Glen Smith’s “John Henry,” Part 1

This lesson is part of the course Old-Time Banjo with Bruce Molsky.

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Learn the tunes and techniques of some of the legends of old-time banjo, taught by one of the icons of contemporary old-time music.

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Mississippi Sawyer

Wade Ward’s solo version of the square dance tune “Mississippi Sawyer” is a little different than the way it would be played for a square dance, in that it drops a beat at the end of each part. It’s played in double-D tuning: aDADE, where the fourth string is D, third string is A, second string is D, first string is E, and fifth string is A. Bruce shows you the tuning, gives you advice on getting in tune. Then he starts showing you the first part of “Mississippi Sawyer,” which starts with a D chord shape at the fifth fret and a simple bum-ditty pattern. Bruce walks you through each phrase slowly, giving you lots of chances to play along with him as you learn the tune. You’ll learn a basic version of the A part of “Mississippi Sawyer” in this video.

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Glen Smith’s “John Henry”

Glen Smith’s “John Henry,” Part 1

Glen Smith’s “John Henry,” Part 2

Glen Smith’s “John Henry,” Part 3: Play-Along Track

Glen Smith’s “John Henry,” Part 1

There are many versions of the traditional song “John Henry.” The one you’ll learn here comes from Virginia banjo player and fiddler Glen Smith, who had a unique, personal style of banjo playing, which is reflected in his version of “John Henry” in many ways, including the unusual tuning he chose: eBEBE.

Glen Smith’s “John Henry” (Available to subscribers)

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