The Claw Hammer Top 10

The Clawhammer
"Top 10"
20 arrangements of 10 tunes of
outstanding merit and distinction
clawhammerbanjo.net

The Clawhammer Top 10:

Motivation for Every Level

Mastering a musical instrument has very little to do with talent.

Combine persistent effort with the right learning tools, on the other hand,
and the skys the limit.

But to be persistent means you must keep your motivational fire burning.
You dont practice because you have to, you practice because you want to.

Staying motivated and inspired, then, is vital. And the best way to
stay motivated? Have really good tunes to play.

Always having great tunes to play that are appropriate for your
current level (or just on the edge enough to push you a bit) is the
best way to keep your motivational fire burning. Thats a
cornerstone of the Brainjo Method, and why maintaining a growing library
of hundreds of tunes and songs with video demonstrations is part of the
Breakthrough Banjo course.

(RELATED: Click here to learn more about the Breakthrough Banjo course,
including The Vault, the ultimate library of clawhammer tunes and songs.)

Its also why this Clawhammer Top 10 book exists!

Over the past two years, Ive released a new clawhammer tune and
arrangement every week. Each year, during our own version of March
Madness, folks voted on their favorites tunes from the previous year.

Thats well over 100 tunes, and the ones you see here were voted on the 10
favorites. The best of the best.

So hopefully some great material for inspiration for you!

Its also great material for playing in front of others, even if youre in the
earlier stages of the Timeline of Mastery.

Because Ill let you in a secret Ive learned from years of playing music for
others, and from the Tune of the Week series:

A great tune is a great tune, no matter how simple or
complicated you choose to play it.

Take a great melody, play it cleanly and with good timing, and I guarantee
youll have a captive audience.

Each tune in this book contains two arrangements: the arrangement I
played in the original Tune of the Week video, along with a slightly
simplified Brainjo level 2 arrangement.

Dont make the mistake of thinking that the more complex
arrangement is necessarily better. Do that with any of these
arrangements, and the results will sound fantastic.

Video Demonstrations

Over the course of the next several weeks, well be doing our own kind of
Tune of the Week with these Top 10 tunes.

Each week, Ill send you a video demonstration of both
arrangements of the Top 10 tunes, so that you can both see and
hear them being played. That way, youll know exactly how these should
sound.

Alternate Tunings

Youll note here that there are multiple tunings used for these tunes.

If you still havent ventured out of standard G tuning, dont resist doing so!

In fact, these tunes are the perfect opportunity to start dipping your toe into
the world of other tunings. You will not regret it.

The Brainjo Level System

All of the tunes in this book are rated according to the Brainjo level system,
which is intended to serve as a guide for the technical complexity of each
arrangement. Most of these main arrangements from this Tune of the
Week series will be Brainjo level 3 or 4. The levels are defined as follows:

Brainjo Level 1 tabs in level one only utilize techniques covered
in the Clawhammer in 8 Essential Steps Series. Designed for folks
getting started out in clawhammer banjo.

Brainjo Level 2 tabs in level two also only utilize techniques
covered in 8 steps series, but have a higher degree of technical
complexity.

Brainjo Level 3 tabs in level three utilize techniques covered in
the 8 steps series, and may also use additional techniques like drop
thumb, syncopated skips, and triplet hammer ons and pull offs, which
are all covered as part of the Breakthrough Banjo course.

Brainjo Level 4 tabs in level four draw upon the same techniques
as level 3, but will typically present more of a challenge.

Brainjo Level 5 tabs in level five will be rare, and will generally
challenge the limits of any players technical skills. Theyll require the
full arsenal of techniques, along with perhaps unusual time signatures
or other musical oddities. Think of things like playing a Mozart
concerto in clawhammer style, or other ill-advised notions.

Reading the Tabs

These tunes are represented in standard banjo tablature. Each line of the
tab corresponds to a string of the banjo, starting with the top line, which
corresponds to the first string.

