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Banjo tablatures for Bury Me Beneath the Willow

The Carter Family

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #vocal song, #murder ballad, #medium-tempo

This song has a really sad background story. It tells a tale of a girl who wants to die and have herself buried under a weeping willow tree. Just to have her fiancé who broke her heart by cheating on her, come weep for her right there. it’s also known that the song was archived by a professor at the University of Missouri in 1906 who was in a club that collected old folk songs. The original singer of the song is not known, but a recording was done in 1924 by Henry Whitter and titled “The Weeping Willow”. But it was the carter family that made it popular with their ballad version in 1927. It’s not certain but their version might have been inspired by the Whitter’s version. And the group also had a remake of the song called “Answer to Weeping Willow”, in 1936. With the beautiful melody and nice tunes, there still hasn’t been anyone who can point to the source of the song. Which is common to mountain songs.

  • Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      95 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    This version of Bury Me Beneath the Willow uses lots of slurs to imitate the vocal inflections. It's these types of nuances that make a great Scruggs style solo.

    Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Scruggs Style
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  • Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Scruggs Style-2

    Scruggs Style-2

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      C
    • Tempo
      100 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    Nothing too crazy here. Check out this arrangement in C to expand your fretboard knowledge. If a singer wants to sing this in C, we need to be ready!

    Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Scruggs Style-2
    Learn
  • Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      95 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    A nice mixture of Scruggs and melodic with some great licks for you to learn! Try to bring out the melody notes as best as you can. Learning a verse can really help!

    Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Melodic Style
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  • Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Backup

    Backup

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      G
    • Tempo
      95 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    This arrangement of Bury Me Beneath the Willow features classic Scruggs style forward roll backup licks. Many of these licks utilize the 5th string as an extra "color" note.

    Banjo Bury Me Beneath the Willow Backup
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Practicing Tips

The 'Bury Me Beneath the Willow' learning resource slides you right into the entrancing world of bluegrass banjo. The content is designed for intermediate players and delivers crystal-clear tablatures in Scruggs, Scruggs-2, Melodic, Backup Styles. It's built around the visceral themes of a vocal song, murder ballad of medium-tempo.


The learning success heavily leans on the unique features of the Tunefox platform. Its 'Lick Switcher' is arguably one of the most dynamic, shaking up your perspective by introducing new lick vocabulary. As you manipulate licks for individual measures, your once rigid interpretation of the song unfurls, spreading out into a world of endless variations.


Then, there's the 'Arrange Slider,' your ticket to a custom difficulty setting. A nudge to the left, and the tablature simplifies, mirroring a basic arrangement as the “fill-in” notes dissipate. Slide it right, and your tablature brims with lattices of notes, granting you an all-access pass to the song in its full glory.


Other delightful features include a 'Tempo Slider,' letting you command the pace like the conductor of your own symphony. Pair it with the 'Speed Up' feature that hikes the tempo in gentle increments, granting you an exhilarating yet manageable blitz through the song.


Remember to pratice with the backing tracks as well; repeat measures until you're comfortable with them. Turn the cycle of acceleration—starting slow, gradually building speed, and finally, mastering the song at a brisk tempo into a cherished routine. With persistence and patience, the enchanting tunes of 'Bury Me Beneath the Willow' will roll off your fingertips just as smoothly as they roll off your tongue.


Bury Me Beneath the Willow lyrics

My heart is sad and full of sorrow,
Weeping for the one I love.
When shall I see her, oh, no never,
'till we meet in Heaven above.

(Chorus)

Bury me beneath the willow,
Under the weeping willow tree.
So she may know where I am sleeping,
And perhaps sheíll weep for me.

Tomorrow is our wedding day,
But Lord, Lord where is she?
She's gone, she'­s gone to seek another,
She no longer cares for me.

(Chorus)

She told me that she did not love me,
But I couldn't believe it true.
Until an angel softly whispered,
She no longer cares for you.

(Chorus)

Place on my grave a snow-white Lilly,
For to prove my love was true.
To show the world I died of grieving,
For her love I could not win.

(Chorus)