Learn to Play - Cumberland Gap - Bluegrass Banjo 

Tab: sellfy.com/p/JfJA/#

You are the Bob Ross of banjo 😊

When it gets to a difficult part, Jim always looks into the camera and says, "you can do it". And he's right. Thanks Jim!

i want to offer something that helped me on the high part. My pinky is not very smart and not very strong, and also not really long enough to reach the 11th fret if my ring finger is on the ninth :p but I found that 1. if you hold your thumb in the middle of the back of the neck that helps 2. angle your hand up, approaching the frets from the top down, rather than just perpendicular to the neck. this REALLY helped me get my ring finger and pinky to cooperate better. 3. The first few days of practicing this I could not reach the 11th fret without my ring finger moving down from the 9th to the 10th. I'm on day 4 and I can do it now. I thought my small hands were going to just be a permanent handicap on this song. Listen to Jim: you can do this!

I have only been playing for three days and i can do the whole song almost thank you for the help

Thank you for being such an encouraging teacher. I just told my family you are just like Bob Ross. Clearly I am not the only one who sees this in you!

I (we all) appreciate your encouraging and easy to follow tutorials. We can do it!

Best teacher ever. I'm struggling with the pinkey stretch, but if Jim says you can do it, you can!

Just started learning Banjo and your videos have really helped! I appreciate all you do!

I discovered that part of the low part fits quite nicely in Cripple Creek. Was playing Cripple Creek and inadvertently inserted part of this Cumberland Gap. Sounds good.

Great work as always, Jim! Keep them coming. ...we really appreciate the d

Blimey this ones quite tricky but you make me believe I can do it!

Thanks so much Jim, Every song you teach is another song I get to add to my list of songs that I can play in a matter of a few days. My family is so impressed im learning so many songs so fast. I only wish we could hear you play more than one break for a lot of the songs you teach us, keep em coming and again, Thank you!

Have just finished your ten first lessons and am loving your style of teaching and what you have given. Thank you so much mr Jim!!

Another great lesson...looking forward to learning this one! Thanks as always Jim!!!😎👍

Thanks Jim. Really loved this one. Easy to learn and a good way into improvisation. You're right, you don't always need to get bogged down in tabs (as wonderful as they are. Mark from jolly ol' UK.

I love the way you sneak a peek. ❤

I feel like I learn so much from here and it's described so well by you I find this easy to follow. Also learnt cripple creek over a week and speed it up over a month among other things. Thank you so much for this keep up the good work

Thanks for another awesome lesson Jim! You are solely responsible for me learning banjo!

Fantastic video as usual. Really appreciate your instruction! I've got Cripple Creek up to about 150 bpm on the metronome, working on the new stuff too. Thanks.

Great to have a new video to learn from you! Thank you very much!

I can play the low part. It took me 3 days. Now it's time to learn the high break. Thanks Jim!

Thanks! My favorite folk song.

Great video!!! Thanks for posting!!

You're the Best Jim.🙃. No Hanky Panky Here. Banjo is coming along nicely thank's to you.

Love this song! Glad you posted a lesson on it. Thanks Jim

I love your playing and Iove your picking Style I dont have a bandJo but going to get me one keep up the great playing Jim.

Have not found a u tube video i did not like yet love this one I am still learning / Polly vaughn video is stuck in my head I get a different variation of that roll from some of the normal rolls Thanks again

Thank you for making these videos. All of my banjo skills/knowledge have came from you. Another song down. 😃

Thanks a lot for your very cool videos, I learn a lot from them! grüsse aus der Schweiz! Severin

Good ta see ya , Back !

Hey, Jim, my little pinkie wanted me to pass along a message, but I'm not sure I can repeat it here in public! Just the same, thanks for adding this little ditty to the bag.

Thank ya Jim! Gonna git er! 👍

Good to see you back Jim!!

These videos are great Jim! And that RK35 is sounding really good

Great video many thanks

I you zoom in with your body instead of with the camera. Vintage videography man. Keep up the great banjo content.

