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Nine Pound Hammer Banjo Tabs

Bill Monroe

Nine Pound Hammer Banjo Tablature: One Song, Many Styles

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #bluesy, #vocal song, #up-tempo

Learn how to play Nine Pound Hammer on Banjo with this selection of tablatures:

  • Banjo Nine Pound Hammer Scruggs Style

    Scruggs Style

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

    One of the most popular jam tunes. This version of Nine Pound Hammer is fairly simple and features a lot of of forward rolls, especially in the beginning.

    Learn
  • Banjo Nine Pound Hammer Melodic Style

    Melodic Style

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

    This melodic version of Nine Pound Hammer is very much a variation on the Scruggs arrangement. It maintains the melody while featuring some fancy licks.

    Learn
  • Banjo Nine Pound Hammer Backup

    Backup

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

    A straight-forward down the neck backup version for Nine Pound Hammer. Make sure you use dynamics to fill in between vocal phrasing.

    Learn

Practicing Tips

Immerse yourself in the universe of "Nine Pound Hammer," a versatile classic renowned for its bluesy, vocal texture and up-tempo beat. Custom-fit for the intermediate player, our learning resource provides bluegrass banjo tablatures in Scruggs, Melodic, and Backup styles. Discover the song's captivating energy as you navigate a new learning pathway with our innovative tools and features.


Primarily, utilize the Lick Switcher, a central feature of the Tunefox platform. Designed to add new dimensions to your playing, the Lick Switcher lets you reinvent the song by switching the licks for individual measures. Explore an array of variations for the track, personalize the arrangement to your understanding, and simultaneously learn new interpretations of the tune. Tap the measure to reveal the array of licks hiding underneath each note.


Personalize your learning further with the Arrange slider, a dynamic feature designed for ease and accuracy. Slide it to the left to remove the 'fill-in' notes and simplify your arrangement. As you shift it to the right, you will begin to reconstruct the song, incrementally adding all those extra notes back into the tablature. Adjust according to your proficiency, offering a bespoke and flexible learning experience.


Experiment with the tempo using the Tempo Slider. Playing around with the pace is not only fun but also acts as a fantastic learning tool. Adjust the Tempo Slider to a pace that suits your comfort and steadily increase it for a challenging session as you practice.


Remember the joy of learning is in the playing. Hence, playing along with backing tracks can not only be rewarding but also an effective learning technique. Embrace the bluegrass experience by playing along with our real-sounding backing tracks, preparing for your next jam session. Focus on selected measures, repeat them, and engage with the 'Speed Up' function. This feature gently increases the playback tempo, perfect for progressively moving to higher speeds.


Finally, the key to mastering the "Nine Pound Hammer" lies as much in understanding its glorious standing within the bluegrass tradition as it does in technical proficiency. The bluesy tones, the vocal richness and the up-tempo rhythm aren't just aspects of the song but are characters in their own right. Understand them, play with them, and most importantly have fun with them - creating your distinctive interpretation of this enduring classic.


Nine Pound Hammer lyrics

This nine pound hammeris a little too heavy
For my size, honey, for my size

Roll on buddy, don't you roll so slow
Baby, how can I roll when the wheels won't go

Up on the mountain just to see my honey
And I ain't coming back, lord, I ain't coming back

* Refrain

It's a long way to Hazard a long way to Harian
Just to get a little booze, just get a little booz

* Refrain

Ain't one hammer in this tonnel
That rings like mine that rings like mine

* Refrain

It rings like silver and shines like gold
It rings like silver and shines like gold

* Refrain

Somebody stole my nine pound hammer
They've took it and gone, they've took it and gone

* Refrain

That nine pound hammer that killed John Henry
Ain't a gonna kill me, ain't a gonna kill me

* Refrain