As some of you find yourselves firmly in the grasp of Old Man Winter, I figured it’d be a nice time to dream of biting into a crisp, tart June Apple (even if we spoiled sapiens now have the luxury of enjoying an apple in the middle of winter, albeit with an expanded carbon footprint).
It’s a longtime Round Peak favorite, hence it’s inclusion in the Georgia Jays’s Round Peak, Georgia album. There I played it on the half fretless, which I’ve replicated here as well.
Though labeled a “fiddle tune,” June Apple works especially well on solo banjo. It also works especially well for someone just getting his or her feet wet on the fretless. Not too notey, and forgiving of minor imperfections in intonation.
I’m playing it here in the key of G, but should point out it’s most commonly played in A on the fiddle – something to keep in mind of you find yourself in the company of a June-Apple-playing fiddler.
(RELATED: If you’re interested in a variety of jam tracks for June Apple, plus all 19 other songs on the album, click here to check out the Banjo Player’s Edition.)
June Apple
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.
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
