B-TIER art
'The Cuckoo' on fretless clawhammer banjo — Appalachian standard
100k ft — What is this?
'The Cuckoo' on fretless clawhammer banjo — Appalachian standard
50k ft — Why care?
Johanna Wacker plays and sings 'The Cuckoo' on fretless banjo in clawhammer style. A core old-time tune; fretless gives the slides and bluesy intonation.
10k ft — Key takeaways
• 'The Cuckoo' is a standard every old-time player learns
• Fretless banjo lets you slide into notes for an older, modal sound
5k ft — Tools & techniques
Banjo
clawhammer, fretless slides
1k ft — Deep-dive / try it
The cuckoo
#clawhammer #banjo #fretless #appalachian #oldtimemusic
Transcript excerpt
Gonna build me a log cabin on a mountain so high So I can see Willie as he goes passing by She's a pretty bird, she warbles as she flies Well she never says cuckoo till the fourth day of July