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Banjo tablatures for Cherokee Shuffle

Traditional

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #fiddle tune, #up-tempo

Banjo player Howard Bursen and many others have identified "Cherokee Shuffle" as a West Coast version of “Lost Indian” which could be traced back to fiddler Tommy Magness's recording of it in the 1930s. However, it was Tommy Jackson who later transformed the Magness’s Lost Indian into Cherokee shuffle. He added a distinctive second part and changed the key to "A." Many fiddlers took Tommy’s addition to the earlier version and infused it into Magness tune.

There are two main versions of Cherokee Shuffle in circulation and one of them has ‘A’ and ‘B’ part with the same length, while the other doesn’t.

  • Banjo Cherokee Shuffle Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

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

    Try making the chords in the B section all 7th chords! This will make the song sound a lot more bluesy, and give you some more improvisation ideas!

    Banjo Cherokee Shuffle Scruggs Style
    Learn
  • Banjo Cherokee Shuffle Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

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

    This is a high break to Cherokee Shuffle that has some advanced right and left hand techniques.

    Banjo Cherokee Shuffle Melodic Style
    Learn
  • Banjo Cherokee Shuffle Backup

    Backup

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

    This backup version of Cherokee Shuffle mixes vamping and rolling to give you ideas on how to make your backup fluid and interesting both for you and your jam buddies!

    Banjo Cherokee Shuffle Backup
    Learn



Practicing Tips

Learning Overview:


Our educational tool is specifically designed to provide an in-depth knowledge of 'Cherokee Shuffle' for intermediate bluegrass banjo players. This engaging song characteristically exhibits an up-tempo fiddle tune and is relayed in Scruggs, Melodic, and Backup Styles. The song's unique structure provides an enriching experience and the opportunity to enhance your playing skills in these three banjo styles.


Practice Tips:


Learning 'Cherokee Shuffle' provides an excellent opportunity to embrace unique learning and practicing tools offered by Tunefox. The Lick Switcher and Arrange Slider are perfect for creative learning. The Lick Switcher allows you to add new licks and introduces you to different renditions of the song. Experiment with various licks to create personalized arrangements and develop your interpretation of the tune.


The Arrange Slider, similarly, is an innovative tool for customizing your learning experience. It enables you to adjust the difficulty level and tone of the song according to your current skillset progressively. This allows you to improve your techniques at your own pace.


Our practicing tools also include the capability to adjust the song's tempo, adding backing tracks for playing along, and a Speed Up Function. For learners who prefer learning by ear, the Hide Notes function can be advantageous. Starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed is an effective method to achieve proficiency in 'Cherokee Shuffle'.