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 Howdy and welcome to the Bluegrass, Old Time and Irish Trad thread!  03 May 2017: We recently expanded the OP to include information about Irish Traditional Music (Trad) - towards the bottom 02 Dec 2017: Check out this new thread on Mandolins! Why should goons listen to bluegrass? Shigeru Miyamoto posted:It's really my personal hobby but I like American bluegrass. I love this type of music and listen to it a lot. I've found some band members and each year we attend a jamboree where several hundred people camp out for a few days and we have a large jam-session. I've been playing for a few years after a lot of time on the guitar, and am really enjoying it. If you're curious about the banjo or bluegrass music, I could possibly answer a few questions but others have been chiming in regularly. This thread started off about just banjos (both Scruggs Style and Clawhammer), but has evolved into discussion about instruments in the style of Bluegrass. Including but not limited to: Banjo Mandolin Resonator Guitar (Dobro) Fiddle Acoustic Guitar Upright Bass What is bluegrass? Wiki says: Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland (particularly the Scotch-Irish immigrants in Appalachia), and was influenced by the music of African-Americans through incorporation of elements of jazz. In bluegrass, as in some forms of jazz, one or more instruments each takes its turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others perform accompaniment; this is especially typified in tunes called breakdowns. This is in contrast to old-time music, in which all instruments play the melody together or one instrument carries the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment. Breakdowns are often characterized by rapid tempos, and unusual instrumental dexterity and sometimes complex chord changes. Bluegrass music has attracted a diverse and loyal following worldwide. Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe characterized the genre as: "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound." Pickin Resources: http://www.banjohangout.org/ - Banjo Hangout. “Main” destination site for banjo players http://www.fiddlehangout.com/ - Fiddle Hangout – same http://www.banjonews.com/index.html - Banjo Newsletter. This one’s new to me http://www.bluesageband.com/Tabs.html - Mike Iverson’s Clawhammer tab and instruction page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdWOYFnRiz0&feature=related Clawhammer intro video http://www.reso-nation.org Dobro site http://www.resohangout.com Dobro hangout! Looking to buy a banjo?  Most people start off with a less expensive one like a Gold Tone or Deering Goodtime model. These run about $500 or so, depending on new or used, with or without resonator. They go up from there. Foreign copies of the Gibson RB-250 run $1000-2000, with domestics such as Gibson, Huber and Stelling running well into the $5000 range. Nechville is known for modern approach to banjos, ease of maintenance. Also has a radiused neck like a guitar instead of a flat fretboard as is normal for the banjo. Irish Traditional Music (Trad) is great and fun and challenging too! Coohoolin posted this about Traditional Irish Music: More to come! Get pickin!  Planet X fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Dec 3, 2017 |
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Jan 31, 2011 03:56
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As far as picks go, I started out playing with the standard National thumbpicks, but have gotten a few of the smaller speedpicks. I prefer them now, they feel faster. They also don't crimp my thumb as hard as the bigger ones and tear up my cuticles. When using the bigger picks though, I do like the Golden Gate picks better than the National picks, they just feel better on my finger. There seems to be an in-between pick of the two mentioned above. I'm going to try those out next. You play bluegrass style without a thumbpick? If so, I think you'll like the speedpick, it doesn't feel as clumsy. If you're looking for increased volume, I've learned that it's helpful to keep the fingers plucking the strings at a 90 deg angle, that way it's more picking and less scraping.
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Feb 3, 2011 05:20
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FearOfABlackKnob posted:I wish I didn't have neighbors so I could practice again right now. You can always get a mute. Check the banjohangout, there's a thread there in the buying advice section. I'm going to get one for the same reason. It's good to play 'loudly', with conviction, so your timing stays right and you dont end up softening any notes while you're trying not disturb those around you. It's a loud instrument, at least Scruggs style is. econdroidbot posted:
Aren't there any jams in your area? That's helped me the most.
