Here's
the stuff you are
probably hunting for on my
site! You will find some basic clawhammer tutorials, tabs of songs I
have recorded and posted online, and various other files that might be
of interest.
A bit of information you need to know about the files
available here.
1. In order to view or play the ".tef" files, you will need to
have at
least the free TEFViewer: .
2. All files are licensed under a Creative Commons license
and,
therefore, cannot be used for commercial purposes. More information on
Creative Commons can be found on the Creative
Commons
webpage.
Quick Jumps: Tabs More Good Stuff
TabsFirst come the tabs I've worked out for
some of the music I
do. These
arrangements are my own work and are available under Creative Commons
License for your personal use, sharing, and/or adapting for
non-commercial use.
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Angelina
Baker(A)
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mp3 | |
Arkansas
Traveler
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mp3 | |
Barlow
Knife
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mp3 | |
Child #2Popularly known as "Scarborough Fair," and/or "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme." Sometimes called "Impossiblilites" due to the tasks imposed by both sides. A very basic tab for Clawhammer Banjo. |
no mp3 | |
Child
#74
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mp3 | |
Danville GirlMy version, which you can hear on my music page. Clawhammer Banjo in standard G. |
mp3 | |
Follow the Drinking GourdI learned this song back in the 60's on guitar, then forgot it through the years. Recently it reintroduced itself, so I did it in Am on clawhammer banjo. A very simple backup arrangement. Banjo tuned to G minor (gDGA#D) capoed 2 frets to A minor. |
mp3 | |
God Rest Ye Merry, GentlemenI received an email asking if I had my clawhammer
version of this
Christmas Carol tabbed. Well, I do now, and here it is.
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mp3 | |
Jay Gould's DaughterMy version of an old railroad song. It is sometimes
done as "Casey
Jones." I derived my version from one done by Pete Seeger.
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no mp3 | |
Jingle BellsTab for my arrangement on Clawhammer Banjo. Standard G
tuning
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mp3 | |
John Henry (Steel Driving Man)Here's my version for Clawhammer Banjo in double-C tuning. |
mp3 | |
Lizard on the Garden WallThis is a tune I came up with while watching a lizard and a Cardinal battle it out on the wall in my back yard. |
mp3 | |
LorenaA Civil War era fiddle tune. I am attempting to learn it on fiddle, but worked out this clawhammer banjo tab to play behind the fiddle. Very basic in standard G tuning. |
no mp3 | |
Pusch
Ridge
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mp3 | |
Pretty PollyA very basic clawhammer version in Mountain Minor tuning (gDGCD). |
no mp3 | |
Rolling
Mills(C)
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mp3 (fretless) | |
Skip to my LouGood basic Clawhammer banjo stroke practice. This is the tune I used in my "Basic Clawhammer Stroke) videos (below). Standard G tuning. |
no mp3 | |
Sloop John BThis is the tune made popular by the Beachboys back in the 60s. I have used an unusual source for my version. Banjo in Standard G tuning. |
mp3 | |
Soldier's JoyI learned this is G, but later worked out an arrangement in D that works with my fiddle arrangement of this old tune. |
no mp3 | |
Spotted
Pony
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mp3 | |
The FoxAn old song I learned as a child, it is one of the first songs I figured out on my own on Clawhammer Banjo. Standard G tuning. |
mp3 | |
This Old ManThe popular children's counting song. Good Double-thumb practice piece. Clawhammer Banjo in standard G. |
no mp3 | |
Walking Boss(pdf)I have always liked this song ever since I heard my brother sing and play it. Finally got around to figuring out a basic tab version. However, this tab is provided by an on-line acquaintance who has let me post it here. The mp3 here is curtesy of my brother. |
mp3 | |
Worried Man BluesAs heard on my music page. Clawhammer Banjo in standard G. |
mp3 |
More Good Stuff (back to top)This next section contains some tutorial files and videos to aid in learning basic Clawhammer banjo. |
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Clearhead VideoHere is a link to a short video from Donald Zepp of Zepp Country Music.This is shot through the clear head of a banjo and shows the clawhammer stroke as done by Zepp from a seldom-seen angle. (Notice he uses his middle finger, and seems to get more finger movement than I do.) |
CH
Clearhead |
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Basic Clawhammer TutorialA short explanation of how to perform the basic clawhammer stroke on the 5-string banjo. The tune used for this tutorial is "Skip To My Lou," and the tab is available above in the "Tabs" section. |
Tutorial.txt |
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Download the TutorialThis is a ZIP file containing both of my tutorial videos (which you can view on my music page), the tutorial .txt file, and both the .pdf and .tef tabs for "Skip To My Lou." |
Tutorial.zip |
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Double Thumb PracticeAfter you have worked your way through the above lesson and feel comfortable doing the basic clawhammer "Bum Ditty," look at this next tab. This is the old children's counting song "This Old Man," or "Knick Knack Paddy Whack." The style of the song is the "Double Thumb." This lick allows you to cut 1/4 notes in half, and make the song sound faster than it is. To perform this lick, you strike the first finger stroke as usual, then follow it on the "&" count with a thumb pluck of the 5th string. The fingering for the right hand is shown under the tab. |
ThsOlMan.tef |