Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: G Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Intermediate
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 2/7/2015
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Notes: Here is a steel guitar ending that Allen Shelton frequently played on banjo. It became a part of the Jim & Jesse sound and was used by their later banjo players as well. If you just remember "1-4-1-5-1," you can use this in any major key. The timing is the same as most standard endings; only the chord progression in different.
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: G Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Expert
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 1/15/2015
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Notes: This is my banjo solo for the song "Are You Missing Me." It's fairly straight forward, but it does occasionally depart from the typical Scruggs style licks in favor of more melodic lines. When I was making this solo, I tried to think about how I would play if I was playing it with Jim & Jesse. I have never done much with tablature, so I would love to hear what you all think.
Genre: Folk Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: G Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Beginner
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 6/29/2015 - 1 Member Comments
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Notes: Here is a good tab for beginners. It will help to practice timing and changing between G, C, and D.
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: G Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Intermediate
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 3/17/2015
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Notes: Here is a basic version of "Cripple Creek" for the intermediate picker. Also included is the "Shave and a haircut - two bits" ending.
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Intermediate
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 3/17/2015
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Notes: Here are four endings that are basically interchangeable. You can also mix and match parts from each ending for other variations. Every picker needs to know and play these well.
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: G Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Beginner
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 3/17/2015
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Notes: This is one of the most basic licks that every bluegrass banjo player should know well. It is a huge part of the Scruggs style.
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: A Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Intermediate
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 2/23/2015
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Notes: Here is an intermediate banjo solo for Bill Monroe's "Little Cabin Home on the Hill." It's pretty straightforward, employing the use of several classic Earl Scruggs licks. Mastering some of the classic elements of this solo can help the intermediate player prepare for a more advanced level.
Genre: Other Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Beginner
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 3/29/2017
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Notes: Here is a sample tab of the G major scale and C major scale for banjo. The question of scales comes up often, so this demonstrates my approach to teaching scales. You may play scales on single strings. However, that doesn't have much practical application for bluegrass playing. The idea is to play rolls, so, I believe scales should be practiced that way. Here is the simple rule to follow: never play the same string twice in a row; never use the same finger twice in a row.
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: G Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Beginner
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 6/9/2016
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Notes: Here is some tablature for a biasic version of "Old Joe Clark."
Genre: Bluegrass Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Key: A Tuning: Standard Open G (gDGBD) Difficulty: Expert
Posted by Jacob Underwood, updated: 1/22/2015
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Notes: This is the tablature for my banjo intro for the song "There'll Never Be Another You," which was co-written by me and my dad, and is on the 2014 Bluegrass Express project "In Our Own Words." I felt like this song could've been on the "Jim & Jesse Today" album, so I made use of some of my favorite Allen Shelton licks.
"The Road Ends," which is the first single from the project, can be heard in my mp3 archive. The full album can be ordered at www.bluegrassexpressband.com.
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