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Feb 18, 2011 07:20
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econdroidbot posted:One thing in particular that I know I need to work on is keeping tempo, as I'm prone to speed up or slow down at irregular intervals. I could play with a metronome, but that's not as fun. Get a piece of software called Song Surgeon. It's a slowdowner, it'll help your timing. Not very expensive, and well worth it. It's helped me figure things out without having to use tab. Of course, put a song on and play along with it. It'll improve once you start attending jams. econdroidbot posted:
Part of bluegrass is just about everyone sings. I don't sing, but I've started. I've found it more difficult to sing when playing banjo, so I either switch to guitar or go clawhammer when I sing. It kinda gets old when only one person is singing at the jams, and people are generally encouraging. Pious Pete posted:Tallest Man on Earth Good stuff. Had no idea he was Swedish.
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Mar 6, 2011 17:48
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I'm fortunate to live in Austin where there's no shortage of such things. With that said, here's how I'd go about it if I were you: - Look for bluegrass festivals or concerts in the area - See if there's any bluegrass, old time or acoustic associations. For me, it's CTBA, Central Texas Bluegrass Association. Their website has all the jams listed - Go to an (acoustic) instruments store. Ask there - Forums. Banjo Hangout is pretty much our go-to place. You can also attend camps. They may not be near you, but it's a way. - Craigslist. I've posted up on Craigslist before seeing if anyone wanted to pick, and I did find some folks. - Start your own. More effort, but it can be done, or at least will help you gauge interest in your area. - Move to Austin and come to Waterloo Ice House on Monday nights.  Hope this helps. You are welcome to post about your dobro here. I love it when a dobro player shows up to the jam, because then we can play fireball mail the way it's supposed to be played. Planet X fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Mar 21, 2011 |
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Mar 21, 2011 22:36
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Jarmotion posted:For a first banjo I would recommend a Deering Goodtime or a Goldtone. You will probably spend about 300-400 on one, but it is completely worth it. I have a 2600 dollar banjo, but I still use my Deering Openback all the time, it is so light and just keeps sounding better every day. You can find them used on the banjohangout site all the time. This is some solid advice. I bought a Goodtime a few years ago to see if I'd like playing banjo, and even though I just bought a more expensive banjo, I'll keep my Goodtime around. You should spend 3-500 on your first banjo, but perhaps you can get something decent used for less than that. Just dont buy a crap banjo, you want to enjoy playing it and not have to fight it to get a sound out of it. The Helix looks great too. I looked on his site, and he can't get the bamboo anymore, so he's not offering an intro banjo right now. I just got a Gold Star, and absolutely love it. Another reason the Goodtime is great to keep is because it's light. Banjos are heavy instruments, and the Deering is light enough so that if I want to do extended practice sessions it doesn't kill my back.
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Apr 22, 2011 03:59
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Captain Mediocre posted:I've never been able to really get my head around clawhammer so I play bluegrass almost exclusively. It takes a while. Do some searches on the web for it, start off with the basic movement, dont try and drop thumb yet. Just keep doing it over and over, you'll get the hang of it. When I started out, I thought I'd never play clawhammmer. Now I've picked it up a little bit and am having fun learning. It does take a while for the basic bum-ditty movement to click, though. quote:One problem I have with bluegrass though, is I don't understand how anybody can work it out by ear, theres so many notes so fast that I just cannot tab it. As it is, I'm pretty reliant on tabs from the banjohangout website. Anyone got any advice for this sort of thing? Yes, a slowdowner. I have Song Surgeon, and it's helped me a lot. Listen to a lot of bluegrass, and buy the Scruggs Album "Foggy Mtn Banjo". Lots of classic songs on there that you can put in your slowdowner and learn. Song Surgeon is ~$30. There are others, like The Amazing Slowdowner. I get a lot of tabs from the hangout, too. Not all of them are great, but a lot of them are good. Make sure you listen to a lot of bluegrass too, so you know the feel of the music. I can provide some recommendations if you want. Growing up in Va, I was exposed to it at an early age, which helped. Some of the Homespun video series are good too. They have tab that comes along with them. The Earl Scruggs book is supposedly one of the better books out there. Hollis Brown posted:I ended up ordering a Deering Goodtime. You made the right decision. 
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Apr 27, 2011 04:03
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I'm glad to see that it picked back up and there's dobro, flatpickers, clawhammer players in here. Should I edit the OP with some links, broaden it a bit, and change the title? Suggestions welcome.
