Clawhammer Tune of the Week: “Barlow Knife”

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Today’s selection is one of those rarities we purveyors of plunk particularly appreciate: a “fiddle tune” that seems like it was composed for the banjo.

Maybe that’s why fiddlers often refer to it by the name “Cabin Creek” – the name and tune originally sourced to fiddler Henry Reed – and banjo players by the name “Barlow Knife.”

I think you’ll find that its 3 part melody is not only an auditory delight, but also relatively easy to commit to memory. Furthermore, unlike a lot of fiddle tunes in G, it works out comfortably in standard G tuning (hence its status as a banjo tune disguised as a fiddle tune. Shhh…).

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(NOTE: For those considering acquiring a Brainjo banjo, this one is played on a “Tommy” model. Click here if you’d like to learn more, or claim one in the next batch.)

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Barlow Knife

gDGBD 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.

[RELATED: 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.

Click here for a current list of all the clawhammer songs and tunes currently available inside of The Vault