anybody here play banjo?

[paulk]

I've been kind of returning to my roots lately - I picked up my acoustic guitar a few months ago (after many years of neglect) and have had some success re-learning how to play the damn thing... it's led me back down the trail to my late teens/early twenties, when one of my main influences was Neil Young. Actually, I don't know if he was that much of an influence as much as a lot of people said I sounded like him. Anyway, rediscovering these country rock roots has made me interested in learning how to play banjo -

So - can anyone here give me some advice - web sites, books to buy, etc. Not interested in bluegrass, more of a country thing...

Thanks.

[Ron Green]

1. I have a good friend who played finger-pick (Scruggs) style for

years, and then in the last 3 or 4 years has developed as a claw-hammer, or frailing style player (without using picks.) He has recorded quite a nice album, too. I'll get in touch with him and see what resources he would recommend, and I'll get back to you.

[leftofthedial]

2. go to your room immediately

we'll not have another word about the <grimace> banjo in this forum!

;-)

[Ron Green]

3. What's the difference between a banjo and an onion?

....Nobody cries when you cut up a banjo.

:D

[leftofthedial]

4. at least banjos are good for one thing.

if your accordian catches fire, you can use your banjo to beat out the flames.

[dbt]

5. I play the banjo and I show NO REMORSE!

"Earl Scruggs and the Five-String Banjo" (written by Himself) is still an excellent book, no matter what style you lean toward.

If you're more into the "country thing," learn to frail (also known as clawhammer, drop-thumb and/or knockin'). A fiddle and a banjo were all that our ancestors needed (except for a jar of Dew) to party all night.

Clawhammer Frailing Banjo Instruction Questions
Some books from Elderly Instruments

The best way to learn clawhammer banjo is to watch somebody do it! I have the extreme honor of knowing the 1994 National Old-Time Banjo Champion of the By-God United States and her right hand is a textbook unto itself. Her name is Tara and she rules completely!

Oh yeah, get used to the jokes--and just be thankful that you're not a bagpiper.

:hi:
dbt

[paulk]

8. thanks for the info

I will definately check it out.

[one_true_leroy]

10. good book...

there's a Mel Bay Teach Yourself to Play Bluegrass Banjo. You can get it with a DVD lesson for about $20. I used it to learn and found it to be very good and easy to follow. It will not teach you anything about frailin', clawhammer, whatever, but it is a good primer for Scruggs-style. I can also seriously recommend the Deering Goodtime as a starter. I have the resonator model, and it is easy to convert to non-resonator, and very well worth the money. Don't fall for one of the $150 arias or fenders... they sound like a tin-can.

www.banjohangout.org
http://www.ezfolk.com/ (look at the links on the top right of the page)
http://www.unclebens.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/frames.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Terry_Holland/tutor1.htm
http://www.paulhawthorne.com/banjo.html

(not sure if all of them still work)

Finally, if you don't yet have a banjo, tune your guitar to DGDBGd (Double drop-d with A down to G= open G) This is identical to standard banjo, except the bass D and the G drone is in the bass instead of treble. You can finagle it to practice techniques, so that you practice with a familiar instrument and can hit the ground running when and if you get a banjer. You'll be able to practice both rolls and frails on the guitar, and haved to make only slight adjustments on a banjo.

Five fingers, five strings... Coincidence?

[no name no slogan]

6. Not yet-- but I hope to learn someday

Right now I'm working on getting my flamenco chops down on guitar. However, because of my flamenco stuff, I've become more interested in fingerpicked instruments, including the banjo.

One of these days I'll part with the $$ to get one, but I've got a couple other toys to acquire/master first.

Let me know if you find any good resources-- after all, the banjo is probably the only truly 'American' instrument there is!

[Ron Green]

7. Hey, paulk - here's one that my friend recommends...

Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch for the Clawless by Dan Levenson
published by Mel-Bay.

As I said, he has been an excellent finger picking player for many years, and just started frailing about 3 or 4 years ago. He says this is the best book for a beginner. Good luck.

[paulk]

9. thanks -

Mel Bay! I should have known...

I think that if I'm a real good boy the next few days... I just might find this under the xmas tree....