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May 14, 2011 01:43
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OP updated. Again, suggestions welcome.
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May 17, 2011 01:42
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I have a friend of mine that's never played music before, and he just got a fiddle. He's doing pretty well with it. So while it's not impossible, it is challenging. - There's no frets or fret markings - You have to draw the bow perpendicular to the strings, else it'll squeak - You have to put an appropriate amount of pressure when you draw the bow to get it to sound - May be harder if you have fat fingers, but I don't know if there's truth in this. Likely moreso for the mandolin. - There's some degree of timing you'll need, to hit that shuffle - It sits under your chin, and much like the banjo is a bit of a loud instrument. They do make mutes for fiddles like they do banjos Now with that said, fiddles are pretty easy to rent, so you can try and see if you like it before you buy one. Bear in mind too that mandolins are tuned the same - so you can get started on a mandolin (which has frets and fret markings) and switch later if you want. Having started on a guitar and switched to banjo, I feel the fiddle will be a bigger leap. Do it! Also, I never thought I was going to play clawhammer at all, but you're right. It's a lot of fun, you don't have to mess with picks, and has a really friendly, accessible sound. A clawhammer question: I have the basics down, but I find myself playing really percussively, that is the thumb hits the head of the banjo a lot when I grab that high 5th string. I assume this isn't anything to worry about as long as it's not distracting? Planet X fucked around with this message at 14:03 on May 17, 2011 |
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May 17, 2011 14:01
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Pigstomper posted:Also if you are interested in moving on to drop thumb, it will be beneficial to get used to a more shallow thumbstroke. Plucking over the fretted area as opposed to the banjo head helped me with this (and it also gives a great, mellow sound). That's fine, it's why I was asking. I know I'm hitting the head too hard with the thumb. I think playing over the fretboard will help a bit. I was considering getting a replacement bridge and turning my old Goodtime, at least temporarily into a clawhammer setup. I'm under the impression that frailers generally have higher action on their banjos than 3 finger players do. Will it make it a little easier if I do that? That's good advice, to play on the neck instead of the head, makes sense. Pinky the Cube posted:wildly contradictory advice This is a good point. There is definitely technique and structure to this music, but it's a lot about feel. I've seen youtube videos that stress that clawhammer players need to use index finger only for the first note in the frailing motion, but one of my teachers said use whatever's comfortable. Much of playing this music is listening to it, getting the feel for it, and jumping in rather than learning scales or being super focused on technique. Planet X fucked around with this message at 03:15 on May 18, 2011 |
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May 18, 2011 03:12
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Well, I anchor one finger. With that said, I'm trying more to anchor two. You can probably get yourself out of the habit of scraping the head with the pick. Just take a step back and take it slow. Maybe your wrist angle is off? It's really hard to anchor two for me, but they're right about it stabilizing your hand and picking power. Edit: I added Dobro links to the OP Planet X fucked around with this message at 02:18 on May 27, 2011 |
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May 26, 2011 23:55
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Roctor posted:oh yeah, the song's the old classic "whiskey before breakfast". Most of you will likely recognize it when you hear it, but I want to make sure the name is in this post somewhere Nicely done. I need to learn that one, I dont know it. I know a few of the standards on banjo.
