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Banjo tablatures for New River Train

Bill Monroe

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #vocal song, #old time, #up-tempo

Here is an early country song that is still famous around bluegrass and old-time circles. The song was thought to have been related to the railroad lines located in the area of Southwestern Virginia. The new river train was part of the transport means that served the town of Fires from around 1893 to 1985. The melody has been recorded several times and has a description termed “Blue Ridge Mountain Standards,” and the first version was from Henry Whitter in 1924. Bill Monroe recorded it in 1930, and that was before he even became famous. Also, Sid Heakreader played guitar to accompany his vocals in 1925 while performing the song. The recording by oddity was in 1927, and it was done in key ‘G’ right there by the South Georgia Highballers, and they released the sing as Green River Train. One early performance by Kelly Harrell also happened in 1925, but his career was cut short because he couldn’t play the instrument well enough. There are lots of other versions but, they all have that unique blend of enjoyable bluegrass stint that makes them stand out.

  • Banjo New River Train Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

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

    This is a straightforward way to play the melody of New River Train using traditional phrasing and Scruggs playing.

    Banjo New River Train Scruggs Style
    Learn
  • Banjo New River Train Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

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

    This melodic arrangement of New River Train gives you more to work with as far as licks and phrasing goes. There are some classic scale patterns and licks featuring in this version!

    Banjo New River Train Melodic Style
    Learn
  • Banjo New River Train Backup

    Backup

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

    This is a great demonstration of how to play up-the-neck backup and gradually move your way down the neck to the open positions.

    Banjo New River Train Backup
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Practicing Tips

Learning Overview: 'New River Train' is a vocal song, deeply rooted in the old time tradition, styled around an up-tempo beat. Designed specifically for intermediate players, this learning resource equips you with bluegrass banjo tablatures in Scruggs, Melodic, and Backup Styles. Master the variations of this delightful tune and hone your skills using the sophisticated features of the Tunefox platform.


Practice Tip #1 Use the 'Lick Switcher' to broaden your lick vocabulary. This intuitive feature allows you to change the licks for specific measures, thus enabling you to explore an array of variations. Personalize the arrangement according to your preferences, learn new interpretations of the tune, and discover what licks lie hidden behind each measure.


Practice Tip #2 Use the 'Arrange' slider to set a customized difficulty level. Swiping to the left removes many of the fill-in notes, leaving a simple, core arrangement in the tablature. Conversely, swipe to the right to bring all the extra notes back into the picture, revealing the full song. Tailor the difficulty to suit your current competency and gradually up the challenge as you progress.


Practice Tip #3 Use the 'Tempo' slider to adapt the speed of the song. This flexible feature allows you to play along at a comfortable pace initially, then gradually speed up as you gain confidence. The accompanying backing tracks emulate the sound of a live band, making your practice sessions both productive and enjoyable.


Practice Tip #4 Utilize the 'Speed Up' function to help you improve your speed. This function gradually quickens the playback tempo as you loop through the song, encouraging gradual improvement. Pick a pace that you're initially comfortable with and let 'Speed Up' carry you to higher speeds progressively.


General Tips: Devote regular practice time to learning this song. Be sure to warm up before beginning and focus on perfecting a few measures at a time instead of trying to grasp the entire song at once. Above all, remember that practice makes perfect, so be consistent and patient with your efforts.


New River Train lyrics

I'm riding on that new river train
Riding on that new river train
Same old train that brought me here
Gonna take me away again

Darling, you can't love one
Darling, you can't love one
You can't love one and have any fun
Darling, you can't love one

* Refrain

Darling, you can't love two
Darling, you can't love two
You can't love two and still be true
Darling, you can't love two

* Refrain

Darling, you can't love three
Darling, you can't love three
You can't love three and still love me
Darling, you can't love three

* Refrain

Darling, you can't love four
Darling, you can't love four
You can't love four and love any more
Darling, you can't love four

* Refrain

Darling, you can't love five
Darling, you can't love five
You can't love five and get money from my hive
Darling, you can't love five

* Refrain

Darling, you can't love six
Darling, you can't love six
You can't love six, for that kind of love don't mix
Darling, you can't love six

* Refrain