In order to convey certain aspects of the fingering for these tunes, Ive used
a few conventions throughout:

1. Fretting hand notes. Some of the notes in these arrangements are
generated by the fingers of the fretting hand - i.e. hammer-ons and
pull-off. When these are performed on a string thats just been struck
by the picking hand, then the technique is indicated by either the
letter H for hammer-on, or P for pull-off.

If the technique is to be performed on a string other than the one
thats just been struck (i.e. and alternate string hammer-on or
pull-off), then this is indicated by a number underneath the tablature.

The number refers to the finger of my fretting hand I generally use to
execute the technique (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, 4=pinky).

Generally speaking, if the string is lower in pitch than the one thats
just been struck, then youll be sounding it with a hammer-on. If its
higher in pitch, youll sound it with a pull-off.

To learn more about these techniques, theyre explained in detail in
the related videos that are part of the Clawhammer Banjo in 8
Essential Steps series, which you can access below:

Hammer On Video

Pull Off Video

2. Skip Notes. Notes that are inside of a shaded box are skip notes,
meaning theyre not actually sounded by the picking finger.

In these instances, the hand continues with the clawhammer motion,
but the nail doesnt actually come in contact with the string. Should
you elect not to skip that particular note, then the suggested note to
play is the one inside of the shaded box.

Skip notes are very useful for adding syncopation to a tune,
oftentimes in combination with an ensuing drop thumb (as well as for
vocal backup to provide a bit sparser sound).

For more on skip notes, and syncopated skips in particular, I have a
detailed video on the subject, (part of the Breakthrough Banjo
course), which includes a detailed explanation of these, along with
several picking exercises to help you master the technique:

Syncopated Skips Video

3. Drop Thumbs. Any time the thumb strikes a string besides the 5th,
it is indicated by a T underneath the note in the tab.

For more on reading tablature, heres a link to my
complete guide to reading tabs.

Arkansas Traveler
aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 2
Arkansas Traveler
c
Cold Frosty Morn
aEADE tuning (A "modal"), Brainjo level 2
Cold Frosty Morn
aEADE tuning (A "modal"), Brainjo level 3
Colored Aristocracy
gCGCE tuning ("open C"), Brainjo level 2
Colored Aristocracy
The notes at the introduction of the tune are

played as harmonics, or "chimes." To get the
desired sound, lightly rest your fretting finger
over the string (do not press to the fretboard.
Colored Aristocracy
The notes at the introduction of the tune are

played as harmonics, or "chimes." To get the
desired sound, lightly rest your fretting finger
over the string (do not press to the fretboard.
Colored Aristocracy
Cripple Creek
aEAC#E tuning, Brainjo level 2
Cripple Creek
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Snowdrop
gCGCE tuning, Brainjo level 2
Snowdrop
Snowdrop
Snowdrop
Soldier's Joy
Soldier's Joy
Soldier's Joy
aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 3-4
Soldier's Joy
aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 3-4
Shady Grove
gDGCD tuning, Brainjo level 2
Shady Grove
gDGCD tuning, Brainjo level 3
Wandering Boy
gCGCD tuning, Brainjo level 2
Wandering Boy
Wandering Boy
Wandering Boy
Waterbound
Waterbound
Waterbound
Thanks!

I hope you enjoy playing these tunes as much as I do.

As always, if you have any questions about them, please let me know at
josh@clawhammerbanjo.net.

And, if youre interested in learning more about how to create your own
arrangements like these, entirely by ear, its one of the many topics covered
in the Breakthrough Banjo course. Click here for more info, or visit
clawhammerbanjo.net/breakthrough.

There youll also find an expanding library of tunes and song tabs and video
demos for clawhammer, along with accompanying video demonstrations.

Have fun, and keep spreading the good music!

Josh

Founder and Lead Brain Hacker at Brainjo

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The Brainjo Level System

The notes at the introduction of the tune are

The notes at the introduction of the tune are

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