Bassium - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:13:06

Hey, I'm a young adult trying to find a new more productive hobby, and the one that interests me most is really hammering on my banjo, but I don't want to learn songs that won't benefit other than to "show off" really I like all types of music, but I grew up in a Christian home and am currently able to sometimes play on stage the songs that I have learned, or will learn for the show.  So basically I'm looking for songs that fit hopefully easily into a 5-string banjo, just to kind of start things off, but aside from "I'll Fly Away" and "Amazing Grace" I'm drawing blanks.  Any help?

Pickin furry paws - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:19:22

I recommend The Old Rugged Cross and How Great Thou Art. There are some great banjo versions if you YouTube them.

tdennis - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:29:31

Don't laugh,... but I  enjoy playing the entire repertoire of Christmas carols all year long.  I'm not "hammering" my banjo, but  fingerpicking  Classic style. 

Randy5string - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:35:04

I'm Using My Bible For A Roadmap, I'll Fly Away, I'm In The Gloryland Way, Come And Dine, He Set Me Free, I Saw The Light, Send The Light, Send A Great Revival, Saviour Like A Shepherd Lead Us.

myfavefive - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:36:58

Over in the Gloryland

I Saw the Light

Washed in the Blood

When the Saints Go Marching In

Light at the River

there's lots...

Chumley - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:37:16

Jesus Hold My Hand
Lifes Railway to Heaven
Using my Bible for Roadmap
Take me in Your Lifeboat

banjotom2 - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:40:11

My own opinion is that any christian or gospel tune can be played on the banjo...

You just need to have command of your instrument and hopefully the melodies to many of your favorite hymns memorized... so you can improvize them on the spot if neccesary, or work from your own arrangement if possible.

I played guitar in a Lutheran church for seven years, also sang in the choir for the same number of years and went out of my way to not only own my own Lutheran hymnal, but also the Pentecostal and Baptist hymnals as well, so as to be able to arrange almost any tune from those books upon command or demand from my church or student body needs.

I also include classical hymn material in my own collection including "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Ode To Joy" (Beethoven) and many others.

I guess the Christmas hymns would work also... I've got a load of them as well...

I used to keep notebooks around and write the names of all of my favorite tunes in all categories in them... eventually transferring those lists to my various computers...

Many of the computers have blown up and the lists in the notebooks pop up from time to time... so it seems paper is more secure than hard drives... in my experience anyway...

Getting back to the Christian/Gospel concept...

Christian and gospel tunes breakdown the same way that any melody of any style with it's accompanying harmony chords do...

Typically, gospel tunes rarely go much futher than the 1, 4 and 5 chords with an occasional relative minor chord for flavor...

So... what is the difference between them and any folk, country, bluegrass, blues and rock tune? Just the words/lyrics usually.

To my mind, this simply means that, very truly, your tune limitation is only limited by your own abilities to imagine, hear and play the tune in question.

You can go to many sites including bluegrasslyrics.com and find the gospel section... where you will find a fairtly enormous selection of tried and true gospel favorites...

I have found many reference site for gospel tunes by simply typing 'gospel' or 'hymn' or 'christian lyrics' into my favorite browswer to come up with ideas and alphabetical lists of tunes.

I also failed to mention that I have a boatload of tunes available in Tabledit format arranged for Scruggs style banjo, free of charge...

Tom

banjotom2.com 

tdennis - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:44:30

One of the most famous songs for marching banjo string bands,...O Dem Golden Slippers. 

double E - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:45:27

Look on this page at the post that says "very cool video about Arthur Hatfield"  Check out the last song in the video. In the sweet bye and bye. Thats a good gospel banjo tune. EE

banjosam - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:46:29

I Saw The Light,  There's A Light At The River

Hallelujah I'm Ready,  Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Jesus Hold My Hand,  The Old Country Church

Are You Washed In The Blood,  Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus

Somebody Touched Me, I Shall Not Be Moved

To mention a few

banjotom2 - Posted - 09/28/2011:  20:48:56

Secondarily, I should have mentioned, that if you like figuring out the tunes yourself... that Janet Davis's, "Splitting the Licks" will show you in step-by-step fashion, how to build your own Scruggs style solos methodically from the simplest of melodies...

It was Janet's method that taught me that ANY melody can be worked into Scruggs style banjo and played very clearly...

It would be a boost to your own writing/arranging skills to simply study the first few tunes in her book to see how she does what she does...

Then you can take your new arranging skills and start working out your own arrangements.

I always found it easier to figure out my own arrangements by ear... and write them down... than to memorize someone else's work...

