The Banjo Book, Volume One
The Banjo Book Tune List
There are 40 tunes to include, in part, the following:
"Down Yonder", "Essex Junction*", "Fireball Mail", "Hard Wide Road*", "Old Joe Clark", "Pike County Breakdown", "Red River Valley", "Red Wing", "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain", "Turkey in the Straw", "Union County", "Y'all Come", "You Are My Sunshine", "Bugle Call Rag" and many, many others including such all-time favorites as: "Black Mountain Rag", "Foggy Mountain Special", "Get in Line Brother", Lost All My Money", "McCormick String Picnic", "Haskel's Stomp", "Molly and Tenbrooks", "Monroe's Hornpipe", "My Little Girl in Tennessee", "Nine Pound Hammer", "No Mother or Dad", "Pickaway", "Rawhide", "Roanoke", "Santa Claus", "Stoney Lonesome", "Sweet Dixie", "Theme Time", "Will You Be Loving Another Man" and more.
This page opens with one of my original tunes called "Alder Brook" being played by a computerized banjo. I've provided the first page of Tablature and music to give an idea of how the book is written. Click on the Tablature to enlarge it for better viewing. A very proud moment in my life was many years ago when I received an ovation from my Fans at a bluegrass festival when this piece was played by a band out of Rochester, NY. The band's banjo picker had called me one night and asked if I would send him the tablature to this piece and also asked for the mechanical rights to play the piece on their festival circuit. The banjoist was left-handed which presented some interesting challenges for me to transcribe the music to Tab. It is truly a rewarding honor to have an original piece played by others in the business.
"Hard Wide Road" is a piece played in 3/8 time and is included to show the fundamentals of this style of timing. "Essex Junction" is a rag played in 'drop C' tuning and is included to show this type of picking. "You Are My Sunshine" is played in 'D' tuning and has an alternate break using tuners. "Alder Brook" is played in 'G Minor' tuning as is "Foggy Mountain Minor" which are both instrumentals that I composed back in the early '90's.
"Down Yonder", "Essex Junction*", "Fireball Mail", "Hard Wide Road*", "Old Joe Clark", "Pike County Breakdown", "Red River Valley", "Red Wing", "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain", "Turkey in the Straw", "Union County", "Y'all Come", "You Are My Sunshine", "Bugle Call Rag" and many, many others including such all-time favorites as: "Black Mountain Rag", "Foggy Mountain Special", "Get in Line Brother", Lost All My Money", "McCormick String Picnic", "Haskel's Stomp", "Molly and Tenbrooks", "Monroe's Hornpipe", "My Little Girl in Tennessee", "Nine Pound Hammer", "No Mother or Dad", "Pickaway", "Rawhide", "Roanoke", "Santa Claus", "Stoney Lonesome", "Sweet Dixie", "Theme Time", "Will You Be Loving Another Man" and more.
This page opens with one of my original tunes called "Alder Brook" being played by a computerized banjo. I've provided the first page of Tablature and music to give an idea of how the book is written. Click on the Tablature to enlarge it for better viewing. A very proud moment in my life was many years ago when I received an ovation from my Fans at a bluegrass festival when this piece was played by a band out of Rochester, NY. The band's banjo picker had called me one night and asked if I would send him the tablature to this piece and also asked for the mechanical rights to play the piece on their festival circuit. The banjoist was left-handed which presented some interesting challenges for me to transcribe the music to Tab. It is truly a rewarding honor to have an original piece played by others in the business.
"Hard Wide Road" is a piece played in 3/8 time and is included to show the fundamentals of this style of timing. "Essex Junction" is a rag played in 'drop C' tuning and is included to show this type of picking. "You Are My Sunshine" is played in 'D' tuning and has an alternate break using tuners. "Alder Brook" is played in 'G Minor' tuning as is "Foggy Mountain Minor" which are both instrumentals that I composed back in the early '90's.
The text has been tweaked. The tunes have been checked and rechecked for accuracy in notation. A sample book was in hand and I went through each page as though I was a first-time reader so as to better determine the usability and flow of the book. The book is not intended for beginners and presumes a certain amount of banjo talent from the start. The pieces are not abbreviated; they are advanced in every detail including intricate ornamentation such as 1/32 note pull-offs, hammer-ons and slides and even an occasional 1/64 note brush.
The rolls are full with very few pinches. There are up-the-neck breaks, chokes, harmonics, tunes in different tunings such as Drop C, Standard D and Alternate D, G Minor and of course standard G tuning. Even a couple of alternate breaks for banjoists with tuners affixed to their 5-stringers. All fingering and ornamentation is provided right below the banjo tablature. The banjoist need not refer to the music staff above the tab although the music is provided as well.
The book comes in at 92 pages. (Intro, text and 40 tunes)
The project is complete and is published.
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The book is dedicated to the memory of my friend Wilfred Challet of Massachusetts who recently passed away. "Will" was a truly great man. He and I shared many great conversations, stories, licks, tunes and good times together over the years. I will miss him very much.
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UPDATE: The first book has been published and I've decided to change from white pages to cream-colored pages...just a little different, and perhaps a little more attractive and easier on the eyes for the user.
I've also decided to sell it for NOTE PRICE INCREASE: $40.00 with the reference CD (plus shipping charges).
Email for your copy. fawarner946@hotmail.com
Thank You Very Much!
What a nice warm reception this manual has received. Thank you for taking the time to email me and express your pleasure with the book. Every effort will be made to answer any questions you may have about anything in the book, too, so feel free to email.
