Play along
Play along with the band
Hear Cripple Creek with guitar, bass, mandolin, and banjo, in the key of G. Read the banjo tab below, then open it in Jam Trainer to loop any section and slow it down while you work up the break.
Open in Jam Trainer Change the key or tempo · loop any part · 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.
About this arrangement
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.
How to practice it with the band
Reading a tab is one thing; locking it into a groove is another. Open Cripple Creek in Jam Trainer and play the break yourself against a full backing band of 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.
Want the chords instead?
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.