|
Does anyone have any good tips and tricks on the D chord? I've been practicing for years and I'm still struggling to get it down smoothly.
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2021 17:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 2, 2024 19:18 |
|
|
The D form you mean, at the second third and fourth frets? D can be played all over the neck in different forms, so I assume that's what you're referring to. What's the trouble? Maybe do a partial chord form instead? FWIW I fret that fourth fret with my pinky, not my ring finger, so I can drop the ring finger down to the D string to fret the fourth string while holding the rest of the chord Planet X fucked around with this message at 13:03 on Sep 30, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2021 19:11
|
|
|
Yeah, it's the D form. I'm using my pinky already I just can't get the fucker smooth. I'm pretty close to just trading all Ds for D7s and calling it close enough.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2021 19:30
|
|
|
Just got a banjo for no particularly good reason. I'm starting with clawhammer, but boy howdy are 20 years of guitar making my brain break. I want to use the short string for the bass note so drat badly. Insanite fucked around with this message at 18:05 on Apr 17, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 18:02
|
|
|
made the mistake of only learning the first through third strings for D. It was painful/crampy unlearning it + my masculine yaoi pinky still always smudges the other string. my advice would be to maybe change the way yours sits? to feel it around until you find a more tolerable position to slide into
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 10:03
|
|
|
Another Bill posted:Yeah, it's the D form. I'm using my pinky already I just can't get the fucker smooth. I'm pretty close to just trading all Ds for D7s and calling it close enough. Does the F form also give you trouble? They're very similar. If you find F easy, can you apply what you did to learn that? The D form gave me trouble when I first started. I powered through in the only way that has ever worked for me to learn a fine motor skill: huge amounts of repetition. I suggest finding a I-IV-V song in G that you enjoy and practicing the left hand incessantly. I practice my left hand while watching movies, for example. If you want to play up the neck you're going to have to master the D, F, and Bar forms. There's no way around it, you have to wire neurons in your brain and repetition is the most straightforward method we have.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2021 07:02
|
|
|
I have actually gotten better at it! What got me over the hump was just giving up and playing the D7 on some songs but my D chord is passable, not as smooth as my F yet but getting better all the time. I've been practicing everyday the last month since my kids went back to school and I've had all kinds of extra energy/ time.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2021 16:07
|
|
|
I think I've settled on learning banjo, or at least I've managed to keep the enthusiasm for a few weeks while I read up on it. Clawhammer, definitely. Everyone recommends either a Deering Goodtime or Gold Tone CC, and those seem fine. But I can't find either used for much less than the new price. Not sure if I should buy new, wait for a better used price to show up, or go ahead and spend $400-450 on a used one. I'm a total novice to playing music, so I don't want to waste hundreds of dollars!
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2021 22:15
|
|
|
Those banjos are good, but if you're brand new to music and not sure how committed you'll be, there's also nothing wrong with starting on a cheap $100-$150 banjo. That's how I started, and while I've since upgraded to a better sounding CB-100, I'm not sure how much I would have been able to appreciate its better sound when I was just starting out.
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2021 23:01
|
|
|
That was my first thought! The idea I'm coming around to is that even if I don't learn it right away, I'm investing in something I can play around with for the rest of my life. Plenty of people pick up enough guitar that they have fun with it but never get that serious. So I guess I'm ok with the cost, but I always hesitate before big purchases.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2021 00:56
|
|
|
With instruments, you can also go by feel. If it feels good, get it, within reason, of course. Of course, the more you pay for an instrument, the better it's going to feel. $400 isn't a huge amount of money, but it's not chump change either. Paying $400, in my mind is 'about right' for an instrument that is a good balance between not spending a lot and investing up front, as the cheaper instruments can be a bit difficult to play.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2021 03:35
|
|
|
Planet X posted:With instruments, you can also go by feel. If it feels good, get it, within reason, of course. Of course, the more you pay for an instrument, the better it's going to feel. I recently picked up banjo; a Goodtime at a bit under $400 made sense to me. It seemed like the consensus “cheap, but not offensively cheap option that would make me hate playing the instrument” choice. Cheap instruments can have issues that are just a total bummer. Sharp frets, crappy tuners, warped necks, etc. I’ve been playing string instruments for 25 years, and there is always a point at which that bargain buy you find just isn’t worth it. And anyhow, if a Goodtime or whatever doesn’t click with you, you can always resell it for what you paid for it. Insanite fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Oct 30, 2021 |
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2021 04:03
|
|
|
E: nevermind, I was in a lower octave  I fixed it
Fitzy Fitz fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Nov 7, 2021 |
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2021 19:55
|
|
|
Hey guys, wondering if anyone has some input. I have a 1970s wedding cake Framus as my tenor, but I'm looking to upgrade it. Best options I can see at the moment are the 1927 Vega Little Wonder being sold by Paul Conlon over at purebanjo for £875, and there's a fella over in Ireland willing to sell his Clareen Special for £900. The Clareen retails in the UK at £1500 and by all accounts is an ideal irish tenor banjo, so that's probably the better option? Anyone play any Clareens or Little Wonders ever?
