Play along
Play the tune with guitar, bass, mandolin, and banjo, in the key of G. Then open it in Jam Trainer to turn on the banjo tab and hear it played note-for-note with the band — at any tempo.
Open in Jam Trainer Turn on the banjo tab · change the key or tempo · freeCripple Creek — 5-string banjo tab
Open G tuning (g D G B D). Read left to right; each | is a bar line.
Tab by BanjoBenClark.com| | Pickup Measure | | |--------------------------------|------------------------2/------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| A Part- G | | C | G | |5---------------0---------------|--------2-------0---------------| |------------------------0-------|----1---------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------0-----------------------|0-----------0-----------0-------| | | | | D | G | |------------0-------------------|------------0-----------2/------| |----0---------------------------|----0---------------------------| |2/--4-----------0---------------|----------------0---------------| |------------------------2-------|0-------2-----------------------| |--------0-----------------------|--------------------------------| | | | | C | G | |5---------------0---------------|--------2-------0---------------| |------------------------0-------|----1---------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------0-----------------------|0-----------0-----------0-------| | | | | D | G | |------------0-------------------|------------0-----------0-------| |----0---------------------------|----0---------------------------| |2/--4-----------0---------------|----------------0---------------| |------------------------2-------|0-------2-----------------------| |--------0-----------------------|------------------------0-------| B Part | | | | | | | |------------0---------------0---|------------0-----------0-------| |----0---------------0-----------|----0---------------------------| |2/--4-----------2/--4-----------|2/--4---------------------------| |--------------------------------|----------------0---------------| |--------0---------------0-------|--------0---------------0-------| | | | | D | G | |------------0-------------------|------------0-----------0-------| |----0---------------------------|----0---------------------------| |2/--4-----------0---------------|----------------0---------------| |------------------------2-------|0-------2-----------------------| |--------0-----------------------|------------------------0-------| | | | | | | | | |------------0---------------0---|------------0-----------0-------| |----0---------------0-----------|----0---------------------------| |2/--4-----------2/--4-----------|2/--4---------------------------| |--------------------------------|----------------0---------------| |--------0---------------0-------|--------0---------------0-------| | | | | D | G | |------------0-------------------|--------0---------------0-------| |----0---------------------------|--------------------------------| |2/--4-----------0---------------|----0-----------0---------------| |------------------------2-------|2/--5---------------------------| |--------0-----------------------|------------0-----------0-------|
/ = slide up (e.g. 2/4 = pick the 2nd fret and slide to the 4th). Top line = 1st string; the 5th string is the short drone.
Cripple Creek is the tune nearly every bluegrass banjo player learns first — a bright, driving melody in G built on the three workhorse chords, G, C, and D. This Scruggs-style arrangement, tabbed by Banjo Ben Clark, moves through an A part and a B part with forward rolls and a couple of signature slides.
Reading a tab is one thing; locking it into a groove is another. Open Cripple Creek in Jam Trainer, switch on the banjo tab, and it plays through note-for-note alongside guitar, bass, and mandolin. Slow the tempo down until the rolls and slides feel easy, then bring it back up to jam speed — the band follows you the whole way.
If you're playing backup rather than the break, the Cripple Creek chord chart lays out the whole tune bar by bar, with the same play-along band.