Life After D7 YouTube Video
What's Next on Your Banjo Journey?
Ben Dorning (Creator Of Banjo Adventures)
Hey there, banjo friend!
If you've just come from my YouTube lesson Life After D7 — welcome! You're in exactly the right place.
You’ve likely mastered the mighty D7 (that rite-of-passage chord we all start with), and maybe you’ve played Skip to My Lou a hundred times now.
But what comes after that? Where do you go when you're ready to stretch those fingers and try something new?
In the video, I teased a little something I call Ring Finger Yoga — reaching for that cheeky F6 chord. It's a stretch (literally), but it's also the gateway to some really exciting sounds. If you managed to get your ring finger to the 4th string, 3rd fret… go you. That's a big move.
If you have just stumbled on this blog post hand haven’t seen my video lesson, please feel free to watch it below before downloading the printable tabs.
🎁 Here’s Your Free Tab Pack
As promised, here are the three versions of Old Joe Clark — one of the most iconic banjo tunes out there.
I’ve arranged them to grow with you:
Level 1 – A simple, solid version to get you playing the tune confidently
Level 2 – Adds in some drop thumbing to help build your right-hand skills
Level 3 – Spiced up with slides, hammer-ons, and more flair
All three are in open G, printable, and totally beginner-friendly.
👉 Download Free Old Joe Clark Tabs Here:
LEVEL 1: Simple Backup Version (Bum-Dit-ty From start to end)
LEVEL 2: Drop Thumbs Included (Lets get funky)
LEVEL 3: With Embellishments (Show Off!)
REMEBER WITH TABS: ONLY USE THEM AS A GUIDE - OLD JOE CLARK CAN BE PLAYED A MILLION DIFFERENT WAYS, USE THESE TABS AS A BLUEPRINT FOR YOUR OWN IDEAS!
Did you enjoy looking at the slides I used in the video? You can view them here if you prefer to practice what you saw on the screen during the video.
🧠 A Quick Thought on Progress
Something I’ve seen a lot over the years: once new players get past those first few chords, it’s easy to get a bit lost. YouTube is full of lessons, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to focus on, what’s too advanced, or even just what to do next.
That’s actually why I started Banjo Adventures — to give beginners a structured place to learn in structured order, practice with purpose, and play with other people (even online!).
🌱 If You’re Feeling the Momentum…
If today’s lesson lit a little fire under your fingers, I think you would LOVE what we’re doing inside Banjo Adventures.
It’s a growing community of brand-new players just like you, learning step-by-step, sharing their wins (and flubs!), and building skills together in a friendly, welcoming space.
You’ll find:
Play-along videos and practice packs (like this one, but a lot more of them)
A full learning path from total beginner to confident jammer
A private Discord where you can ask questions, get feedback, and connect with others
A warm community that actually wants to hear your banjo stories!
No pressure — But if it feels like it might be the next right step for you, Come and join for a month, give it a try it would be great to meet you.
If you want to see what it is all about, everything you need to know can be found on the banjo adventures homepage. www.banjoadventures.com
Thanks again for checking out the video and stopping by.
Enjoy Old Joe Clark — and don’t forget to stretch that ring finger now and then. It’ll thank you later. 😉
Keep Frailing
Ben Dorning