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2021 10:29
|
|
|
Thoughts on recent developments regarding Clifton Hicks?
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2021 19:10
|
|
|
Hatedad posted:Thoughts on recent developments regarding Clifton Hicks? Clifton Hicks has done a ton for some lesser known styles of banjo and was an early inspiration of mine. I remember watching his stuff on YouTube when I was first learning in 2007? or so. He’s always seemed like kind of a weird guy, I think he was a conscientious objector in Iraq and iirc was a hardcore confederate reenactor as well, and I can’t say I’m surprised to learn he has political beliefs that are very different from mine. I imagine Tommy Jarrell and Ralph Stanley may have as well. I’m not quite comfortable with that, but I don’t have a great answer for it except to stay a little uncomfortable and let that remind me that this isn’t all a happy story. E: the old guitar player from above killin ‘Grandfather’s Clock’. He used to back up Hylo Brown on some radio show in Baltimore in the 60’s. (There’s some banjo playing too) https://youtu.be/Yh1bgO6aDmY Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Dec 2, 2021 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2021 20:20
|
|
|
Hatedad posted:Thoughts on recent developments regarding Clifton Hicks? Oh, wow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYFu57T58c Well, I've liked his playing in the past, but I can't look past this trash--especially as a non-white banjo player. Insanite fucked around with this message at 20:38 on Dec 2, 2021 |
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2021 20:34
|
|
|
Insanite posted:Oh, wow: Holy poo poo, yikes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2021 20:45
|
|
|
Yeah lmao I saw that and went "oh gently caress there goes the algorithm". Bah he's not that good anyway, Dan Walsh would never do me like that
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2021 13:39
|
|
|
Anyone who wants to fix their algorithm should search up Allison Russell / Our Native Daughters. Really powerful and new Americana from the perspective of black or african-american women. There's some banjo in there too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2021 19:20
|
|
|
Hatedad posted:Thoughts on recent developments regarding Clifton Hicks? It's a real loving shame isn't it. I learned a lot from him when I was starting out, and between the latest wankery and previous leaked communications I now actively avoid his content. It seems like he took those initial accusations, and rather than dealing with it and talking the issue through with folks, he doubled down and actually became the person they were accusing him of being. I guess I'll just claim I learned Morphine from John Haywood instead now.
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2021 00:04
|
|
|
Might have stumbled upon a wee gem- local fella selling what looks like a 1930 Gibson TB-1. Looks great, been refretted, just need to try it out and check the serial number.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2022 11:12
|
|
|
It's crazy how banjos just sing. You can play simple chords, D C G stuff, and by just hitting individual strings softly it makes something beautiful. I have no idea how to do actual banjo stuff, but it's an amazing instrument to mess on when you're just used to guitar!