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Jul 8, 2011 02:24
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That's called drop thumbing and is an intermediate technique, as I understand it. Get the basic bum-ditty movement down and work on drop thumbing later. May not hurt to take a lesson, either. Edit: You definitely want to use your thumb in clawhammer. I took a clawhammer lesson once and was told to keep the nail on whatever finger you're using to strike the string. You dont have to grow the fingernail out, but don't clip it short, it helps to have a little length to the nail. Planet X fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Jul 14, 2011 |
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Jul 14, 2011 00:35
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proton posted:Do yall know a good source for somethin a little more meaty ? I wanna get a few good licks under my belt before I start trying to improvise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lygc31AHHiY Found this for you. Its a long lesson, but she puts it together pretty well at the end. You'll want to learn what 'fiddle' songs are, and learn them. OBS, Soldier's Joy, Roanoke, etc. Start getting the songs in your head, get a slowdowner, and play along with them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXkwthWiMFk fyo posted:Cool, thanks guys. Yeah I've been practicing the basic bum ditty pretty religiously. OK if that's the case, I'd say go ahead and start trying to get your drop thumb down. When I took my clawhammer lesson, guy was doing drop thumb that I thought was really cool, but he did say there were some accomplished clawhammer players that never used it, so I didnt have to feel like I had to learn it, especially since I generally play 3 finger. Did you get a clawhammer banjo, with a little higher action and the frets missing from the upper register of the neck? You can play clawhammer on a banjo that's not set up for it, but it certainly helps to have a little higher action, especially when you're doing that action closer up on the neck than rather back near the bridge like Scruggs style. I'm almost compelled to get a little higher bridge for my Goodtime for that reason. Planet X fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Jul 15, 2011 |
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Jul 15, 2011 00:22
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I enjoy learning the banjo more than I did the guitar. With that said, I'm going back to the guitar and trying to learn to flatpick now. I was fortunate enough that when I decided to learn to play, the shop next to me at the time (Gryphon in Palo Alto, CA) rented them, and knocked the rental price off the price of a new one. The banjo has a reputation for being a hard instrument to learn, but reading the weird instrument thread, I'm convinced it's not as hard as some of the instruments in there.  Easy about the banjo: - Really only fretting 4 strings, rather than 6 on the guitar. Often times, you're not fretting the full chord, only a partial chord on the top 2 strings (thinnest ones). You generally do not fret the short high string - Neck is thinner than guitar - It's an open tuning (G), so you can strum and bar if you want to just learn songs. By barring the 2nd fret you play the A chord, 3rd fret is B, 5th is C, 7th is D, and so on - Beginner banjos are light and less bulky than a guitar. - There are 3 major chord formations, usable anywhere on the neck. Harder about the banjo: - No sustain. You really have to work on making sure each note count - Learning rolls and patterns requires patience and muscle memory - Looking at the tab can throw you off since it's a series of rolls, usually. - Pressing on the head of the banjo or gripping the neck too hard can throw off the tone a little since the bridge is not fixed like a guitar. I'm back to learning banjo and trying to progress rather than just playing. I'll say that having a book AND a CD that goes along with it has been super helpful instead of just a book. Last night I just sat down and listened to the lessons and followed along in the book instead of trying to play along. My instructor sells them here: http://www.eddiecollins.biz/eddie/bookbasic.html If you want to get inspired, go find a jam or a live performance, and talk to people about it too. All Y'all newbies, once you get your rolls down, things come a lot easier. You're basically putting different series of rolls together to make a song. Since it involves muscle memory, if you get frustrated, put it down for a day or so, then come back to it. You'll be surprised what that does for progress. For all the Deliverance jokes, a lot of people are really fascinated and drawn when they find out I play; some have said they just love the sound. That inspires me to keep going. Last thing I'll say is that I pulled out the banjo at a picnic the other day, and I started to get some jokes from my friends..one guy started to make some hick / sodomy joke, and I started playing. He stumbled over his words because he couldn't really hear himself once I started playing. I said "whatever you're about to say, I've heard it before". He goes "Man, there's a joke there somewhere but I see you can actually play so I'll just shut up now" Hopefully I'm not  too much in this thread
Planet X fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Jul 16, 2011 |
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Jul 16, 2011 17:09
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sailorjosh posted:
Whats up Gold Star buddy!  I have some time off to burn, so I'm going to drive up to an acoustic camp next week: http://acousticmusiccamp.com/ Not sure there's any acoustically inclined goons in North Texas that have a few hundred bucks and the back half of next week to kill. However, my banjo teacher tends to go to and teach at these things, and said it's a wonderful way to learn. I was just playing for a while, but am back to really practicing, trying to get my tunes down and polish the ones I already know. I need to learn Old Joe Clark, Gold Rush among a few others that always come up at the jams. Planet X fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Aug 8, 2011 |
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Aug 5, 2011 06:00
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^^ Interesting because I was listening to her just today. One of my banjo teachers really likes her music. I spent the weekend at an acoustic music camp. I learned a number of things from a bunch of the instructors, lots of tips and tricks on everything from playing to string changing. I highly recommend going to such a thing, as it was the first time that I had and I got a lot out of it.
