Songs
Famous banjo songs
Some tunes are the banjo. These are the songs that made the instrument famous — the bluegrass showpieces, the film moments, the old-time classics and the gospel standards everyone knows — with what makes each one iconic and a full how-to guide for every single one.
The banjo has one of the most recognizable voices in music, and a handful of tunes are the reason. Some drive a bluegrass band; some scored a film everyone has seen; some are older than recorded music itself. Here are the most famous, grouped by where they come from — click any one for the chords and a step-by-step guide.
Bluegrass showpieces
The tunes that define what a banjo is supposed to sound like — driving, rolling, and unmistakably bluegrass.
- Foggy Mountain Breakdown — Earl Scruggs’ signature instrumental and the sound that defines the three-finger banjo.
- Cripple Creek — The near-universal first bluegrass tune, built around your first forward roll.
- Rocky Top — A foot-stomping anthem and guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any jam.
- Man of Constant Sorrow — The traditional standard that O Brother, Where Art Thou? made famous again.
- Soldier's Joy — One of the oldest and most-played breakdowns in the world.
- Banjo in the Hollow — A classic first roll tune, built almost entirely from Scruggs-style rolls.
The banjo on screen
The tunes that made the banjo famous to people who have never picked one up.
- Dueling Banjos — The call-and-response duel from Deliverance — the most recognizable banjo tune there is.
- Rainbow Connection — Kermit’s banjo song from The Muppet Movie, and the instrument’s most tender moment on screen.
- Wagon Wheel — The modern four-chord singalong that took over every jam and campfire.
Old-time & clawhammer classics
Older than bluegrass, these are the mountain tunes at the heart of the frailing tradition.
- Cumberland Gap — A short, driving tune that works in both clawhammer and Scruggs styles.
- Old Joe Clark — A bouncy jam staple with a distinctive modal, flat-7 flavour.
- Shady Grove — A hypnotic, haunting modal tune that has been played for generations.
- Angeline the Baker — A pretty old-time melody that sounds far harder than it is.
Gospel & folk standards everyone knows
Melodies so familiar you can play them for a room and everyone hums along.
- Amazing Grace — The world’s best-known hymn, beautiful and slow in 3/4 time.
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken — A gospel cornerstone of bluegrass, sung at every jam.
- I'll Fly Away — The most-recorded gospel song and a bright, easy singalong.
- Oh Susanna — Stephen Foster’s tune that literally put "a banjo on my knee" into the language.
- Big Rock Candy Mountain — A bouncy hobo folk tune, another O Brother favourite.
- You Are My Sunshine — Maybe the most singable first tune there is.
- Boil Them Cabbage Down — The classic first banjo tune — two chords and instant fun.