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Dark Hollow Banjo Tabs

Bill Monroe

Dark Hollow Banjo Tablature: One Song, Many Styles

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #vocal song, #medium-tempo

"Dark Hollow" is a folk song or tune originally recorded by folk artist-musician Bill Browning in 1958. It is incorporated as the B-side of his single "Borned with the Blues." Even though it is normally credited to Browning, the melody has some musical similarities to the customary "East Virginia Blues/East Virginia" and "ComeAll You Fair and Tender Ladies," likely Browning's motivation. "Hollow" is seen as the mainstream highlight of Browning's short profession. However, it didn't arrive at the pinnacle of its prominence until Grateful Dead in the mid-1970s recorded it. They Started performing acoustic fronts of the tune in 1970. Electric covers before long followed in 1973 pursued by progressively acoustic covers in 1980. Altogether, Grateful Dead performed "Dark Hollow" around 30 times. Their adaptation shows up on History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice), and the live recording.

Learn how to play Dark Hollow on Banjo with this selection of tablatures:

  • Banjo Dark Hollow Melody

    Melody

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

    It's always good to learn the basic melody to a tune! It's accessible to beginners, but important to learn for all! If you are an intermediate or advanced picker, try to learn by ear...

    Learn
  • Banjo Dark Hollow Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

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

    A classic jam tune. This arrangement of Dark Hollow uses hammer-ons to accent the vocal inflections and give you a more "real" sounding melody.

    Learn
  • Banjo Dark Hollow Ben Eldridge Style

    Ben Eldridge Style

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      C
    • Tempo
      130 bpm
    • Tuning
      GDGBD

    This is a transcription of Ben Eldridge's banjo kickoff solo from the "Live At The Cellar Door" album. Ben blends single string and Scruggs style banjo playing so smoothly. He was a ...

    Learn
  • Banjo Dark Hollow Scruggs Style - 2

    Scruggs Style - 2

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      D
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      aDGBD

    There is definitely some Scruggs style challenge for your right and left hand here, but if you practice slow and steady you will win the race.

    Learn
  • Banjo Dark Hollow Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

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

    Dark Hollow played melodic style features a lot of descending scale patterns to create a tasteful and fun version of this song.

    Learn
  • Banjo Dark Hollow Backup

    Backup

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

    This backup version of Dark Hollow teaches the use of 7th chords when playing down-the-neck. This sounds great behind a vocalist, but also will work well behind fiddle solos!

    Learn



Practicing Tips

Begin your learning journey with 'Dark Hollow' using this unique resource. Combining bluegrass banjo tablatures in Scruggs, Scruggs-2, Melodic, and Backup Styles, this course is perfect for intermediate players who want to advance their skills. Vocal song and medium-tempo are the main elements of this learning experience.


To enhance your learning process, the Tunefox platform offers valuable features. The Lick Switcher is just one example. This tool allows you to add new lick vocabulary to your repertoire, giving a different perspective on the same song. By changing the licks for individual measures, a vast range of song variations will be at your disposal. By merely tapping the measure, you can discover what licks are hidden there.


The Arrange slider tool offers an easy and accurate way to customize the difficulty level of the song. Slide it to the left to remove magnitudes of “fill-in” notes, making the song simpler and easier to understand. Conversely, sliding it to the right introduces all the additional notes, enriching the arrangement with the song's full depth and complexity.


Another essential feature for learning 'Dark Hollow' is the tempo slider. This tool allows you to alter the tempo, making it adaptable to your learning speed. By playing along with the backing tracks, your enjoyment of learning can be maximized.


Use the 'Speed Up' function to slowly increase the tempo at a pace suitable for progressively moving to higher speeds. Start your practice at a comfortable pace. The 'Speed Up' function will then incrementally increase the tempo each time you play through the song, making for a smooth transition to faster speeds. Practicing through selected measures and repeating them can greatly improve performance.


Remember, consistent practice is key when learning any instrument. Experiment with different licks, take advantage of the platform features, and enjoy the creative arrangements that 'Dark Hollow' offers. Happy practicing!


Dark Hollow lyrics

Bill Browning

I'd rather be in some dark hollow
Where the sun don't never shine
Than to be all alone and far away from home
It would cause me to lose my mind

CHO:
So blow your whistle fright train
Carry me father on down the track
Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today
I'm going but I ain't coming back

I'd rather be in some dark hollow
Where the sun don't never shine
That to be alone in some big city
In a small room with you on my mind

CHO

Instrumental

CHO

Ref: The Seldom Scene
Recorded Live at the Cellar Door Rebel CD-1103