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Aug 16, 2011 00:25
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Massasoit posted:I have been playing banjo for maybe three years now, however I am still terrible. A slowdowner helps. It also helps to sit down and actively practice, rather than just play. I go back and forth between the two, myself. Surely there must be a local bluegrass association or something in the larger towns? Put up a craigslist ad? How about this: What songs do you want to learn? There are ways to play the songs you want, but maybe without all the fill notes. Start with the melody, then put the fill notes in. Let me know what you want to learn, then maybe we can help you. Don't forget, you can play a lot of songs on the banjo. I can now play the last two songs on Dark Side Of the Moon on my banjo, and it doesn't sound like it's a novelty. Just taught myself Here Comes The Sun. Not everything sounds good on a banjo, but when you find ones that do, no matter the genre, it'll put a smile on your face Captain Mediocre posted:
I don't have them, no, but I'd like to get some one day. I think they're also called Scruggs Tuners. http://www.janetdavismusic.com/dtunpeg.html I learned how these work at camp, they basically stop the string at a certain point. I assume you want these so you can go to other tunings easily and quickly, or do most people buy them so they can rip on Flint Hill Special? Thanks for keeping the thread going.
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Oct 11, 2011 00:40
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Lord Dekks posted:I already play the guitar (Intermediately) and figured it could be fun to try to learn some bluegrass together. I don't want to go out and buy a Banjo yet as we don't know how much she'll enjoy trying to learn etc and whether she'll find it fun and go on to get lessons or find its just not for her. Not sure of how big of a city you're in, but some shops rent them. I rented mine for a month, and the shop gave me that rental credit towards purchase. If you only play guitar, why not try something else? Like mentioned above, its not an incredibly difficult transition. Lord Dekks posted:In the meantime, are there any good examples of guitar and fiddle bluegrass to give us a idea of what kind of thing we could try to learn together? We're in this purely for fun and our own amusement, but any ideas of the type of thing we could try to learn to play together would be appreciated, even if its more irish/celtic with a slightly bluegrass feel would be fine. Sure, start with the easy bluegrass standards: 9 pound hammer Cripple Creek Soldier's Joy Blackberry blossom (a little more intermediate) Bile them cabbage down Will the circle be unbroken Freeborn man Milk Cow Blues Many are based on a I-IV-V blues progression, others have a more Irish / Old Time feel to them. Fiddlers like to play in A, so capo at the second fret to make it easier on her. She should get the fret markers, too, they help. My buddy who is learning fiddle said it was way easier if I played guitar and he followed on fiddle. When I switch to the banjo, there's notes and fingers flying everywhere; a deluge of notes. When I'm strumming the guitar, not only can he see more visually what I'm doing (as the chords on the guitar are more easily visually distinguishable than banjo) but also its easier for him to follow because it's a more rhythmic instrument, at least when strumming.
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Nov 10, 2011 01:19
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N183CS posted:I took my first break on dobro and blew everyone away. On which song?
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Nov 13, 2011 18:45
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Troll. Ignore me. posted:I'm getting my master's in classical guitar performance. I played a banjo recently and it was incredibly fun. I also could produce insanely fast/complicated-sounding things with arpeggio patterns I was already familiar with. Technique wise, sure, you'll be fine. I've never seen someone use anything other than steel picks when playing Scruggs style though. To get that attack, you're really picking hard, and quite perpendicular to the strings. I'd be interested to hear if you can pull it off. If you're good with scales and arpeggios, you're probably going to be better at melodic style banjo than traditional / Scruggs. fyo posted:Can anyone recommend a good lesson book for clawhammer banjo? No, but I'd recommend something that has a CD along with it, I've found it really helps to hear the exercises. I saw this guy at an acoustic camp, maybe try his books or series. Call him up, see what he says. http://clawdan.com/
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Nov 29, 2011 05:11
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Why not just buy a mute?
