John Henry - Lesson
Added 2018-06-24 11:35:09 +0000 UTCgCGCC relative tuning ("Darling Cora tuning"). Here's how I figured out my original arrangement of John Henry many years ago. It's pretty simple.
When John Henry was a baby boy
Sitting on his mamma's knee,
Said that Oak Mountain Tunnel on the Georgia Road
Gonna be the death of me (x2)
John Henry said to the captain
A man ain't nothing but a man,
If I can't beat this steam drill down
I'll die with my hammer in my hand (x2)
John Henry hammered on that mountainside
Til his hammer was a striking fire,
The rocks was so tall poor Johnny was so small
He laid down his hammer and he died (x2)
They carried him off of the railroad track
They burried him down in the sand,
Every locomotive what came a roaring by
Cried yonder lies a steel driving man (x2)
Some people say he came from Tennessee
Some people say from Alabam,
I don't give a damn where that poor boy was from
You know he was a steel driving man (x2)
Comments
Is there a tab of John Henry 2-Finger Style? And i would love if you could do some more tunes in the gcgcc tuning. Really love it. Thanks anyway for all of your work!
Raphael Loher
2024-05-25 16:54:58 +0000 UTCNate, lyrics _should_ either be included with the Patreon post, or in the Youtube description. Looks like I skipped this one because my John Henry lyrics are fairly typical of what most people song. I will add my lyrics to this post, so check beck in a minute.
Clifton Hicks
2020-12-13 12:32:20 +0000 UTCHowdy Clifton, would you ever consider posting lyrics to some of these tunes?
Nate lore
2020-12-13 05:27:58 +0000 UTCIs there any chance to get a close up of your 2 finger version of this song to get a better feel for everything around the melody notes. All the best Tommy
Tommy Eklund
2020-11-19 18:59:03 +0000 UTC"Chug a pint of brown liquor and call me in the morning!"
Clifton Hicks
2018-06-27 15:41:57 +0000 UTCHelp Help since I retuned my banjo to CCC I cannot stop playing John Henry or similar tunes on that banjo. I am supposed to be building up calluses on my dreadnaught to play bluegrass an hour from now but I cannot sop playing this in my own way
Tony Thomas
2018-06-27 15:22:41 +0000 UTCEven tho it probably originated on guitar, thi was probably one of the most common black or white old time tunes in the 20th century and for some became THE banjo tune. Many socalled old time jams if you call this tune, let alone if u want to play it in a particular traditional way like that, many people wont pick with you, Shame
Tony Thomas
2018-06-26 23:00:47 +0000 UTCI havent fooled with this tuning in 5 or 6 years but boy is this tune sweet in this tuning bopth finger style and frailing
Tony Thomas
2018-06-26 22:58:58 +0000 UTCHey Jake. Nice to see you here. I used to try to play any modal tune I played in sawmill tuning this way and you can get a lot more bass for singing out of the two low strings i this tuning with out worrying about the top 2 strings whatsoever for model or blues tunes
Tony Thomas
2018-06-26 22:53:03 +0000 UTCI'll echo this--the banjo's ability to play melody and rhythm simultaneously make it a lot easier for me to sing with. I'm always plunking out the melody so my banjo is always reminding my voice what note we're supposed to be playing!
Jake Tolbert
2018-06-26 18:16:39 +0000 UTCIt helps when you sing the lyrics as your are striking the notes, too (like you did here)... for an aspiring "singer" like me, it helps my ear to hear someone vocalizing the notes... I have a hard time hearing the pitch of my voice with just my banjo, but playing/singing along with the video like this helps. Thanks!
Justin Hoffmann
2018-06-25 02:29:34 +0000 UTCsome time in the future could you do the Black Bottom Blues.
James McIntyre
2018-06-24 23:02:49 +0000 UTCI guess any CC tune can be played in CCC, just more awkwardly! I sometimes play Soldier's Joy in CCC, it just doesn't flow right for me.
Bobby Banks
2018-06-24 20:10:15 +0000 UTCOK, tunes for triple C ? Due to age, old injuries and general incompetence I took to two finger chords in triple C. For starters, Fret the bottom C and C on the second string C - you can find loads of tunes up and down the neck.
Paul Stewart
2018-06-24 18:32:23 +0000 UTC
