I heard this tune first in 1974 at the Winnipeg Folklore Centre. I learned to play it and have been playing and listening to it since then. I never grow tired of it. Thanks for making this video!
Cj12sings I think there are lots of different versions of the lyrics. the one I know is about a soldier getting his leg amputated and asking for more "soldier's joy" (i.e whiskey) to knock him out or numb the pain.
Just found your lessons. I have had my banjo for three years and could only play part of Silent Night ....and not well!! haha...I am picking it back up with lesson one. Thank you for making the lessons available . Thanks again .
Great performance Josh, thanks for sharing it. I had been looking for a more uptempo version of this tune and this is exactly what I had in mind. -Mike
Absolutely stunning! I've just now discovered your material and I'm blown away! Thank you for such clear and insightful instruction. Your playing is fantastic!...what an inspiration! Now I have an entire repertoire....to learn! Until last week I hadn't frailed in 20 years. I had completely forgotten what a fantastic art form it is. I can't imagine anything more fulfilling! Thank you a million times.
This is the tune that inspired me to pick up clawhammer banjo as well! It exemplifies everything I love about folk music, and this is my favorite version of it. Do you have any tips on learning the fancy thumb work you have here? I'm pretty competent with a basic bum-ditty, but here you seem to have a blend of bum-ditty, double-thumb, and drop-thumb, and you pull it off with flawless fluidity -- any advice you can give on reaching such a level of playing ability would be much appreciated. At any rate, stellar performance!
Thanks Josh! Currently a BG style player but your lessons have inspired me to work on CH. Soldiers joy is a great tune. Prefer Jimmy Driftwood's lyrics. Thanks very much for your lessons!
Thank you for the videos and tabs! I am on the mailing list and I love your website. Something I am truly struggling with is the "cluck;" would you consider a tutorial? Thanks!
Hey Josh! Thanks for all you do! I'm on Module 3 and wow I have progressed so fast with your courses! Quick question,When you sing are you just doing a basic clawhammer strum with the cords? If so what strings are you picking while doing so?
+Dylan Gaffney that’s great to hear! The answer to your question is it depends on the song - you can definitely just play different picking patterns behind your voice with the chords - I typically try to add in some melody notes as well. If you’re interested in digging deeper, I do have a module in the Breakthrough Banjo all about singing and playing. Also, the tabs I send out for the song of the week usually have the vocal backup included as well.
interested in your teaching method. been playing for a few years and hitting all the usual road blocks. cant keep up with others cant remember tab. your method shows sounds like it may help. ralph in connecticut
Hey Todd - send me an email through the contact page at oldtimejam.com (www.oldtimejam.com/wordpress/contact-us/) and include your email address and I'll add you to the list.
Love your playing. I, as well, have subscribed but I keep getting asked to subscribe when I try to get the tab. Any suggestions? And thanks for these tunes. They are fantastic.
Thanks, Marc! Not sure exactly why that's happening, but it's possible the confirmation email is ending up in your junk mail. If you don't see it there, send me a note through the contact page on the old time jam website (www.oldtimejam.com/wordpress/contact-us) and I can add you myself.
+Cyrus Roxas A "T" means the corresponding note is to be played by the thumb. For more on reading the tabs, check out this link: clawhammerbanjo.net/how-to-read-banjo-tabs/
glad i found your page. i subscribed to your emails as well. question, looking at the tab, the tuning is in A but you capo the 2nd fret. is the tab transcribed to play without a capo in A? sorry for the novice question. Thanks!
Hey Robert - perfectly good question. :) In the video, I'm tuned to aDADE tuning ("double D"). I typically get to that tuning by tuning the banjo to gCGCD ("double C") and then placing a capo at the 2nd fret (and bringing the 5th string to an A either with a capo or by tuning it). You could also tune all the strings up to aDADE tuning without using the capo. And lastly, you could play the tab in gCGCD tuning and it will sound just fine there as well. The only difference is it'll be in the key of "C" instead of "D" (so won't match up with the video). But as far as the tab goes, the only important thing is the relative relationship between the strings. Hope that helps!
having the same problems as randy..have already subscribed and cant seem to figure where the tab is..when i click on the link it keeps telling me to subscribe..
Hey Lee - check your junk mail to make sure the email with the tab didn't end up there. If you don't see it, shoot me a note through the contact page on oldtimejam.com and I'll email it (www.oldtimejam.com/wordpress/contact-us/).
Clawhammer Banjo Here's something you might not know from all of SJ's incarnations. It was picked up from the British during the Revolutionary War and enjoyed several versions until the "War of Northern Aggression'' which we call it in the South. The line ''25cents for the Morphine and fifteen cents for the beer" refers to the massive drug problem that Northern soldiers had resulting from having arms and legs sawed off with the only sedatives being Laudanaum and Morphine. Since no records were kept of these people it never became widely known.
Thanks, William. Click the first link you see in the video description to get the tab for this one as well as all past and future tune of the week tabs.
Hi Josh. Really appreciate these lessons that you've taken the time to share with all of us out here taking the banjo journey. Really great lessons. Really want to learn Soldier's Joy but can't get the tab. I see that some others have been encountering the same glitch. Should I send you a note through (www.oldtimejam.com/wordpress/contact-us). Thanks for your time Josh.
