Learn to Play the Banjo in the Banjo Academy

JOIN NOW

Play Cripple Creek

A Perfect First Song for Beginning Banjo Players

Please allow the video 5-10 seconds to fully load.

In this video, I play through the entire song with my glamorous assistant Ticketty Boo. You can play along with me once you’ve learnt all the three parts of cripple creek, so if you haven’t yet started click here to get the first lesson.

Here Are All Three Free Cripple Creek Lessons

Introduction & Low Melody

Learn how to coordinate your right and left hands to play a low melody on the 3rd & 4th strings. Add extra notes with the Middle finger to double the speed! Total running time 12:18

Chorus – Add Roll

Add a Square Roll to the Low Melody to play the entire chorus of this great song. Learn how to use a simple left hand finger to modify the sound of the Square Roll.  Total running time 8:24

The High Part

Kicking off from the 1st string, 2nd fret, learn how to use a short forward roll to play a really catchy melody. Also learn your first chord change, to C major, one of the most popular chords. Total running time 9:30

Here’s The Cripple Creek Song Structure

You can see that I play a short introduction, which is the Roll followed by the Low Melody played only once.

The song has a verse and a chorus, the verse consists of two short pieces of music, the High Part and the Low Melody. The Chorus consists of the Roll followed by the Low Melody.

  1. High Part – Low Melody
  2. High Part – Low Melody
  3. Roll – Low Melody
  4. Roll – Low Melody

You play the Low Melody a lot in this song, learn this piece and you have 50% of the entire tune! You can learn to play the Low Melody section in part 1.

Many Go From Beginners To Banjoist

Please allow the video 5-10 seconds to fully load.

This woman had never played the banjo before and learnt to play Cripple Creek at a lively 108bpm by practicing for one hour a day for a month

Please allow the video 5-10 seconds to fully load.

Sam Bond plays

Please allow the video 5-10 seconds to fully load.

James Thompson

“Thousands of beginners & musicians alike now play who never thought they could.”

Discover my revived 3—finger banjo technique. If you practice daily, you can play any banjo song you want.

It’s not just possible—it’s easy using these simple hand positions.

Most banjo books try to make you run before you can walk. That can often put people off. I’ll tell you now if you practice using what I show you in the academy—you’ll be able to play almost any song you want. Click below to get access today