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Banjo tablatures for Down in the Willow Garden

Traditional

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #murder ballad, #waltz, #medium-tempo

"Down in the Willow Garden" also called "Rose Connelly" is a song that may have its origins from Irish sources in the 19th century. The song was first recorded as "Rose Conley" in either 1927 or 1928 by G. B. Grayson and Henry Whitter. In 1937, another version was recorded by Wade Mainer and Zeke Morris, giving it the name, "Down in the Willow Garden". The song is an Appalachian murder ballad that tells the story of a lady who was poisoned, stabbed, and had her body thrown into the river by her lover. The story or lyric was written from the perspective of the murderer. A man whose father had promised to buy his freedom but failed and was condemned to watch his son executed. Being faced with death, the murderer is overwhelmed by the realization of his action and what pain he has caused his family. A truly sad story considering the victim was assumed to be pregnant. We can only speculate about his motive or motivation but all in all, Rose Connelly got justice for her murder. The song has different versions performed using different styles, one version from Galway is slightly different and has similar lyrics with W. B Yeats 1899 poem called “Down by the Salley Gardens”. Unlike many other Irish ballads, the tune was initially limited to being played in the Appalachian region of the US. But in 1915 it was noted and had a reference in 1895 in Wetzel County, West Virginia. There are over a dozen recordings of the songs and one of the versions that made it popular was that recorded by Charlie Monroe in 1947.

  • Banjo Down in the Willow Garden Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

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

    Shelor Transcription. 'Nuff said.

    Banjo Down in the Willow Garden Scruggs Style
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  • Banjo Down in the Willow Garden Single String Style

    Single String Style

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

    Slides and pulls help to spice up this simple single string arrangement.

    Banjo Down in the Willow Garden Single String Style
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  • Banjo Down in the Willow Garden Backup

    Backup

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

    Backup. Shelor Style. Extra Lonesome.

    Banjo Down in the Willow Garden Backup
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Practicing Tips

Unlock the rich, tantalizing essence of 'Down in the Willow Garden', a riveting murder ballad through our educational tool designed for intermediate learners. Discover the bliss of bluegrass banjo through intricate tabs available in Scruggs, Single String, and Backup Styles. Engross yourself in the mesmerizing allure of waltz rhythm, gracefully flowing at medium pace.


Enhance your learning journey with the robust features of our Tunefox platform. The platform offers a multitude of tools to jazz up your musical experience, making it interactive, easy, and, most importantly, fun! Unleash your creativity by personalizing the arrangement of the song.


Two of our key features loves by our users are the Lick Switcher and Arrange Slider. The Lick Switcher is an essential element, adding new licks to your musical palette, enabling you to perceive the song through varied lenses. This feature infuses unique variations and enriching the arrangement possibilities, underscoring different interpretations of the tune.


The Arrange slider is an innovative tool aiming to synchronize with your growth. It allows learners to tweak the song's difficulty levels and tones as per their comfort, ensuring the learning curve is smooth and enjoyable.


Our practice tools kit is comprehensive, tailoring to the individual needs of the learners. It includes features such as adjusting the tempo to suit your pace and backing tracks for experiential learning. To spice up your practice sessions, we have added the Speed Up Function and the option to hide notes to learn by ear, enhancing your musical journey.


We believe that learning needs to be personalized, and hence we recommend some general practice tips. Start slow, grasp the fundamentals, lay a solid foundation, and then gradually progress towards advanced variations. Remember, the journey of learning music is as beautiful as the destination.