Playing by ear is so much easier... and using the arranging skills taught in Janet's book will give you the tools you need to arrange your favorite music for the rest of your life... to support your own Christian belief system by sharing your favorite gospel tunes...

Tom

banjotom2.com

Edited by - banjotom2 on 09/28/2011 20:51:01

Bassium - Posted - 09/28/2011:  21:06:36

quote:

---

Originally posted by tdennis

Don't laugh,... but I  enjoy playing the entire repertoire of Christmas carols all year long.  I'm not "hammering" my banjo, but  fingerpicking  Classic style. 

---

I must admit I did smirk a little at the post, and by saying "hammering my banjo" I didn't mean clawhammer, I would love to learn it, but I'm a classic three finger style myself, I just meant hammer as if to say "Really practice on it and almost nothing else"

The Mighty Ant - Posted - 09/28/2011:  21:11:29

Bassium...

1st of all,((( welcome))) to this wonderful website!

Here are some that I play. I can play all of them 3 finger scruggs style, and some of them clawhammer.

------------------------------------------------------------------

How firm a foundation

Amazing grace

Will the circle be unbroken

The old crossroads

I saw the light

Just as I am

Great dream from heaven

House of Gold

I have decided

I am a pigrim

 Swing low sweet chariot

You must come in at the door

Prayer bells of heaven

Glory glory (when I lay my heavy burden down)

Cant you see our savior calling

Give me strength

Down at the cross

Lord, oh lord I want to go the heaven

I'm a new creation

Lonesome valley

Nothing but the blood

Stand by me

Edited by - The Mighty Ant on 09/28/2011 21:18:53

ronjohnston - Posted - 09/28/2011:  22:10:07

"Ode to Joy" actually sounds pretty good as well -

Deaf Lester Crawdad - Posted - 09/28/2011:  23:14:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bassium

Hey, I'm a young adult trying to find a new more productive hobby, and the one that interests me most is really hammering on my banjo, but I don't want to learn songs that won't benefit other than to "show off" really I like all types of music, but I grew up in a Christian home and am currently able to sometimes play on stage the songs that I have learned, or will learn for the show.  So basically I'm looking for songs that fit hopefully easily into a 5-string banjo, just to kind of start things off, but aside from "I'll Fly Away" and "Amazing Grace" I'm drawing blanks.  Any help?

---

"Blanks"?   There are literally hundreds of gospel tunes that go well on the 5-string: in fact, probably most of 'em do!

I'm currently playing up-tempo versions of "The Bells of Saint Mary's" and "Onward Christian Soldiers" as a medley out of open G tuning, but that's just scratching the surface.

~Pete

coelhoe - Posted - 09/29/2011:  00:10:26

Almost anything in the Stamps-Baxter hymnals.

Possom - Posted - 09/29/2011:  00:21:41

I enjoy picking out most any song that I grew up hearing every sunday morning in a Baptist church. The old standards are my favorites. Most ppl know them well enough that you could turn them into instrumentals and everyone would recognize them. First song I leanred was Amazing Grace, I'll Fly Away soon followed. Favorite tune right now would be Blessed Assurance. I thinks its on my music files on my homepage if you care to listen. How Great Thou Art is probably one of the prettiest tunes on the banjo IMO but its difficult to say the least. Of course there's a whole plethora of staight bluegrass/gospel tunes out there. Join the Group on here Bluegrass Gospel Lovers. They got links to a bunch of BG/Gospel tunes on there.

Norwegianplayer - Posted - 09/29/2011:  00:30:19

A lot of old tunes and hymns can be played on the banjo, and in bluegrass style.
A good example is "Power in the blood". Just try that nice strong melody in an up tempo bluegrass style. It's heavy! Good luck!

Tinfoot - Posted - 09/29/2011:  04:02:59

"Power in the Blood" is in fact one of my mother's favorites from her childhood and has been rendered quite a few times OT/Bluegrass style. Its one on my list to must learn.

Now I personally have run across hymns that don't lend themselves on the surface that easily to being played, stemming apparently from the inherent rhythm.  I have been playing/singing the songs in my head while trying to mentally to fit/add in the banjo sound/breaks/etc.  I have had fair success with that approach... although it still behooves me to actually figure out the fingering... but at least I have a template of sorts in my head.

