Jack Tuttle’s Bluegrass Banjo Collection, Vol. 1

This book has been re-titled Jack Tuttle’s Banjo Primer, but here are the mp3 files for the earlier version, previously called Jack Tuttle’s Bluegrass Banjo Collection, vol 1.

Below is the song index. To hear the audio for most of these songs, visit the Songs and Sheet Music Page.

  • Worried Man Blues simple arranement, uses one forward roll all the way
  • Banjo in the Hollow uses forward-reverse roll much of the way
  • Mountain Dew alternating thumb roll
  • I’ll Fly Away mixes previously learned rolls
  • Cripple Creek (1) simplified arrangement
  • Way Downtown focuses on an index lead roll
  • My Little Girl In Tennessee adds in a new classic Scruggs roll
  • Roll on Buddy reverse roll
  • Foggy Mountain Top mix of things rolls and some new hammer-on ideas
  • Lonesome Road Blues (1) introduces another classic Scruggs roll
  • Will The Circle Be Unbroken? uses forward roll in a new way
  • I Saw the Light another new roll added
  • I Saw the Light (backup) some backup ideas
  • Freight Train focuses on a two-finger roll
  • Cripple Creek (2) the first real Scruggs arangement in the book
  • Doug’s Tune written by Doug Dillard – uses one of the classic rolls associated with him
  • Dooley one more by Doug Dillard
  • Hot Corn Cold Corn Scruggs’s version
  • Dark Hollow first piece in the book played in the key of C
  • Dark Hollow (backup) some more backup ideas for C
  • Bury Me Beneath The Willow full of standard Scruggs ideas
  • Short Life Of Trouble first waltz (3/4) in the book
  • This Morning At Nine focuses on a roll that leads with the middle finger
  • This Morning At Nine (backup) more backup ideas
  • Cumberland Gap classic Scruggs break that moves up the neck
  • Fireball Mail classic Scruggs break
  • Little Darling Pal Of Mine more Scruggs
  • Old Joe Clark my arrangement
  • Ballad of Jed Clampet Scruggs solo taken from the actual TV show theme
  • The Bluebirds Are Singing For Me another key of C break
  • Big Mon my arrangement of Bill Monroe authored fiddle tune. Scruggs style approach
  • Molly and Tenbrooks – my transcription of Craig Smith’s break
  • Foggy Mountain. Breakdown classic Scruggs piece, his first time through the tune
  • Foggy Mtn. Breakdown (up the neck) his most classic up-the-neck break
  • I’ll Talk It All Over With Him from J.D. Crowe with the Bluegrass Album Band
  • Clinch Mountain Backstep a Ralph Stanley banjo classic – pretty close to his version
  • The Children Are Crying another key of C
  • Old Home Place my arrangement of a Dillard’s classic – pretty standard solo
  • Highway Of Regret Ralph Stanley’s classic solo
  • Walls Of Time bluesy break in the key of C
  • Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine Ralph Stanley’s classic solo
  • Pretty Polly Ralph Stanley’s classic solo
  • When You And I Were Young, Maggie my arrangement
  • The Old Home Town from J.D. Crowe with the Bluegrass Album Band
  • Head Over Heels In Love With You from J.D. Crowe with the Bluegrass Album Band
  • High On A Mountain my arrangement
  • Ocean Of Diamonds my arrangement of a Jimmy Martin waltz classic
  • Katy Daley – Ralph Stanley’s classic solo
    Black Mountain Rag my arrangement of a standard fiddle tune – the A version – mostly Scruggs style
  • Blue Ridge Cabin Home from J.D. Crowe with the Bluegrass Album Band
  • Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow my version in C – drop C tuning.
  • Train 45 Paul Craft’s version as he played it with Jimmy Martin
  • Spinning Wheel my arrangement of an underplayed tune on C
  • Sunny Side of the Mountain my arrangement of a Jimmy Martin classic – liberal use of syncopation
  • Sweet Sunny South my arrangement
  • Salt Creek my arrangement of a fiddle clasic, Scruggs style
  • Footprints In The Snow my arrangement in drop C tuning
  • Turkey Knob my arrangement of a Eddie Adcock banjo tune
  • I’ll Never Shed Another Tear from J.D. Crowe with the Bluegrass Album Band
  • Soldier’s Joy my version played out of D
    Grandfather’s Clock my version, uses harmonics
  • Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms – classic Scruggs break
  • Nobody’s Business – Ralph Stanley’s classic solo
  • Theme Time my very straight ahead version of a banjo tune from the Jimmy Martin repertoire
  • Pike County Breakdown classic Scruggs break that uses some single-string
  • Bill Cheatum my version with some melodic style
  • Think Of What You’ve Done from Jim Mills’ recording with Ricky Skaggs
  • Cherokee Shuffle my version of a fiddle tune classic
  • My Rose of Old Kentucky up the neck example of Bill Monroe song
  • Liberty – my version – uses some syncopation
  • Little Maggie classic Scruggs up-the-neck break
  • Lonesome Road Blues (2) classic Scruggs up-the-neck break
  • Arkansas Traveler my take on a standard fiddle tune played out of C
  • Ground Speed classic Scruggs break
  • Why Did You Wander? my version of a staright ahead up-the-neck solo
  • Salty Dog classic Scruggs break
  • It Takes One To Know One waltz using lots of triplets and up-the-neck
  • Toy Heart from J.D. Crowe with the Bluegrass Album Band
  • Red Wing my version
  • East Virginia Blues based on the playing of Harley Bray (Bray Brothers) played out of C
  • Blackberry Blossom my arrangement – mostly melodic style
  • Foggy Mountain Special classic Scruggs break