banjo for a guitar player ?

[Backslash]

All I have to say is I played a banjo the other day and it was so cool.
I love the sound it makes.

[Hankak]

The basic question I now have for the 5 string option is: open or closed back? What's most popular and why?
tnx
Hank

[banjar]

As mentioned above, they are generally used for different types of music, though you can use whatever you want for clawhammer/oldtime styles. While you could use an open back for bluegrass, it will not be heard over the other instruments very well.

You need to answer a couple question now.

What kind of banjo music (Oldtime, bluegrass, Celtic, classical etc..) do you want to play? Do you plan to play by yourself or in a group? if you're not sure name a couple performers or performances that you would like to sound like.

[opencee]

On the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's first "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album there is a song called Soldier's Joy. It's a great duet version done by John McKuen (frailing style) and Earl Scruggs (bluegrass style).

Nice place to compare and contrast. See if you can find it.

Taj Mahal played a lot of frailing banjo on his Giant Step/ Old Folks at Home album.

Most tenor banjos are played with a plectrum. Bluegrass style generally requires fingerpicks. Frailing and clawhammer are generally bare finger styles with most everything played on the downstroke of the thumb and the the nail side of the fingers. Even all those intricate melodies are played are created by the thumb and backs of individual or combined fingers. It seems odd at first, but it really works.

I don't have any reference to show you how this is done. Maybe somebody else does. Very intersesting to watch. Once you see how it works, I think you could catch on easily.

On the resonator question, it doesn't really matter. If you end up with a banjo that has a resonator, fine. Resonators project better in a band setting. I prefer the softer, more organic, sound without.

[opencee]

Here is a little example of a duet of Shady Grove with guitar and frailing banjo. Great rhythms. Don't know the players. Maybe you do.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IMwlCHqbQ...ailing%20banjo

[Folkstrum]

Originally Posted by Hankak

The basic question I now have for the 5 string option is: open or closed back? What's most popular and why? tnx Hank

Style? and Why? 2 questions that need to be answered--although you can't go wrong with a decent "open back"--like a Deering "Goodtime", Or a "Saga". Go try a few out, and make up your mind. Who cares what it is "used for"? Find something you like the tone, timbre and "bite" of. (BTW--resonators are the "most popular"--among BLUEGRASS players? You plannin' on being a Bluegrass player? Get a resonator.)

[cotten]

You know, as much fun as we guitarist have sometimes, poking fun at drumists, accordianers, bagpipe blowers and banjo annoyers ( ), this is a great thread! At first I thought perhaps that a banjo thread didn't belong in a General Acoustic Guitar Discussion forum, but then I realized how many of us are interested, and how many are so very knowledgeable on the subject.

It reminds me again that there is nothing that the members of the AGF like better than helping each other!

I messed around with a banjitar a while back, and enjoyed the new possibilities of sound and color. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it sound like a real banjo - not even close. There's something that just "ain't right" about having that high pitch string up there where your bass notes are supposed to be.

Don't tell anybody, but I think that a well played banjo makes for great music. One of these days I might try it myself. I already know one of the techniques. A guy told me a while back that he really enjoyed my guitar flailing. Of course, I didn't even know that's what I was doing....

cotten

[Hankak]

I found this on youtube and I would like to learn to play like this. So what is the style and what kind of banjo?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BqGCf4EUBPA
tnx
Hank

[Hankak]

Here's another, better me thinks, so what's the style and banjo?
http://youtube.com/watch?search=&mod...&v=KrtQTvZNcm0
tnx
Hank

[JohnZ]

Originally Posted by cotten

You know, as much fun as we guitarist have sometimes, poking fun at drumists, accordianers, bagpipe blowers and banjo annoyers ( ), this is a great thread! At first I thought perhaps that a banjo thread didn't belong in a General Acoustic Guitar Discussion forum, but then I realized how many of us are interested, and how many are so very knowledgeable on the subject.

It reminds me again that there is nothing that the members of the AGF like better than helping each other!

I messed around with a banjitar a while back, and enjoyed the new possibilities of sound and color. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it sound like a real banjo - not even close. There's something that just "ain't right" about having that high pitch string up there where your bass notes are supposed to be.

Don't tell anybody, but I think that a well played banjo makes for great music. One of these days I might try it myself. I already know one of the techniques. A guy told me a while back that he really enjoyed my guitar flailing. Of course, I didn't even know that's what I was doing....

cotten

I've used a jazz guitarist friend who owns a 6 string Deering a few times when a client wanted a 'dueling banjos' theme. He sort of gets a bluegrass sound by doing some cross picking, which doesn't sound that great by itself but sounds pretty good against a Scuggs style.

Deering used to make a model called an 'Intermediate' which I think is called 'Boston' now.....steel rim, no tone ring, anyway, they are very bright and though it's a resonator, you can easily remove the back and extra hardware and have an open back.

[opencee]

Hankak,

The first vdeo you put up is a bluegrass version of Dueling Banjos. Of course, as a solo, there is no duel.

How about this clawhammer player:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wXWNBIjc5...hammer%20banjo

[Hankak]

Here's the best one: It's from Deliverance and the song Dueling Banjos has always piqued my interesting in learning the banjo ever since I heard it the first time. So if someone can tell me what kind of banjo and style that represents (if it hasn't been faked) that's what I want to try to learn.
tnx
Hank

[opencee]

Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin on Letterman.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=icMTVV5Lw...arle%20scruggs

[JohnZ]

Originally Posted by Hankak

Here's the best one: It's from Deliverance and the song Dueling Banjos has always piqued my interesting in learning the banjo ever since I heard it the first time. So if someone can tell me what kind of banjo and style that represents (if it hasn't been faked) that's what I want to try to learn.
tnx
Hank

That was Eric Weissberg on banjo and Marshall Brickman on guitar. The Dillards did it earlier with banjo and mandolin. The original was a 5 string vs. a tenor.

[nhsmitty]

I can't view the video links but I'll assume you want to play bluegrass or 3 finger style. Typically played on a resonator banjo. Still, you can learn that style on open back without a problem.

One thought. The resonator can be removed from any resonator banjo to let you experiment with the open back sound. The open back playability problem with most resonator banjos is the flange (it holds the resonator on) will then dig into your legs if you play sitting down without the resonator. Some resonator model banjos, like the Good Time, the flange can be removed, and the banjo converted to the standard Good Time open back model. Of course, that involves removing the nuts from the J hooks that hold the head on the pot, removing the flange and retightening the hooks and head. That may be more than you want to get involved with, but depending on which banjo you go with, you might be able to convert it to a clean open back, without a flange. I'm positive this can be done with the Good Time resonator model, and possibly with some of the Gold Tones. I'm not that familiar with the Gold Tone resonator models. I wouldn't go out and buy a Gibson Mastertone or other high end resonator banjo and convert it to open back but you can always remove the back to see if the open back sound trips your trigger.

You can't go wrong with or without a resonator at this point, IMO! Just get a quality banjo (I suggest Good Time or Gold Tone) and be sure it has a geared fifth string tuner. You'll thank me later for the 5th string tuner advice.