Oh Death - Gregory Paul (Clawhammer banjo)

[@spiritsanddecibels]

D minor and G are the chords. Standard open G tuning. I played this on a Lida banjo with resonator . That banjo is long gone, now playing an Enoch Tradesman open back. Cheers!

[@shinken13]

Wow, one of the best versions of this song I have ever heard.

[@toru_dj_uk]

addictive... there aren't many vids that I come back to on here, but this is one of them.

[@alonzogarbanzo]

Clawhammer is so beautiful. Such amazing, subtle differences in sound with the slightest changes in pressure,angle of attack or neck position. You do this song very well.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

Thanks for the kind words folks. I've since traded in that banjo for an Enoch open back banjo which sounds wonderful for clawhammer. - g

[@ivycompton]

Mmmm... I've heard many versions of this classic, and this one is very good indeed. That beautiful distinctive banjo sound.

[@AaronJShay]

This is my favorite version of this song.

[@toru_dj_uk]

At the risk of sounding like a stalker...... I can't stop watching this video. It's something about your voice with the clawhammer style. Love it. I want to buy a banjo and learn this song then jam it out with you.

[@NCheno]

i love this song great version of a great traditional. really great. Good work

[@marcanciel]

Hi, i'm from Québec, and I think that I heard you by the Pike Place Market some time ago during a G.A.S. conference. When I went back from that trip I purchased a banjo and today i'm having a real good time with my instrument, thanks to the motivation you gave me. Many thanks Mr. Paul.

[@saudoo]

How can there be a person who doesn't like this?!

[@DaveGreenMusic]

Haunting rendition. Excellently done.

[@lkm34]

I've recently picked up clawhammer, and I really like this arrangement. Thanks for sharing!!

[@ScoutCrafter]

WOW!!!! How awesome was that!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@kenjibeast]

Beautiful performance.

[@robzamites3441]

I've played this 12 times today now - fantastic!

[@tinerua]

Went looking for your version on Spotify today. I remember seeing it on here years and years ago. Hands down (clawhammer hands!) the best version of this song I've ever heard. And I just went wading through a lot of them on Spotify!

[@spiritsanddecibels]

many thanks!

[@stonestrawberry]

absolutely beautiful!

[@IvonicePowell]

i love your version of this song also, and your great tenor banjo playing,really good !! x Ivonice

[@NuclearSeraph]

Thank you for the video reply, friend. Interesting arrangement.

[@chepazzaragazza]

This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing it with everyone!

[@wickedglass]

Great version, thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks for posting! Looks like you're inspiring glassmakers from around the world.

[@raymondcrooke]

A very interesting arrangement. Thanks for the video response.

[@Anynamethat]

2019 baby I'll keep listening to this till death come claim me but till that day comes "not today, not today"

[@peekpen]

"Oh Gregory Paul...where are you now? You'd showed us kindness from your darkened maw. Oh Gregory, the north east howls. It harkens past your childhood marrow. How we know our new homes now... the ones from your sorrow. Oh Gregory, have you chosen love and finally made peace with your one from above?"

[@Cjbro2132]

Saw you in Seattle, brother! Pike's! I've listened to your album inside and out. I aspire to play my banjo as pristine as you. Fantastic work!

[@prestonlloyd4520]

Great job.

[@iamjeffbaker]

Great arrangement!

[@Lanfear27]

I saw this linked on Lauren O'Connell's version; you're excellent too!

[@WKMG365]

AWESOME!

[@MrFunnybuttrue]

The Best ! Wow

[@vinvinmarc]

this version is very good! you play very good banjo!

[@sikandar001]

this is great

[@mielazul]

This is beautiful - thanks for posting. I wrote a version of Oh Death that turns it around - the narrator wants Death to take him, but Death continues to elude him. Anyway, I love the percussive style of your playing, and your singing is very good too. Thanks again.

[@dialectic76]

Hi Greg! I was just looking up Dock Boggs songs and your picture came right up! This is Ian Downey from Rochester. Nice playing!

[@PeachExtract]

soooooooooooo good

[@Nick0500936]

Goddamn Son!!! You took that old Ralph Stanley song and sure as shit made it your own. Tip of the hat to you sir. Ya oughtta share the chord progression for us other banjo pickers, want to play that song.

