Running Through the White Oaks

This lesson is part of the course Clawhammer Banjo with Evie Ladin.

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Learn old-time clawhammer banjo from the beginning, with basic clawhammer technique exercises and lots of great old-time and traditional songs to play.

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Shady Grove

There are several versions of the traditional favorite “Shady Grove.” This one is in G modal tuning, the same tuning as “Cluck Old Hen.” Once again, to get into this tuning you simply raise your second string up a half step to C. “Shady Grove” is a one part tune, and you’ll mostly play the melody, not chords, whether you’re playing the melody by itself or singing the song. Evie starts by playing through the whole tune and singing the song, so you can get the melody in your head before you start finding it on the banjo. Then she walks you through the melody, phrase by phrase, showing you how the words of the song match the melody. You’ll also learn some variations to the basic melody, including more hammer-ons and drop thumbing.

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The Clawhammer Banjo Subscription Includes:

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More than 60 complete songs and tunes
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Play-Along Tracks so you can practice what you’ve learned.

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Running Through the White Oaks

“Running Through the White Oaks” Play-Along Track

Running Through the White Oaks

“Running Through the White Oaks” comes from the African American string band Gribble, Lusk, and York. Murphy Gribble’s banjo style, like Odell Thompson’s, is percussive and strummy and not as based on the melody as some old-time banjo styles. Evie recorded the tune with Karen Celia Heil on her Riding the Rooster album and worked out the melody of the tune in her own way, and that’s what you’ll learn here. To learn more about Murphy Gribble, John Lusk, and Albert York, and hear all their recordings, check out gribbleluskandyork.org.

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