I'll vouch for the pinky thing, I just sit there & play that lick for 5 minutes at a time: it's taking quite a while (months) but shows how much you need to practice 😉

Thank you so much 🙏

I just love your videos!!!!!

Another great video! I watched Geoff's video and Bill Nesbitt's video, but it really is starting to come together with yours! Dang, I wish I could get you three in a room to work with me... Well, I guess in a way, ya'll ARE!

This is great! Something I’d like to have, if anyone checking these comments happen to know if I’ve missed something, is if there’s a “recommended order for learning songs” since some are obviously easy, and some are more intermediate. I’m bouncing back and forward a lot right now. I mean, that works but I’ve previously had to give up on some videos in the high part because I couldn’t keep up with the instructions.

Thanks Jim. So helpful !

I picked up that pretty quick, just gotta clean up the pinky move a little. Thanks.

Ok I was lazy playing on the sofa. Sat at the dinning room....straight back chair. Pinky is working now 😂

Howdy Mr Pankey, I never new what was wrong with my my little finger until your great banjo lesson ( week and dumb) is about the best description of its Problem but that has changed now it is jumping around on and off them Banjo string like a jack rabbit running from a Hounds. its graduated collage. HA HA Thank Jimbo

Hi Jim,..I'm getting closer with pinky. Cheating a bit,..as in touching that first string. But only I know that! Been at it about 10 months! Really enjoy your instruction 🙂

As always thanks Jim for your great lessons. Just wandering do you have ideas for keeping time when playing with others. Again thanks I’m getting to be a better banjo player because of you.

Well Jim, I'm finally up the neck, slow but sho! Gotta really practice the switch from down to up! I got a set of (2 sets actually!) of those Pickey Picks, I didn't like them to start with, but something kept me going back them, now I love them! I still like my blue chip for the bro, but I settled on a white Tusq for my banjo. Thanks for everything, especially for the lesson and the pick suggestion. Oh yeah, I'm a THUMB/Middle type of feller! It's a Dobro thing I reckon! 😂

Awesome tune I’ve learned this the last couple of days and didn’t know whether if if it was banjoyickly correct to use your pointy finder and the middle finger on the upper neck part, of if you had to drop down with the thumb, thanks man I can sleep this night 😊

I love your lessons Jim! It would be very helpful for me if you could play the tune through once at the beginning of the video as I am very new to the banjo and have not heard many of the tunes before.

I have been trying to learn the banjo for about 3 years and never really progressed. But i have gone through your 10 starter lessons and really made progress. This is the first tune I have tried after this 10 lessons and honestly I am stumped. I know you say to practice the little finger placement, but I just cant seem to get it on the string with my other fingers in the correct position or my little finger snagging the first string. I will keep trying to break my hand to get it right though.

Great video Jim. I’d like to see you play it up to full speed

Well this little pinky got me stumped

..I'm back, almost got that pinky part. I know it's been a while, but I'm not given up!

This Earl Scruggs version is in my opinion the best for banjo.

Yew!! Thank you

Do you play Mandolin? Can you teach Mandolin as well? No one else has your special flair for teaching instruments like this.

My pinky refuses sir. How in the heck do you keep your ring finger down on the bottom string???

❤

Hey Jim, I’ve got it down now. Can i ask who wrote this song? Or if there is a version i can jam along to? Thanks love your videos

Your "joshing me" Jim,..I likely won't be back for a year at least. if your little finger is not as dexteric as you would like, then in comparison mine feels like my ring finger and little finger are in a cast! I'll be back.....

Hey Jim how do you get that RK 35 to sound sooo solid, instead of that "cheaper" sounding hollow sound? That thing is sweet. Do you have a vid on that?

Humble dude. Anyone know if he makes tabs for his stuff

Never hear CG at jams! Do you have Polka On A Banjo in your arsenal? Also Wheel Hoss ( I cannot play melodic style)?

My pinkey will not do that😂😂 I'm 6'7 with big hands and my pinkey is still not long enough!

play it FIRST….explain it AFTER you show it.