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Banjo tablatures for East Tennessee Blues

Bill Monroe

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #swing music, #bluesy, #medium-tempo

"East Tennessee Blues" written by Charlie Bowman, is an American old-time fiddle song that dates back to the 20th century. Its first recording was done by Al Hopkins. A number of versions have been released by prominent bluegrass artists such as Bill Monroe, Doc Watson and Tony Jackson. It has since become a mainstay of bluegrass music and is still been performed by singers such as steep canyon rangers and even the famous East Tennessee start university bluegrass pride band. According to Bowman, the sing could not satisfactorily be tagged a blues simply because it has blues in its name. the name was suggested by fiddler and bandleader, AL Hopkins who was in the list of those that did the first recording. However, the attachment of blues to the name added some commercial value.

  • Banjo East Tennessee Blues Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

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

    East Tennessee Blues is a swing tune turned bluegrass. There's a lot of opportunities to use 7th chords to spice up the harmony.

    Banjo East Tennessee Blues Melodic Style
    Learn
  • Banjo East Tennessee Blues Backup

    Backup

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

    This backup version of East Tennessee Blues uses 6th and 7th chords to give the regular chords some color. This makes it sound a little bit more jazzy.

    Banjo East Tennessee Blues Backup
    Learn



Practicing Tips

Learning Overview

If you're an intermediate Banjo player keen on mastering the swing music of 'East Tennessee Blues,' you're in the right place. This resource provides Melodic and Backup style Bluegrass banjo tablatures specifically tailored for you. The song, with its bluesy sound, and medium tempo, offers an exciting challenge and a chance to hone skills in a new genre. Employing the Tunefox platform features, you'll learn to play this tune with a customized arrangement that suits your taste.


Learning Tips

The key to mastering 'East Tennessee Blues' lies in a full exploration of the Tunefox features. The Lick Switcher offers an immersive learning experience, granting access to new lick vocabulary and a wide range of variations to the song. You simply have to tap the measure to unveil the hidden licks. This allows you to change licks for individual measures, giving the song a personal touch while expanding your interpretation of the tune.


Setting the difficulty level is no more daunting with the Arrange slider. Its precise adjustment capability allows you to define your arrangement's complexity. For a simpler, core arrangement, slide the bar to the left to eliminate extra notes. Conversely, pushing the slider to the right creates a fully adorned arrangement that showcases the song in its totality. Ensure to use the Tempo Slider to adjust the speed to your comfort level.


Practicing with backing tracks not only adds fun to your practice sessions but also prepares you for real jam sessions. An indispensable part of learning Bluegrass is to just play the music and experiment! Leverage the 'Speed Up' function to gradually increase the playback speed. Begin at a pace you're comfortable with, then let 'Speed Up' augment the tempo each time you replay the tune. This strategy will progressively accustom you to higher speeds.


As general tips, remember that consistent practice and patience are paramount. Take time to master one lick before proceeding to the next. Learning a new song is typically a monumental task; break it into smaller, manageable parts using the Loop function. Loop selected measures and repeat them. Do not rush – take time to understand and enjoy the process!