[@toru_dj_uk]

Loved it! 5 stars

[@dmitrykadochnikov2749]

Hi, i'm from Russia and I think it's cool)) real good music!!

[@loquaciousbunny]

A decent interpretation of the song, but moreover, a very attractive guy.

[@terramaximus]

Epic!

[@MrArmydad0621]

Great stuff. Hope one day we can pick together.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

Many thanks, and best of luck!

[@rpeek]

Wicked cool.

[@saudoo]

@Joeri12 But then again this is so raw and beautiful. I'm not saying there's nothing better out there... I wouldn't know... But this is definitely likeable. :) By the way... that show Supernatural isn't aired where I live, so I wouldn't be able to compare that particular tune that you were talking about.

[@drjpm64]

Cool! You make it sound like a Michael Stipe/REM song.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@Gogluificationable Fabulous! Inspiration is what it's all about. Best of luck!

[@spiritsanddecibels]

Ooh death Whooooah death Won't you spare me over 'til a another year? Well what is this that I cant see With ice cold hands taking hold of me Well I am death none can excel I'll open the door to heaven or hell Whoa death someone would pray Could you wait to call me another day The children prayed the preacher preached Time and mercy is out of your reach I'll fix your feet so you can't walk I'll lock your jaw so you can't talk I'll close your eyes so you cant see This very hour come and go with me Death I come to take the soul Leave the body and leave it cold To drop the flesh up off the frame Dirt and worm both have a claim Ooh death Whooooah death Won't you spare me over 'til a another year? My mother came to my bed Placed a cold towel up on my head My head is warm my feet are cold Death is moving upon my soul Oh death how you treating me You closed my eyes so I can't see Well you hurting my body you make cold You run my life right out of my soul Oh death please consider my age Please don't take me at this stage My wealth is all at your command If you will move your icy hands Oh the young, the rich, or poor Hunger like me you'll know No wealth no land no silver or gold Nothing satisfies me but your soul Ooh death Whooooah death Won't you spare me over 'til a another year? Won't you spare me over 'til a another year? Won't you spare me over 'til a another year?

[@IPGFAA]

Greg I saw your performance of "Oh Death" while browsing my phone..

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@shinboxer72 Why thank you, and best of luck on your banjo playing!

[@manatee_mailbox]

seriously, i want to learn how to play like you

[@spiritsanddecibels]

Thanks for the kind words! Sorry I don't have any tabs. I can tell you it's basically just clawhammer chords of D minor and , with some hammer ons, etc. Cheers!

[@Renegademaster15]

Brilliant rendition of this song, really good arrangement! You should try to record it in a higher quality though :)

[@kvetchnik]

ayo gregory, i saw you once by pike place by 2010 give or take, and ever since i wanted to play the banjo, i finally got my very own first banjo and i'm starting to learn clawhammer, just wanted to let uy in on that lol

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@myhopesareweapons Hi, thanks for the comments! I use all downstroke. It's just a basic frailing / clawhammer technique. Also, I've been a guitar player for much longer than banjo and that helped somewhat. Good luck! - gp

[@apsyntia]

thank U :-)

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@saudoo thank you for the kind words!

[@marcanciel]

@wickedglass hehe, music and glass drives my life !

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@diggity53 thanks for the words! I don't have any tabs, but I can tell you it's just standard open G tuning, D minor and G all the way. I just sort of improvise the clawhammer, throwing the thumb down randomly. Good luck!

[@ned900]

yah thats seriously fuckin cool. good man

[@spiritsanddecibels]

yessir standard G tuning. i'm sure you already figured it out but it's just Dm and G. thanks for your kind words!

[@spiritsanddecibels]

hi, thanks! All I can suggest is doing some research on oldtime music. There's lots of info out there. Also check out the Smithsonian Folkways anthology of folk music. Great stuff. Cheers! @CommandAndCommentary

[@devin0501]

Pretty please post the lyrics in the description, some of it is hard to hear over the awesome banjo

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@shinboxer72 technique I've applied to banjo: hammer-ons, pull offs, slides, etc., all things that contribute to the way I'm playing Oh Death. This song is only two chords, D minor, and open G major, with those techniques applied rather intuitively. Once you have the clawhammer technique down, you can work on adding the other frills to get the desired effect. Good luck!

