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Boil Them Cabbage Down Banjo Tabs

Traditional

Recomended level: Beginner

Tags: #traditional, #beginner, #folk, #banjo

Boil them Cabbage is an old folk song. It's a lot of people's first tune when learning banjo, mandolin or fiddle. While the song has lyrics, it's mostly played as an instrumental.



Start with the Melody first. If you can, learn to sing the words as you play the tune. It helps you develop musically in so many ways. The rhythm is pretty simple, so try a few licks after you get the basic arrangement down. After working on the melody try some Rolling Backup. The rolls are played twice as fast as the melody is. You may need to adjust the tempo slider when playing a long with the Tunefox player. Set it to a speed you can play smoothly, cleanly, and while staying relaxed. Getting used to these rolls will help prepare your right hand for the demands of playing this song Scruggs style. If you plan on jamming with other musicians then check out the Vamping arrangement. This is a style of backup that is different from the rolling backup style. It's works great when supporting a mandolin player, guitar player, or another banjo player.



The Scruggs style arrangement is pretty straight forward and uses some basic rolls that include the melody notes. Pay attention to the fingerings for your picking hand! After getting that down try some licks to get a more authentic Scruggs style sound. If you're feeling adventurous we've got a couple other options for you. You can try out the Melodic arrangement to get a whole world of other sounds. If Melodic style banjo is new to you, check out our learning path for Melodic Banjo. Pay special attention to those G melodic scales and workouts. If you have your scales down the tunes will come much easier.



The Single String arrangement is pretty basic. If you want to get add even more excitement, check out those licks. There will be some more advanced single string ideas there. There's also Scruggs and melodic licks. No matter what style you are working on, combing licks of other styles can create a really cool and compelling sound.

  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Tunefox video preview

    Video Overview

    Explore learning strategies, tips, and a rundown of style variations.

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Tunefox video preview
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  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Melody

    Melody

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    Check this tune out to learn the basic melody of Boil them Cabbage Down. Knowing the melody will help you greatly when learning this tune in other picking styles such as Scruggs, Me...

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Melody
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  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Rolling Backup

    Rolling Backup

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    Rolling backup works great behind a fiddle or a vocal.

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Rolling Backup
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  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Vamping

    Vamping

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    If you need to backup a mandolin or guitar player, vamping is a great choice for backup. Basic vamping often uses 4 finger chords. After you get down the basics check out the licks t...

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Vamping
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  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    Check out this simple Scruggs style arrangement to learn this classic tune. Add in the licks for some more authentic Scruggs vocabulary. Pay attention to the pick hand fingering. You...

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Scruggs Style
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  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    This melodic version of Boil Them Cabbage Down uses melodic scales to dance on and around the melody notes. Adjust the difficulty slider to start simple and add difficulty as you bec...

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Melodic Style
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  • Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Single String Style

    Single String Style

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    The Bum-Ditty rhythm pattern is the foundation for this arrangement. Pay close attention to the pick hand fingering in the tab. Learning this pattern properly helps to establish exce...

    Banjo Boil Them Cabbage Down Single String Style
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Practicing Tips

"Boil Them Cabbage Down" is a vibrant learning resource that provides bluegrass banjo players with a plethora of tablature styles to adapt. The styles include Melody, Rolling Backup, Scruggs, Vamping, Single String, and Melodic Styles. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned veteran, this package, focusing on Traditional, Beginner, Folk, and Banjo genres, guarantees something for everyone.


In order to get the best out of this learning resource, make sure to utilize the innovative features of the Tunefox platform extensively. An important tool to familiarize yourself with is the Lick Switcher. This enables you to turn melodies on their head, as it allows you to swap licks for different measures in the song. Now, you can reinvent "Boil Them Cabbage Down" as per your musical preferences and keep your performances fresh and engaging.


Another valuable tool is the Arrange slider which allows you to customize the song difficulty to your comfort. Slide to the left and a simplified arrangement is displayed with the stripped-down, core notes of the song. Conversely, slide to the right, and you can explore a more intricate arrangement filled with embellishing notes. This can be especially helpful in gradually increasing your skill level.


Also, adjusting the tempo slider allows you to play the song at your own pace. With our bespoke backing tracks, you can also isolate certain measures and replay them for practice. Using the 'Speed Up' function, you can gradually increase the playback tempo for a progressive challenge.


With all these extensive learning tools, Tunefox allows you to sift through 'Boil Them Cabbage Down' at your own pace, heightening your familiarity and proficiency with the banjo whilst fine-tuning your appreciation for traditional and folk genres.


Boil Them Cabbage Down lyrics

Went up on the mountain Just to give my horn a blow Thought I heard my true love say Yonder comes my beau Bile them Cabbage down Turn them hoecakes round The only song that I can sing Is bile them cabbage down Took my gal to the blacksmith shop To have her mouth made small She turned around a time or two And swallowd shop and all Bile them Cabbage down Turn them hoecakes round The only song that I can sing Is bile them cabbage down Possum in a Simmon tree Raccoon on the ground Raccoon says you son-of-a-gun Shake some Simmon’s down Bile them Cabbage down Turn them hoecakes round The only song that I can sing Is bile them cabbage down Someone stole my old ‘coon dog Wish they’d bring him back He chased the big hogs through the fence And the little ones through the crack Bile them Cabbage down Turn them hoecakes round The only song that I can sing Is bile them cabbage down Met a possum in the road Blind as he could be Jumped the fence and whipped my dog And bristled up at me Bile them Cabbage down Turn them hoecakes round The only song that I can sing Is bile them cabbage down Once I had an old gray mule His name was Simon Slick He’d roll his eyes and back his ears And how that mule would kick How that mule would kick He kicked with his dying breath He shoved his hind feet down his throat And kicked himself to death Bile them Cabbage down Turn them hoecakes round The only song that I can sing Is bile them cabbage down