UPDATE! : This page has a brand new, easier-to-use format, with the MIDI samples, BEFORE each title. June 22, 2012
MIDI - Edelweiss - Rodgers & Hammerstein - Instrumental in G: Starts out Entirely Chord-Melody Style, followed by a Roll-Style arrangement - Posted 3-29-2012
MIDI - Pearl, Pearl, Pearl - Flatt & Scruggs - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in G. Includes mostly Open-Position solos between verses with variations. This is not a transcription of any of Earl's recorded performances. It is the melody as sung, harmonized with Scruggs style back-up... followed by the melody as sung played in solo style as close as possible in Scruggs style. Added 3-19-2012
MIDI - Alien Abduction Probe - Hayseed Dixie - Fakebook arrangement in the original key of D, out of standard G tuning... Includes ALL lyrics and a multiple position Scruggs style solo after each Chorus... This is not a transcription of Hayseed Dixie's banjo work, but a transcription of the melody, supported by standard Scruggs and melodic style banjo. Added 3-10-2012
MIDI - Liberty in G- Traditional Irish Fiddle Tune in G - Usually this tune is play in D by mandolin and fiddle players... But it makes a nice melodic style solo in G if you're playing by yourself. Added 3-8-2012
MIDI - Liberty in D - Traditional Irish Fiddle Tune in G - Usually this tune is play in D by mandolin and fiddle players... But it makes a nice melodic style solo in G if you're playing by yourself. Added 3-8-2012
MIDI - Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics - in D (Capoed to the 7th and 12th frets). The banjo plays rhythm and Scruggs style Back-up in this arrangement... there is a Segue where the rhythm banjo plays the equivalent of a chord solo, but that's the extent of soloing in this arrangement. Added 3-8-2012
MIDI - Last Train From Clarksville - The Monkees - All instrumental in G... Not hard to play if you have basic Scruggs style in your paws - Added 3-3-2012
MIDI - I Feel Fine - Lennon & McCartney - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in the key of G. Short solo that parallels George's short guitar solo. Includes, lead, back-up and rhtyhm, in addition to melody line and lyrics. Added 2-16-2012
MIDI - Golden Slumbers - Carry That Weight - In The End (Medley) Lennon & McCartney: Fakebook arrangement. No solos, per se. Melody as sung is supported throughout by simple, Scruggs-style accompaniment or back-up. Added 2-16-2012
MIDI -Southern Nights - Glen Campbell - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics. NO solo per se, just back-up, accompaniment, lyrics and melpody line. Added 2-14-2012
MIDI - Zippity-Doo-Dah (Zippity Aye) - Music by Allie Wrubel & Lyrics by Ray Gilbert, Circa 1946 - Instrumental arrangement (No Lyrics) in Chord-Melody and Melodic Style... It's mostly melody and melodic style with supporting chords in the solo. Definitely not Scruggs style and not hard to play in my opinion. This arrangement contains not only the Melody as stated, but the roll-style (Bum-Dittty) accompaniment on a separate staff and guitar-style accompaniment on yet another staff... kind of a 3-part, banjo mini-orchestra arrangement as 3 banjos could play this simultaneously. Standard G tuning. Added 2-12-2012
MIDI - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot - I did this arrangement in 2009 as an instrumental and just added fingering... still one of my favorites - Fairly Easy to play - All in the open position - Added 2-9-2012
MIDI - Ground Hog - Traditional - Fakebook style arrangement in G with 2 verses and a basic, Scruggs style solo... Open and closed positions (up the neck) - Added 2-2-2012
MIDI - Georgia in C - For Lew Stern - Instrumental in C - Added 1-31-2012
MIDI - Dear Abby - John Prine - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyricsin G - Complete banjo accompaniment and open-position solo between verses. Added 1-27-2012
MIDI - Jackson - Johnny Cash - Fakebook arrangement in G. Contains ALL lyrics and a relatively esasy, mostly open-position solo. Added 1-27-2012
MIDI - When You Wish Upon A Star - Walt Disney Theme Music - This instrumental arrangement is mostly Chord-Melody, the bridge is Scruggs style... NO lyrics in this arrangement. Key of G. Added 1-20-2012
MIDI - Dire Wolf - Grateful Dead - With ALL lyrics... Fakebook style arrangement and 2 solos... Key of G
MIDI - Sponge Bob Square Pants Theme Music - With ALL lyrics and banjo solo. Key of G. Added 12-27-2011.
MIDI - Today I Started Loving You Again - Merle Haggard - Key of G - Fakebook with all lyrics and banjo solo.
MIDI - Landslide - Stevie Nicks - Key of F - This is a Fakebook arrangement with all lyrics and melody played in a harmonica voice to imitate it's human counterpart. The Banjo only plays back-up in this arrangement. Added 12-15-2011
MIDI - Baby Elephant Walk- Henry Mancini - A banjo instrumental in G... melodic style... The arrangement is supported by 2 banjos. One playing the boogie pattern in the bass... and the other adding variations while the 1st banjo continues the theme... Not really a solo, but the melody is there and I would probably call it a study or a Banjo Trio, since there are 3 banjo parts.