[@inuicedragon]

I love the song! And the banjo adds an awesome element to the song, but I think that the banjo overwhelms the voice. I had a hard time hearing the words, if there was a way to change that it would be even better in my opinion. But I did love the song! Thanks for the upload.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@zippymanyay101 it's standard G, playing a D minor and G chords.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@inuicedragon you are correct, the banjo sort of drowns out the vocals. i've since learned to sing louder! thanks for the comment. - g

[@locustvalleystring]

Nice! Loved your rendition of this tune. Never heard it quite this way. Thanks. Standard G tuning? Larry

[@TheScrambles1]

You oughta rerecord this, but keep this up as well

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@banjony it's standard g tuning. d minor and g chords

[@diggity53]

Awesome, man! As someone who is currently learning to play clawhammer, you are an inspiration! Any chance you could share the tab?

[@sosickhcdrums]

oh god. please tell me you have a studio recording of this i canfind. PLEASE

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@Echofourtwenty I have a version recorded on an album called "sow 'em on the mountain" let me know if you'd be interested in ordering a copy. thanks for the comment!

[@saudoo]

@Joeri12 Oh okay.. I'll try and find it somewhere on the interwebs then. Thanks man. ;)~

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@OklaHanlan hey there, no tabs, but it's just a variation of the chords Dm and G. Cheers, gp.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@Nick0500936 yessir! its standard g tuning, playing a d minor and g chords.

[@CommandAndCommentary]

Beautiful. Any advice for an up and coming banjo player who wishes to play more folksy type music?

[@MertonWatchesMovies]

Love this. What are the lyrics?

[@pappyfiddle]

This is a good thing, to exercise an instrument this hard. If the instrument dies then it should die. It's good for the singer and the audience, wring out some of the death inside

[@spiritsanddecibels]

thanks! it's in standard g tuning. d minor and g chords.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@dialectic76 hi Ian! Hope you are well. Cheers, - g

[@818TUCAN818]

Hello I LOVE your voice and your rendintion of the song!!!! i wanted to use this in a video im making i was wondering if i could get your permission to use it? (just the audio) and i know this is far beyond a strench and borders on the rude but if you could do an acapella version it would be even BETTER!

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@shinboxer72 Sorry, message got cut off.. I'm completely self taught and have no music theory or teaching capabilities, and thus wouldn't have a clue how to make a tutorial. But I've also played guitar for 25 years, and have applied the technique.... (see rest of comment below)

[@apsyntia]

thank U :kiss: :-)

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@mielazul sounds like an interesting take on the song mielazul! cheers, - gp

[@MrBlah007]

Fantastic rendition of the song, my only complaint would be that the banjo drowns out your voice at times, but thats hard to avoid

[@spiritsanddecibels]

thanks luckyone! the chords are just Dm and G.

[@charliesilveria1998]

I need more dark banjo music like this, any recommendations?

[@dick-gs9tb]

Give Wovenhand or 16 Horsepower a listen.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@Cjbro2132 thanks!!!

[@psychefb]

Were you able to tab or chord it out? Love to play it in this kinda way, new to clawhammer =)

[@tinch0vaulet]

very nice, in some parts too happy... nothing else. in general its a very nice cover.

[@spiritsanddecibels]

@apsyntia my first ever youtube kiss! thanks!

[@MrAgrippa91313]

Nice video, might want to slow it down for accuracy/effect. Unless you were going for an upbeat song about death/want show your picking off. In that case, change nothing.

[@bailliekins]

Very nice, what tuning are you using?

[@alexwebb7215]

It seems to be Open G tuning.

[@pappyfiddle]

@mielazul OK... and? Where can we hear this?

[@JaneWillowMusic]

@Janzah wow! that's crazy! great! I only make like 10 euro an hour

[@shannonnoelke3473]

nice. do you knw where i can find tabs to this one?? or a tutorial

[@alexwebb7215]

I just finished making a banjo tab for this song. I posted it just above.

[@noooop1473]

FYI: The first line of the second page is wrong, it's not supposed to be there. Took me a few tries to notice.

[@JaneWillowMusic]

you make your living out of busking now? awesome? how much do you make an hour?

[@manatee_mailbox]

do you use any kind of upstroke in your picking style?

[@AngusLiedtke]

What tuning are you in? And what chords are you using?

[@zippymanyay101]

what tuning are you in for this?