turner
    ps. I would have given you 1st place….

    Reply
    • Josh says

      June 11, 2016 at 7:27 pm

      Haha, thanks Jim! Amazing what changing the tuning of one little string can do.

      Reply
    • Char says

      March 27, 2017 at 2:14 am

      It’s wofudrnel to have you on our side, haha!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tune of the Month – October 2017 | Patrick McLaurin's Bagpipe Blog says:
    October 3, 2017 at 12:42 pm

    […] Clawhammer Tune and Tab of the Week: “Sandy Boys/Clinch Mountain Backstep” […]

    Reply

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