As Time Goes By: Banjo TAB

This collection captures the authentic rhythmic language of early jazz without requiring advanced harmonic knowledge or complicated fingering. The arrangement includes period-appropriate intros, endings, and turnarounds that teach jazz banjo phrasing and comping style directly through the songs themselves, so students absorb the sound and feel of genuine '20s and '30s jazz rather than playing untethered standards.

Bright and playful, with the swagger of a speakeasy and the irresistible forward motion of swing rhythm. These songs sparkle with syncopation and period charm, offering that distinctive blend of blues sensibility and optimistic energy that defined the jazz age.

Banjo players who want to explore jazz repertoire without needing to learn complex chord substitutions or advanced reading skills. This is also ideal for musicians who enjoy authentic early jazz and want to build repertoire rooted in actual '20s and '30s style.

• Study the recorded intros and turnarounds carefully before adding your own variations; they model the idioms of the era and become templates for improvisation.
• Keep the rhythm relaxed and swing-oriented even when reading directly from tab; these songs lose their character when played metronomically straight.
• Use the chord shapes provided as starting points for comping, but experiment with partial chords and muted strings to create the percussive, rhythmic texture that defines jazz banjo.
• Pair melody lines with light chord accompaniment, letting the simplicity of the arrangements guide your touch and dynamics.

Build a casual recital or jam session around these standards, mixing them with other jazz-age instrumental pieces for an evening of early American jazz. They also work well as supplementary material for students learning jazz history and idiom, offering practical musical examples of the '20s and '30s sound.

• Reading and executing jazz swing rhythm
• Playing from banjo tablature with chord notation
• Chord-melody comping techniques for jazz banjo
• Recognizing and executing period-appropriate jazz phrasing and turnarounds
• Balancing melody and rhythm in a jazz context