Click on the button below to get the PDF download for this tab delivered to you, and get 2 new tunes and tabs sent to you every week!
Announcing the Brainjo Virtual Classroom and the “Clawhammer Backup Made Easy” Workshop
Before we get to this week’s tune, I wanted to first announce a new feature from Brainjo – the Virtual Classroom.
The classroom will have regular live workshops (once a month or more) on essential topics in clawhammer, banjo with special focus on topics that are common sources of frustration, or that are underrepresented in traditional instruction.
During these workshops, attendees will be able to ask questions before and during the session.
These workshops are included as part of the Breakthrough Banjo membership (along with access to recordings and supplemental materials from all prior workshops), however, non-members can also register to attend single sessions (click here to sign up for Breakthrough Banjo).
Our first workshop is “Clawhammer Backup Made Easy“.
It’s a topic many of you have asked to learn more about, and it’s one where there’s not a lot of instructional material on, particularly for the clawhammer player (which is strange because clawhammer is so perfectly suited for playing backup!).
Click below to learn more about what’s covered in the workshop and to register.
Now, on to this week’s tune, “Jawbone”!
So….why is there an old time tune about the mandible???
Folk musicians are known for being resourceful and thrifty, and that includes the creation of music making implements from whatever materials are available.
Bones make for great percussion, with certain bones – like the jawbone of a horse, donkey, or cow – being especially well suited for the task.
Hence the affinity for jawbones amongst the forebears of the old time tradition, and the inspiration for this week’s tune – one that incidentally began as a minstrel song.
I think you’ll find that this one easy to pick up, with a melody that sticks quickly and lays out nicely on the banjo.
(NOTE: For those considering acquiring a Brainjo banjo, the banjo played in this video is a “Hobart” model. Click here if you’d like to learn more, or claim one in the next batch.)
“Jawbone”
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
View the Brainjo Course Catalog
