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Banjo tablatures for Buffalo Gals

Traditional

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #fiddle tune, #vocal song, #up-tempo

Written and published as ‘Lubly fan’ in 1844, Buffalo gals, was originally produced by the John Hodges, who is famous for his performance in ‘cool white’. The popular performance was particularly famous in the United States with several minstrels tweaking the lyrics to entertain their local audience. Examples are the versions titled after each locale like New York having New York gals, Boston having Boston gals and Alabama having Alabama gals (this particular version was recorded by Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins while on a trip in 1959). Buffalo, New York stands out as the best among all these versions. The song has also been featured on several films set like Texas (1941), Dixie (1943), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and High Noon (1952). For all these adaptation and nice ring around the tune, it was classed among the top 100 western songs of all time by western writers of America. The tune was really common to areas that had ‘dancing girls’ had their performance and had the interest of bars concert halls and particularly buffalo, New York canal district where freight men and crewmen received their wages.

  • Banjo Buffalo Gals Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

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

    This version is based on Alan Munde's arrangement on his record, "Festival Favorites Revisited." The chords for both A and B sections are the same!

    Banjo Buffalo Gals Scruggs Style
    Learn
  • Banjo Buffalo Gals Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

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

    Buffalo Gals in melodic style features a stream of 16th notes in the A section that is challenging at fast tempos. Get it nice and clean by practicing slow first!

    Banjo Buffalo Gals Melodic Style
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  • Banjo Buffalo Gals Backup

    Backup

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

    This version of Buffalo Gals has a lot of forward rolls and 4th string "bass" lines moving to and from the D chord.

    Banjo Buffalo Gals Backup
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Practicing Tips

If you're an intermediate player and are a fan of bluegrass banjo music, then this learning resource is perfect for you! 'Buffalo Gals' offers comprehensive tablatures in Scruggs, Melodic, and Backup Styles, concentrating on crucial aspects like fiddle tune, vocal song, and up-tempo.


One of our top tips for mastering this song includes leveraging the features provided by the Tunefox platform, especially the Lick Switcher - a tool that lets you add new licks and view the song in a different light. You'll be astounded at the number of variations you can explore for individual measures of the song. Just tap a measure to discover alternative licks.


The Arrange slider is another critical tool. It lets you determine the song's complexity level quickly and accurately, from a basic arrangement with most filler notes removed when sliding to the left, to a full song arrangement brimming with extra notes when sliding to the right.


The tempo slider is also a helpful tool that lets you alter the song's tempo. To enhance your learning experience, consider maximizing the available 'Speed Up' feature that gradually increases the playback tempo, allowing you to progressively handle faster speeds.


Moreover, playing along with backing tracks can be an enjoyable way to practice and refine your skills. Concentrate on specific measures and repeatedly play them. Start comfortably and then allow the 'Speed Up' function to slightly raise the tempo with each playthrough of the song.


Remember, practice makes perfect. So, keep striving to learn new variations and licks, and in no time you'll have mastered 'Buffalo Gals.''