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Nov 30, 2011 03:10
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mesc posted:I like this thread.  mesc posted:
I'll have to give that a shot. I like the smaller 'speed'picks than the Dunlops. I will try out the Pro Piks. I did try the Pro Pik finger picks, and I don't like them - just the way the 4 pieces of metal fit onto my finger doesn't work for me. YMMV. I will say that I tried some Ernie Ball fingerpicks recently. They take some getting used to, but it's a lighter touch. http://www.firstqualitymusic.com/images/product/5864/P_5864_T00.jpg <-- these things There are some thumbpicks out there that are supposedly super high quality and never wear out, but they're like $40 and come in 2 sizes.
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Dec 8, 2011 02:33
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Generally a basic setup will run roughly $60, but it depends on the luthier, I suppose. Take it to an acoustic instruments store, they should be able to easily assess if it's worth fixing before you spend any money. That or post it up on the banjo hangout. If the neck is warped, it may not be worth putting another neck on it, but it really depends on what you have.
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Dec 14, 2011 02:28
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My first (out of two) banjos is a Deering Goodtime. I will never get rid of this instrument. Fyo's advice is great. I did the same, I bought a Goodtime with a resonator. If you plan on jamming with bluegrass folks, you'll be glad you have the resonator. The resonator on the Gootime isn't heavy and it's 4 screws to remove it. I have mine removed just so it's super light and wanted to have that Old Time sound for a while. It sits next to the bed, so I can just grab it and plink out a few tunes before I go to sleep. That's the best thing about it. As you go up in price, banjos get heavy with their resonators, so when you have a Goodtime, its a great lightweight practice banjo, but you can certainly get away with playing in a jam with it. They're great for camping and travel, too. If you are going to play mostly clawhammer, get one without the resonator. Otherwise, get one with a resonator and take it off. Only thing is the Goodtime without resonator has a metal disc on it where the resonator bolts on and isn't exactly sightly. Not really a big deal but worth mention. Bottom line is you should play them both, or have someone at the shop play both of them for you and pick the one that sounds best to you! edit: mesc, the black headstock on that deering is  here's a vid of Rob Bourassa playing an open back Goodtime. Quite good sound and playability for the price. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYMgLRv3Ns Planet X fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Dec 16, 2011 |
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Dec 16, 2011 00:22
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How to spice up the banjo playing you mean? Maybe learn how to play G licks (and E Minor licks, the relative minor of G) up the neck and do a solo. I play this song on the banjo too, but I play it clawhammer style. Oddly enough it works. Like you, I like playing Dead songs on the banjo. I'm working on Mountains of the Moon. Grateful Dead banjo buddy!
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Jan 10, 2012 05:12
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fyo posted:I've been learning clawhammer banjo since July-- I've been wanting to start playing over the neck, but my banjo doesn't have that fretless section like a lot of clawhammer banjos have. Would do any undue harm to anything by taking a dremel and sandpaper to the neck to create enough of a gap to be able to pluck the strings? Do you mean dremel the frets down? Why not just pop them out? With that said, I wouldnt know how. I think that clawhammer banjos also have a higher bridge that raise the strings more off then neck than a regular banjo. Definitely consider seeking out a clawhammer specific bridge. Dremeling would be dependent on how expensive your banjo is and how much you care about playing on the upper neck ever again. It'd probably make it easier to play clawhammer, but someone may know more or could contest this. Maybe ask the clawhammer subforum of banjo hangout? I'm trying to get over my hands shaking when I play out or on stage, so I went to a few open mics this week. Last night I was monkeying around with "Fearless" by Pink Floyd. I like that people are posting up their playing! 
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Jan 14, 2012 19:06
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Bill O'Riley is GENIUS posted:
Get the 5 string model for folk / bluegrass. I think you're right that its not going to make that much of a difference since he's a novice. If you sold it for half of what you got it for, that means you spent a few hundred bucks learning how to play the banjo. FWIW, I still have my inexpensive banjo, because my nice one is too heavy to play all the time and I won't take it camping. Goose Halo posted:Anyone know anything about these banjos, or about cheap banjos in general? Not really. Go look at it, and if the action isn't way up off the neck and it is in good shape, make him an offer.
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Jan 21, 2012 17:01
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To add to that I'd say it's good to have a few tunes to call during a jam. You can just go, listen and try to play along, but I've found if new folks have a tune or two they can play, it helps them acclimate better. I may have listed them somewhere in the thread before, but should we add some bluegrass standards to the OP? Speaking of OP, it's almost a year old. Anything I should add?
