The Banjo Player's Songbook

by Tim Jumper, Peter Pickow (Editor)

(Music Sales America). Over 200 great songs arranged for the five-string banjo complete with lyrics for each song. Includes folk songs, sentimental favorites, songs of the sea, fiddle tunes, and much more. Spiral bound. Songs include: Home on the Range * On Top of Old Smoky * She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain * You Are My Sunshine * Polly Wolly Doodle * Little Liza Jane * Yankee Doodle * The Wabash Cannonball * Go Tell Aunt Rhody * Buffalo Gals * Skip to My Lou * Loch Lomond * What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor? * The Camptown Races * Oh! Susanna * Ring, Ring the Banjo * Bill Bailey * Simple Gifts * and many more.

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Robert Gustavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become my go-to book for finding tabulature -- the tabs are generally pretty straightforward, and at a not-complete-beginner level without becoming too challenging. And a very nice mix of songs, from the old standards to things like Hava Nagalia.

There are a few weird idioms that Jumper uses, for instance, brushing twice in a row, which seem a bit weird and inauthentic in a lot of songs where it is used. But, I haven't found a single book of tabs where the author doesn't have some distinctive quirk they inflict upon innocent songs. Tabs are a starting point, anyway, so you are bound to make some changes as you play.

And there are a few weird tunings. Jumper is quite fond of a gDGBbD tuning, which is actually surprisingly lovely. It is used mostly only songs that are more commonly in gDGCD tuning, and provides a similar haunting tone.

I'll refer to other books, but more often than not just to add flourishes and variations to the basic structure this book has given me.

[Adhoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good old tunes with simple arrangements for beginner to advanced players