Edited by - Tinfoot on 09/29/2011 04:08:34

cb56 - Posted - 09/29/2011:  04:53:14

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bassium

Hey, I'm a young adult trying to find a new more productive hobby, and the one that interests me most is really hammering on my banjo, but I don't want to learn songs that won't benefit other than to "show off" really I like all types of music, but I grew up in a Christian home and am currently able to sometimes play on stage the songs that I have learned, or will learn for the show.  So basically I'm looking for songs that fit hopefully easily into a 5-string banjo, just to kind of start things off, but aside from "I'll Fly Away" and "Amazing Grace" I'm drawing blanks.  Any help?

---

Try this

ia600501.us.archive.org/18/ite...ay-cc.pdf

Edited by - cb56 on 09/29/2011 04:53:54

John Allison - Posted - 09/29/2011:  04:54:00

Our band has gotten good audience participation and response with: Amazing Grace; Will the Circle Be Unbroken; I Saw the Light; Old Time Religion; Somebody Touched Me; Swing Low Sweet Chariot; I am a Pilgrim; and, Lonesome Valley, to name a few. Actually, almost any gospel played in the old time or bluegrass style does well.

moses - Posted - 09/29/2011:  05:03:53

I'd like to invite all of you guys to join Bluegrass Gospel Lovers Hangout group. Lots of good people there with lots of good Gospel songs that people have uploaded to the site. Come on in and join us!

JanetB - Posted - 09/29/2011:  05:40:46

This is a wonderful thread, glad I found it this morning and I'll join the Bluegrass Gospel Lovers group.  I agree that anything can be played on the banjo if one has the skill to arrange it.  Tabs are often helpful, so if you want a particular song, look or ask for a beginner or intermediate version.  Here on the Hangout you'll get some help.  Two of my favorite gospel songs are Green Pastures and Standing in the River.  Ralph Stanley's repertoire is a great source to hear good gospel.

tom elder - Posted - 09/29/2011:  05:59:09

Wings Of a Dove .

Bluegrass had 2 great gospel groups The Lewis Family and The Sullivan Family.Get in Line Brother is a classic Earl scruggs foray.The lewis family did a nice one'' I can Hear The Halleluahs In The Air''

Don't know about now but some of the groups always included a gospel number in their set when i got out to the shows more.

Edited by - tom elder on 09/29/2011 06:02:01

BlueRanchRider - Posted - 09/29/2011:  06:08:54

Jack Hatfield has a Gospel Collection with tab and audio cd containing 15 gospel songs including many that have already been mentioned here above.  Working on Life's Railway to Heaven now...

hatfieldmusic.com

DerekWest - Posted - 09/29/2011:  06:13:56

I usually just sit down with a hymn book and play all that I can... you'll find that a lot of songs have the same chord changes and sound very similar.

garman - Posted - 09/29/2011:  06:31:23

Does anyone have the tab for any of these. I like all of them. Like the version Ron Stewart did for Take me in your Lifeboat and Three men on the Mountain. Would really love to have tab for those especially. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Pickin furry paws - Posted - 09/29/2011:  09:13:28

Also, there is a tab book out there called Bluegrass From Heaven by Steve Garner. Check that one out, it has some great tunes in several prominent player's styles.

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/29/2011:  09:49:51

Do Lord

Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Oh Mary Don't You Weep

Old-Time Religion

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

You could also do You Are My Sunshine which isn't gospel but...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I encourage folks to also work familiar songs out from chords so they get some experience doing it. 

One of the first steps toward improv imo. 

At this time of year and with your interest, you might consider chording your way through some Christmas songbooks. That gives you time to get stuff worked up in the next couple months. Many of those sound good with simple 2- and 3-finger plucks over chords.

Seriously, try figuring out some of the songs just from chords without looking for tabbed/taught full-on arrangements.

And you can try reading melody lines off sheet music for the Christmas tunes.

A lot of learning occurs that way.

Then look up arrangements for the ones you just can't get.

And for the ones you do get. That's when the arrangement provides you additional choices for your playing instead of the commandment mind-set students tend to interpret them as.

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/29/2011:  09:56:16

Now that I think about it, there is some simple tab/sheet melody for Amazing Grace and Old Time Religion on this page:

moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/readm...ndex.html

And a few Christmas tunes are shown in tab here:

moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/speci...tml#banjo

banjotom2 - Posted - 09/29/2011:  13:30:03

Good advice, Minstrel Mike!

Break dependency on tab!

Tom

banjotom2.com

JanetB - Posted - 09/29/2011:  16:06:12

Butch Robbins did two Shine Hallelujah Shine CDs with some of the best gospel performances I've heard.  He was the amazing banjoist for Bill Monroe who candidly describes in an autobiographical book his drug usage and his later salvation.  The title song was written by Bill Monroe.  Butch performs with the conviction of a saved soul.