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2022 23:53
|
|
|
Colonel J posted:It's crazy how banjos just sing. You can play simple chords, D C G stuff, and by just hitting individual strings softly it makes something beautiful. Using a calf skin head is what really brings the sound to life. My favorite banjo is the $90 Harmony I got from eBay, made from Bakelite plastic, not even wood.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2022 00:22
|
|
|
Decided to pull the plug on getting a banjo and ordered an Epiphone MB-100. Hopefully I'll be a better banjo player than I was a guitar player
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2022 21:08
|
|
|
Kuule hain nussivan posted:Decided to pull the plug on getting a banjo and ordered an Epiphone MB-100. Hopefully I'll be a better banjo player than I was a guitar player Turns out trying to get a banjo isn't a simple thing, drat near everything is out of stock. It's also europe, so it's slim pickings to begin with. Does anyone have any recommendations for beginner stuff? I first tried to grab the MB-100, which failed. Then put in a bit more money and tried to grab a Golden Tone AC-1, which also failed. I might be able to get my hands on a Recording King Dirty 30's Open Back, maybe? Other than those, it looks like a bunch of brands which I haven't heard anything about and am skeptical of, like Harley Benton (Thomann's own brand I think) and GEWA (sold as VGS Select / Premium etc).
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2022 10:44
|
|
|
Kuule hain nussivan posted:Turns out trying to get a banjo isn't a simple thing, drat near everything is out of stock. It's also europe, so it's slim pickings to begin with. Get the open back! My first banjo was a refurbished super tone from a forums poster on the Banjo Hangout. What do you want? Clawhammer? I prefer open backs, nylgut, calfskin, and fret less. Its so much warmer and more fun.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2022 15:57
|
|
|
Cheese Thief posted:Get the open back! My first banjo was a refurbished super tone from a forums poster on the Banjo Hangout. What do you want? Clawhammer? I prefer open backs, nylgut, calfskin, and fret less. Its so much warmer and more fun. I'm probably going to stay on the more folksy side of things, so I've been looking primarily at open backs. The AC-1 has the added benefit of being able to add a resonator with a kit, if I happen to feel like it. Most (all) of the time I'll be playing alone at home so I won't really need the added volume of a resonator either. No clue what my playing style is going to be, but I have a bit of guitar playing experience so I'll probably start off clawhammer but give Scruggs a shot too. Kuule hain nussivan fucked around with this message at 16:32 on May 22, 2022 |
|
#
?
May 22, 2022 16:28
|
|
|
I received my banjo last week! It is a fantastically fun instrument to play! I am rubbish at it! Anyone have any good tab collections to share?
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2022 22:08
|
|
|
banjohangout.org has a lot of user-submitted tabs, but I haven't really looked through them. If you're playing clawhammer, clawhammerbanjo.net has a well curated list (for a fee).
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2022 17:05
|
|
|
I got a Savannah 5 string yesterday. Still working with the bridge positioning and set up stuff, but I got it close enough to play with. What a blast. I have only done some bluegrass picking so far but I'm going to have to explore clawhammer too. I'm super paranoid about tweaking the setup. I've put strings on and moved the bridge around. I slightly tightened the head. I have very, very little idea what I'm doing. Looking forward to figuring it out though!
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2022 04:47
|
|
|
Gooch181 posted:I got a Savannah 5 string yesterday. Still working with the bridge positioning and set up stuff, but I got it close enough to play with. What a blast. I have only done some bluegrass picking so far but I'm going to have to explore clawhammer too. Dont be. Banjos are hot rods, you can adjust and misajust them and then take them into someone and have them get it right. Bridge position, though, has to be right in order for the intonation to be set correctly. You should be able to do this by making sure you hit a harmonic over the 12th fret. Head tension depends on whether you're playing clawhammer or scruggs. Scruggs you have a bit tighter head, tuning the head itself to G#. I think clawhammer has a little looser head. No matter what you do, you're not going to break the thing. Probably worth taking it to a local shop that works on banjos to have them set it up. I do this from time to time with mine and it makes a big difference. Assuming you got the $349 one, though, you may be limited on how much you can adjust it. Still worth a setup though. Planet X fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Aug 18, 2022 |
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2022 22:22
|
|
|
Yeah its the cheap one. I've got it aaalmost intonated but definitely plan on having it set up when I have a few extra bucks. Getting more confident with it and since I can't decide what style I like I'm just alternating when I get bored. Clawhammer might be in the lead by a small amount but I'm still at such baby steps it's hard to say. I'm truly in love with the instrument though. I found a flyer for a once month "Bluegrass Slow Jam" at some church an hour drive away, I'm planning to pack up everything I've got and go do my first real jam. I'm pretty psyched.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2022 23:54
