Clawhammer Tune of the Week: “Cherokee Shuffle”

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Longtime fans of the tune of the week series may be having feelings of deja vu.

“Cherokee Shuffle?” Didn’t we do that one already?

The answer is, yes, “Cherokee Shuffle” has made an appearance on the tune of the week series before. In the key of D, that is.

Some folks, especially (but not always) in bluegrass circles, play this tune in the key of A.

So, in the spirit of banjofication, I’ve adapted my clawhammer version for that key as well.

(RELATED: If you’d like to learn 2 and 3 finger style banjo, click here to check out the Brainjo course for Fingerstyle Banjo).

I think you’ll find this rendition of “Cherokee Shuffle” not too challenging to get under your fingers, including the occasional excursion up the neck.

This tune is also the first purely instrumental fiddle tune in our banjofication series. I’m especially fond of the sound of the clawhammer and fingerstyle banjo pairing for fiddle tunes. Plus, there’s also something subversively delightful about two banjos playing a fiddle tune without a devil’s box in sight.

 

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

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Cherokee Shuffle

aEAC#E 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