Fireball Mail banjo tabs
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Tablatures
Scruggs Style
Another classic off of Scruggs's Foggy Mountain Banjo record. Here's a tip: Exaggerate the slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs in the song to make it sound more like Earl.
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Bluegrass
This version of Fireball mail stays close to the melody. It uses less fret hand ornamentation. This easier version is all about the forward roll. Get started with this one, check out a few licks. After this, take a look at the Scruggs Style version. That version is very close to how Earl played it.
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Up the Neck
This is a more simplistic version of Fireball Up the Neck. The right hand pattern here is very similar to the one used in the Bluegrass arrangement of this tune. It has less acrobatics in the arrangement, but plenty of good licks are available in the lick switcher.
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Melodic Style
This arrangement of Fireball Mail starts low, moves high, and then ends low. Make sure you practice the transitions slowly to get them clean.
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More about Fireball Mail
Bluegrass is one of the genres of American music that started in the 1940s. This kind of music first started in the Appalachian region and had its name from the Bill Monroe band and a set of boys known as the Bluegrass Boys. This music is by Flatt & Scruggs and features on the album Foggy Mountain Banjo (1961), on the 1959-1963 (1992) compilation album and eventually on the 1964-1969 compilation album Plus (1992). Flatt & Scruggs have a very good history of popularizing bluegrass music., and they have a special place when you look right up there at the bluegrass hall of fame.
Learn 3 different versions of Fireball Mail, which are all shown on this page. We recommend that you get started with the Scruggs style version, where you’ll learn basic roll pattern and left hand articulations like slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. Next, move on to the Melodic arrangement to learn how to play the melody for Fireball Mail using scales and up the next positions. Lastly, you can check out the Backup arrangement, which shows you how to play behind others while they are soloing.
Use the Tunefox Lick Switcher to explore improvisation and creativity inside the Fireball Mail tablatures. The Lick Switcher will allow you to create your own arrangement using pre-built licks that are handmade by professional musicians. To use the Lick Switcher, click on the text above specific measures that says "Original Measure" and select between a variety of new licks for that measure. You'll find that there are different style licks such as Scruggs, Melodic, Jazz, and more. At the bottom of your page you'll also find a button that says "Shuffle Licks." Click this button and watch the licks randomly shuffle throughout the song.
Be sure to check out all of the great learning tools that Tunefox has to offer such as "Hide Notes", "Memory Train", and "Speed Up". These tools can be found in the "Tools" menu at the bottom right of your screen. Want to learn some of Fireball Mail by ear? Use "Hide Notes" to hide some or all of the notes in the tablature. Once you’re finished learning with the tab use the "Memory Train" tool to commit the song to memory. Then practice with "Speed Up" to improve your technique and speed in no time.
Use the Tunefox backing tracks to practice the solo you’re working on or improvising over the chord changes for Fireball Mail. The backing tracks are recorded samples of real instruments to help simulate practicing with an actual band. You can adjust the volume of the instrument, band, and metronome to your liking.
Members can export their arrangements into PDF, allowing them to print and bring them to their next jam session.