NOTE (10/3/08): Okay, every now and then a guy gets something all wrong, and that’s me today. I had the privilege of meeting Jens Kruger at IBMA, and I asked him to show me how in the world he plays the C part to this tune. He graciously and generously showed me. What I took most careful note of is that the tune is NOT in Mounatin Minor, but rather in open G Minor tuning, i.e., with the B string tuned down to Bb. The transcription is now updated, and I apologize to those, like me, who have tried to learn it the other way - it’s not ALL that much different, but the fingerings are a LOT easier.. Thanks, Jens, for both the tune and the tip!!!

There’s an old banjo joke that goes, “Q: How can you tell one banjo tune from another? A: By their names!” True enough most of the time, but not in this case. You’ve probably never heard anything quite like this on the banjo. And no banjo jokes apply to Jens Kruger. I wish I had the time to learn every note he ever played.

As I’ve probably said before, I am happy to have lived long enough for Jens Kruger and Alison Brown to have brought their respective geniuses to the banjo, and tunes like this one by Jens are the reason for that.

He’s not just kidding about Access All Areas. Any time I think I’m accessing a new area on the banjo, I discover that Jens has already been there, and been there better. I wish I had written this tune, but I had to settle for tabbing it out instead, enough of a challenge in its own right, I might add. It is not easy to play, and you will have to work at the fingerings. It is in G Modal tuning (brought up to A with the capo), also known as Sawmill tuning, or Mountain Minor. Believe me, it is worth the effort to learn! I think it was the Jerry Reed-like “C-Part” that got me going on it - I still think that’s just the coolest thing ever, knuckle-buster that it is. ... Read More