One of the challenges that comes with learning a musical instrument or style, particularly one that doesn’t already have a highly formalized built in pedagogical structure (like classical violin, for example), is in finding tunes and arrangements to play that are appropriate for you current level of technical ability.
Learning music is a cumulative process that occurs over an extended period of time. Someone who’s been playing for 3 months won’t have the same body of technical skills to draw from as someone who’s been playing 3 years. But both would still like to make really good music! And there’s no reason they shouldn’t.
(RELATED: Hundreds of tabs and video demonstrations tailored to all abilities can now be found inside the Ultimate Clawhammer Tune Library, one of many resources inside the Breakthrough Banjo course. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE).
But finding music that’s right for you, that you can make sound good with the skills you already possess, isn’t always easy. You may start out to learn a tune and ultimately find that it’s too far outside your comfort zone, or that it utilizes techniques or notation you’re not familiar with or haven’t seen before.
To help you in always choosing music that’s right for you now, I’ve created a level system that will accompany any of the arrangements that I release or tunes that I teach (I’ll also be retroactively labeling some of the materials I’ve already released). You’ll see this denoted at the top right hand side of the tab with “Brainjo Level x” on it.
But before I give you the description for each level, I’d like to insert a word of caution:
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that an arrangement that’s more complicated, or a higher level, is necessarily better. Having a lot of options or knowing a lot of techniques can be both a blessing and a curse, as it can be tempting to try to make things sound better just by making it fancier or more technically complex.
Remember this: a good melody played simply with good timing and technique will always sound far better than the most technically sophisticated arrangement played sloppily.
Some of the greatest players of all time used a very sparse style, which allowed them to infuse their music with heart and soul. So resist the urge to make your playing more complex just for the sake of it. In the end, it’s your ears that should be the judge. Play what sounds good to you. Nothing else.
And I’ve arranged these so that any level should sound great. I want the music you make to be rewarding regardless of where you’re at.
With that out of the way, here’s a breakdown of what the various levels mean:
- Brainjo Level 1 – tabs in level one only utilize techniques covered in the “Clawhammer in 8 Essential Steps Series“. Designed for folks getting started out in clawhammer banjo.
- Brainjo Level 2 – tabs in level two also only utilize techniques covered in 8 steps series, but have a higher degree of technical complexity.
- Brainjo Level 3 – tabs in level three utilize techniques covered in the 8 steps series, and may also use additional techniques like drop thumb, syncopated skips, and triplet hammer ons and pull offs, which are all covered as part of the Breakthrough Banjo course.
- Brainjo Level 4 – tabs in level four draw upon the same techniques as level 3, but will typically present more of a challenge.
- Brainjo Level 5 – tabs in level five will be rare, and will generally challenge the limits of any player’s technical skills. They’ll require the full arsenal of techniques, along with perhaps unusual time signatures or other musical oddities. Think of things like playing a Mozart concerto in clawhammer style, or other ill-advised notions.
To learn more about the Breakthrough Banjo course, where you’ll find hundreds of tabs (and video demonstrations) at all Brainjo levels, then click below:
David Best says
November 16, 2014 at 12:28 am“Brainjo Levels” what a great idea. Thank you. This will help us keep our expectations inline with our abilities. I read that this will be retro. Will you let us know when and where we can find this info for previously released tabs. i.e. tunes of the week? Will you also be adding this to the tab volumes available at OTJ? How do you find time to be a brain guy? Thanks for your inspiration to us old folks.
admin says
November 16, 2014 at 2:13 amHey David – thanks! And glad you like the idea. I’m starting with the tune of the week tabs, and I will send out an email once that’s completed along with the updated versions. I wasn’t sure about the old time jam tabs, but I might if it’s something folks seem to find valuable (I of course do).
Diane says
December 4, 2014 at 2:18 pmHey and thanks for providing these! I always seem to have trouble finding the tab for the tunes. I’ve only been able to print a couple, but I love this weeks – Clinch Mt. Backstop. Are the tab available the following week, or it this one here somewhere?
thanks again for all you’re doing for us!
Josh says
December 4, 2014 at 3:42 pmHey Diane – I see where you’re part of the tune of the week mailing list, so you should be receiving the tab for each tune in your inbox each week, along with a link to a video. If you haven’t been getting them, you might check your junk email folder to make sure they’re not being nabbed by your spam filter. Just sent you an email with all of the previous tabs, so look out for that.
wkenney says
July 16, 2015 at 2:04 pmHi Josh,
I’m enjoying the “tune of the week” and have really learned a lot from your videos and tabs! My banjo has experienced a new life b/c of your course. Thanks! One thing I could use some help with though is finding all the old tabs. Like Diane, I can’t find them. Any way you could email them to me? Thank you!
Josh says
July 16, 2015 at 2:12 pmThat’s great! And here’s where you can go to get all prior tabs: clawhammerbanjo.net/volumes.html
Kenyon Bailey says
November 19, 2014 at 4:51 pmThank you for providing the “how to “, I have had other players refuse to show me. The presentation in slow and simple steps was excellent. Even I can do it.
Josh says
November 19, 2014 at 5:28 pmAwesome, Kenyon. So many people reach the conclusion that they don’t have what it takes, when the reality is they just weren’t given the right path.
Burton Kramer says
January 22, 2015 at 3:08 pmGreat tune! Great playing! I love it. Many thanks
Stan Brown says
April 20, 2015 at 7:57 pmJosh I have been trying to sign up to receive some tabs on your great songs. I have a lot of trouble with this because I can never remember my passwords. I know this is dumb but it is what it is. Please let me know if you can sign me up.I have been playing for quite a while, but i don’t know all that much. Like the way you deal with these folk songs
Josh says
April 21, 2015 at 8:02 pmHey Stan – thanks for letting me know. I’ll add you to the tune of the week list.
Stan Brown says
April 22, 2015 at 7:55 pmJosh: Can I buy your tabs for all of your great tunes. I have a terrible time doing this online. Can I do this over the phone? Stan Brown. My number is 520 825 8451
clblades says
September 9, 2016 at 11:53 pmI find in some of the tabs a not with Parenthesis around them ( ). I have not found out what that means anywhere in your lessons. At first I thought it was for a “skip” note but that is a shaded box. Could you tell me what that means?
I am really enjoying your course!
Josh says
September 10, 2016 at 2:11 amThose are indeed skip notes as well. For a while the tab creation software I used inserted shaded squares, and then switched to parentheses as the convention. 🙂
Mick says
December 13, 2016 at 6:35 pmHi Josh,
Thanks again for more excellent material to work with. Maybe sometime “Fine times at our house ” by Eden Hammons would be a great Banjo tab to have on your library.
Caveman618 says
October 9, 2019 at 2:15 amNot much 1 and 2 for us beginners
Bruce Harper says
December 13, 2019 at 5:08 amYou have posted and played scores and scores of banjo tunes for us (thank you) and I was just wondering have you memorized all these tunes or are you reading the tab to guide you? It seems that banjo players are expected (encouraged) to memorize the tunes rather than rely on tabs, but geez, there’s only so much room in the old noggin!
Thanks, Bruce
Barbie says
March 26, 2017 at 11:50 pmI can’t beevile I’ve been going for years without knowing that.
Mina says
March 26, 2017 at 11:57 pmSuperbly iliulinatmng data here, thanks!