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Jan 26, 2012 04:05
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Smeed posted:I bought a Deering Goodtime last week and its been a lot of fun to play. I'm playing clawhammer style and I've been doing the exercises in Rocket Science Banjo. I'm treating it almost like a game, trying to play the chapter 1 exercises at full speed before moving on to chapter 2. No, but it's easy to do. Dan Levenson told me that one can simply put a higher bridge to play clawhammer, but to also back the tension off the head a bit to do that. I just keep my Goodtime normal. Someone said earlier in the thread that scooping the neck is a pretty involved exercise. I'd say just play the Goodtime as is, and when you're ready to move up to something else after you've stuck with it, buy something that's clawhammer specific and scooped. Keep the Goodtime around as a camping / travel banjo.
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Mar 10, 2012 23:02
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I'd start with the higher bridge. The banjo is an instrument that is often hot rodded / parts swap out - necks, resonators, bridges, tone rings, etc. You may be able to rout it out and not have issues. The effort to do so may or not be worth the trouble, expense, or hassle of ensuring intonation and action. Then again, it may be an interesting undertaking. A few of the previous posters hit the nail on the head I think with respect to playing Scruggs style with picks. You've got to have them to get the sound. One thing I struggle with is keeping the picks perpendicular to the strings and getting a really poppy, individual sound to each string. Fortunately, as also mentioned before the banjo (at least to me) has a bit of leeway with respect to best practice, so do the best you can as far as technique and have fun. I go back and forth from clawhammer, Scruggs and electric guitar playing, so it's just a matter of time and muscle memory. N183CS its cool you're posting up jam vids and to see bluegrass with palm trees in the background Planet X fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Mar 11, 2012 |
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Mar 11, 2012 09:54
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You hitting it right behind the fret? Make sure you're fretting the notes right behind the fret, not the space in between.
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Apr 9, 2012 04:57
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Yes, you should practice slow and bring it up to speed. However, it doesn't hurt to take a song and try to listen to it at full tempo and try to hit the notes when you can. You dont have to hit every note, but trying to hit the changes at tempo is good practice. With that said, when it doubt, slow it down! I'm trying to learn Ground Speed and I always want to speed it up but end up pooching it when I do  If you havent aready get a slowdowner and put your music in there and slow that poo poo down and learn it clean then the speed will come
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Apr 14, 2012 04:09
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ImDifferent posted:I don't care. We're drinking beers, playing bluegrass and it's fun, dammit. Nicely done
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Apr 21, 2012 07:12
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Rob Bourassa, look him up on Banjo Hangout or Youtube.
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Apr 26, 2012 00:41
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dexter6 posted:So my first banjo will be delivered Friday and I was wondering what other accessories I might have to head to the music shop to buy. The banjo comes with a gig bag, but here's what I'm thinking: Picks are going to be personal preference like Captain Mediocre said. Try the nationals, but also you can try smaller picks too. I like the Snark tuners a lot. Get a Capo, you'll need one. A banjo specific capo. Get a stand too - its nice to not have to put your banjo in the case all the time.
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May 31, 2012 18:10
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I'm not a fiddle player, but if you're looking for a list of fiddle tunes in bluegrass, that's easy. With that said, I don't know what's easy / intermediate, etc.
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Jun 2, 2012 20:24
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http://www.harmonicatunes.com/bluegrass_repertoire.shtml I'd say: Blackberry Blossom Angelina Baker Orange Blossom Special (there are tutorials for this online) Roanoke (one of my favorites) Soldier's Joy Clinch Mtn Backstep
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Jun 4, 2012 04:18
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Hollis Brown posted:I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for strings. I am a novice player with a deering goodtime that I've had for almost a year and I accidentally broke one of the strings. I was considering something like the aquila nylgut as well as traditional metal. Also if anyone has a good place to order from I would appreciate that as well. Its personal preference, but just get lights, or maybe the JD Crowe GHS Medium-light set. If you want a bluegrass sound, get steel strings. Is there no music store close to you? Otherwise, any online music retailer or Amazon should do.
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Jun 18, 2012 21:05
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