|
|
|
FWIW I have my Goodtime set up as a bluegrass banjo and I occasionally use it for clawhammer. Though if you're going to play clawhammer, you want to grow out your fingernail a little bit, it makes a difference. Jams are fun, there are 2 jams every week here, but I only end up going once every two weeks usually. Dont be afraid to ask people what songs they're playing and write them down. That way you can learn them in between, especially ones that you like. Bluegrass and Old Time play around a generally common canon of songs, but every jam is different a little bit depending on what songs people bring. If anyone is interested in some recommended bluegrass banjo listening, I'm happy to make a quick list.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 00:33
|
|
|
I'd appreciate that, I'm stumbling into it but am going in mostly blind. Ive already played this more than the bass I've had for like a year; I'm seriously considering trying to trade up if it's worth the trouble. I see the Recording King Dirty 30s get nothing but love and plugged as a good starting point. Problem is there aren't any at local shops that I've found to sample and see how they stack up against my Savannah. Has anyone happened to play both? The price point is similar but that's not always a solid indication. The Goodtimes and such a little more expensive look good too. Gooch181 fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Aug 18, 2022 |
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 01:22
|
|
|
I think banjo is one of the those instruments where, except at the top end, there’s not just a huge world of difference, especially for clawhammer. There’s a lot you can easily tweak yourself too-different strings, different heads, different bridges, different head tensions etc. that can let you get a lot of different flavored sounds out of a hoop with a neck on it. Tuners are usually pretty easy to swap out and can make a big difference in functionality too. A whole lot of really great clawhammer/old time players play or played very cheap or homemade instruments. But whereas a cheap Chinese violin sounds pretty awful compared to a decent one, you can make a cheap banjo sound pretty decent. E: and plenty of good clawhammer players played bluegrass style banjos. Ralph Stanley, Grandpa Jones, and Wade Ward all spring to mind and I know there are plenty more.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 02:08
|
|
|
That's all good to know! The only thing so far that made me dislike the Savannah is today I stood up and the strap ring gave out. Thankfully I had both hands on it still. I had the resonator off of it all day yesterday, it seems to do fine for both styles. I'm going to a local shop tomorrow for a used hard case and might see what they know about making sure I can trust my strap, to start with. I'm sure the nut needs a little love but I think I mostly have it playing alright. By chance has anyone played a Luna banjo? I adore my guitar by them and assume the banjos are also a joy.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 02:24
|
|
|
OK here's my quick recs for bluegrass albums. Most of, with the exception of the Hartford record, have bluegrass standards on them. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will the circle be unbroken - an undisputed classic. Don't buy the second or third iterations of this, buy the first. An absolutely incredible record, all or nearly all are live takes, and the conversations captured are just really nice moments JD Crowe and The New South "Rounder 0044" - theres not a bad song on this record Ralph Stanely and the Clinch Mtn Boys - Live in Japan Johnson Mtn Boys - Live at the old schoolhouse Tony Rice - Manzanita - note there's no banjo on this record! Flatt and Scruggs - Foggy Mtn Banjo - This is a must have for banjo players, as many of the techniques and licks used on this record are directly lifted as must-do techniques for the Scruggs style Seldom Scene - live at the cellar door Tony Rice - Church St Blues - a guitar record, but just a great listen JD Crowe - Bluegrass holiday Bill Monroe - Smithsonian Folkways Off the record v1 John Hartford - Either Steam powered Aeroplane or Mark Twang. Definitely different! He's so much fun. Hope this helps. I'll list out some bluegrass standards if that'd help people too.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 17:21
|
|
|
Planet X posted:OK here's my quick recs for bluegrass albums. Most of, with the exception of the Hartford record, have bluegrass standards on them. This is an excellent list. Add a smattering of Jim & Jesse songs and some Delmore brothers and that's the core of what gets played at bluegrass jams around here. The Country Gentlemen have a great 'Live in Japan' album too. Don Stover is another interesting three finger and clawhammer player worth checking out.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 18:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 2, 2024 19:18 |
|
|
Thank you! I've listened to the Foggy Mtn Banjo and the Sturgill Simpson bluegrass records and that's about it aside from a random song here and there.
|
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2022 20:09
|
|