MIDI - Dooley - The Dillards - A fairly easy-to-play Scruggs style characterization of the Dillards famous melody. No Lyrics. Mostly Open Position. A great warm-up tune for any Scruggs style player.
MIDI - Take Me In Your Life Boat - Chris Hillman - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in the key of G. The arrangement starts out with a Chord-Melody solo that quotes the melody of the chorus, using bar chords that move around the neck. The actual Scruggs style banjo solo happens twice and is mostly in the open position and is not at all hard to play if you have basic Scruggs style in your paws. A great bluegrass standard by Chris Hillman. Added 11-26-2011.
MIDI - God Bless America - Irving Berlin - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in the key of G. This arrangement has a built-in "Chord-Melody" solo on the second staff from the top. Because the arrangement contains the melody as sung on the top staff, it also has a staff for back-up banjo that not only supports the melody as sung, but also adds effect and support to the Chord-Melody solo played on the second staff. This arrangement is challenging, in that it uses slightly advanced bar chords all over the neck of the banjo. The back-up banjo part is mostly bum-ditty style, uses practically no bar chords and only simple ones when it does. I'm very fond of the type of supportive harmony used in this arrangement and found specifically in the Chord-Melody solo.
MIDI - Wait So Long - Trampled by Turtles - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in the key of G. Because of the odd, flatpicked nature of the original banjo solo in their video, I chose to use a facimile solo... not hard to play...
MIDI - Pancho & Lefty - Townes Van Zandt - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in the key of G. Contains a mostly open-position Scruggs style solo that features the melody of this great Van Zandt tune. It's hard to have a favorite Van Zandt tune... I like everything he wrote, but this one got covered by a lot of folks... just a great tune. I released this tune previously, but this particular arrangement has been greatly re-done. The guitar accompaniment has been converted to rhythm banjo and the back-up banjo part has been completely re-done... The back-up banjo part now is entirely 'bum-ditty' style to reflect Townes' choice of Travis style guitar. Check out the MIDI sample file.
MIDI - Rainbow Connection - A Fakebook arragement with ALL lyrics in the key of G. Features the famous intro banjo riff that Kermit played. After the initial signature riff, the banjo plays back-up to support the melody. Not at all hard to play.
MIDI - Rawhide - Television Theme Music - performed by Frankie Laine - This is a fakebook style tune in that it has ALL lyrics and all verses, choruses, etc. It is not a solo per se, but an arrangement featuring the banjo playing mostly back-up and separately as a rhythm instrument. Not hard to play. Check out the MIDI sample file.
MIDI - Are You Praying Hard or Hardly Praying? - The Chigger Hill Boys - This is a fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics and a Scruggs style banjo solo in the key of gm. The banjo is tuned to standard G tuning, but plays in such a way as to sound minor and modal rather than major... not hard to do... Check out the MIDI sample file.
MIDI - Simple Man - Lynard Skynard: This is an orchestrated, multi-part, instrumental arrangement that begins with the well-known arpeggiated guitar part in the original key of C. In this particular arrangement, I converted all former guitar parts, except the intial signature arpeggiated guitar part, to banjo... including the lead and rhythm parts specifically... There are no lyrics... just the instrumental parts.
MIDI - No Sugar Tonight - The Guess Who - A complete, Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics and lead guitar parts worked out for banjo... also includes the 'New Mother Nature' song. Added 10-10-2011
MIDI - Carolina In The Pines - Michael Martin Murphy - This is a re-work of a formerly released arrangement by me. In this rendition, I added the lyrics under the solo itself... not a fakebook arrangement, but a Scruggs style solo that follows the melody if Murhy's tune... and the lyrics to the first verse and chorus added under the solo. Added 10-12-2011
MIDI - Going to California - Led Zeppelin - This is a complete Fakebook style arrangement with all parts (including the signature mandolin riffs) being played by the banjo. All lyrics and parts included. Added 10-1-2011
MIDI - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics. Not a solo per se, but does include a chord-melody rendition of Dixie as the intro to the tune. Added 9-25-2011
MIDI - Copperhead Road - Steve Earle - This is a Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics that features the repeating signature mandolin riffs played as back-up entirely on the banjo. Not hard to play.
MIDI - The Mountain - Steve Earle - Fakebook arrangement with ALL lyrics in the key of D... out of standard G tuning... Not hard to play.
MIDI - Oxycontin Blues - Steve Earle - This is a Fakebook arrangement in the key of Gm. It uses the gm tuning, same as standard G major tuning, but the 2nd string B is lowered to a Bb. Not hard to play. Features a repeating solo in gm.
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