Anybody else here a closet banjo picker?

[catdaddy]

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went to a music festival that featured several bands (bluegrass, newgrass, old timey) where banjo was a prominent part of their sound. As the festival was coming to an end my wife surprised me with the request that I get a banjo and learn how to play it! She said the banjo sound was something she really liked and she "knew" I'd be able to play one.

Well, I had never entertained thoughts of owning a banjo or playing one before but for the sake of domestic tranquility I was willing to make the sacrifice

A week later I'm the proud though somewhat bemused owner of a Deering Vega Bluegrass Wonder banjo and I can't put the thing down. Seems like everything I try on it turns to music in a way that is easier and more natural than anything I've learned on guitar. Whether its a clawhammer "bumditty bum" , "double thumbing" or a bluegrass "mixed roll" everything is working for me.

I suspect this is an irreversible illness and just wondered if anyone else out there might be similarly afflicted.

[skiltrip]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went to a music festival that featured several bands (bluegrass, newgrass, old timey) where banjo was a prominent part of their sound. As the festival was coming to an end my wife surprised me with the request that I get a banjo and learn how to play it! She said the banjo sound was something she really liked and she "knew" I'd be able to play one.

Well, I had never entertained thoughts of owning a banjo or playing one before but for the sake of domestic tranquility I was willing to make the sacrifice

A week later I'm the proud though somewhat bemused owner of a Deering Vega Bluegrass Wonder banjo and I can't put the thing down. Seems like everything I try on it turns to music in a way that is easier and more natural than anything I've learned on guitar. Whether its a clawhammer "bumditty bum" , "double thumbing" or a bluegrass "mixed roll" everything is working for me.

I suspect this is an irreversible illness and just wondered if anyone else out there might be similarly afflicted.

I have been thinking about signing up for this affliction, but have not done so yet. A buddy and me (both of us on guitar) have been playing a little folk and bluegrass lately, and i'm getting the itch to mix it up and try the banjo. it's just hard for me to get my head around dropping the money on one right now. The other thing holding me back was wondering whether or not I'd actually get the hang of it, but from what you're saying, guitar to banjo has been a very smooth and natural transition for you.

tell us more! maybe this will help me decide whether or not to join the ranks of newbie banjo players out there!

[OddManOut]

Never seen a closet banjo.

[FutureFolkie]

I was just about to post a similar thread.

Yes I am a banjo picker, albeit a neophyte. I bought a Deering Goodtime earlier this year and I'm working hard on my bum-ditty skills. I'll never understand all the banjo jokes because to me, the banjo is a beautiful sounding instrument. I've just recently discovered Derroll Adams and his wonderful music, which along with Pete Seeger, gives me constant inspiration.

[actaylor]

I have a banjo, and have messed with it a little using the Murphy Method DVD's. But, I really want to learn clawhammer. Need to find some time in my schedule for that!

[Vcubed]

Never really wanted to play one until I heard a guy named Bela Fleck. Dang.

[Brackett Instruments]

I've been known to play a banjo every once in a while
My Wife's Dad died in the early 70's. We've got his old Gibson Banjo.

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by skiltrip

I have been thinking about signing up for this affliction, but have not done so yet. A buddy and me (both of us on guitar) have been playing a little folk and bluegrass lately, and i'm getting the itch to mix it up and try the banjo. it's just hard for me to get my head around dropping the money on one right now. The other thing holding me back was wondering whether or not I'd actually get the hang of it, but from what you're saying, guitar to banjo has been a very smooth and natural transition for you.

tell us more! maybe this will help me decide whether or not to join the ranks of newbie banjo players out there!

The transition has been very smooth. Obviously I'm no expert but I think perhaps the fact that I am used to playing in different tunings on guitar
(DADGAD, DADGBD, etc) is probably a help with different chord shapes on the banjo. My alternating thumb Travis style picking on the guitar has probably helped me adjust to the bluegrass rolls (although getting used to the idea that the thumb is playing the treble 5th string drone was a mind bender!!)

I found a good website for beginning banjo that you might want to check out if you have an interest. The videos are very clear about what you have to do to master some of the basic techniques and tunings involved. It should give you a very good idea about whether this is something you can/want to do. Here's a link to the EZfolk site: http://www.ezfolk.com/tabs-tutorials...tutorials.html

In terms of "mixing up" the sound of your duo with some banjo I can tell you that it is a wonderful sound to my ear. I've recorded some basic flatpicking and strumming tunes on guitar and have been playing along with my recordings on the banjo. It is a blast and sounds great!!!!

Good luck with it and keep your closet door open!!

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by FutureFolkie

I was just about to post a similar thread.

Yes I am a banjo picker, albeit a neophyte. I bought a Deering Goodtime earlier this year and I'm working hard on my bum-ditty skills. I'll never understand all the banjo jokes because to me, the banjo is a beautiful sounding instrument. I've just recently discovered Derroll Adams and his wonderful music, which along with Pete Seeger, gives me constant inspiration.

Got to play a Deering Goodtime when I was looking for my banjo. Great sound and I loved the basic old timey look. The problem I encountered was that it didn't have an armest and after a few minutes of clawhammer I noticed that my forearm was hurting terribly (brackets digging into my flesh). Have you had any problems with this with your Goodtime? I've since learned that you can buy armrests that will fit onto that style banjo. I might have done that instead of buying the Vega if I'd have known.

I've never heard of Derroll Adams. I'll have to check out some of his music. Pete Seeger has been a favorite of mine since the early 60's. A few years ago I got to meet Bela Fleck. He talked to a group of us folks at the aforementioned music festival for an hour, expounding on all things banjo. If only I could repeat that experience now...

Lots of inspiring folks playing banjo for sure!

[shawlie]

I used to play banjo quite a bit - oldtime / clawhammer style. Haven't done it the past year or so (since I got back into guitar), but it was always a lot of fun.

[Bravejoy]

I've been playing guitar about 45 years, been playing banjo about 6 months less than that.

I'll keep on playing both.

I've found that my guitar picking has been influenced stongly by my banjo picking, and vice-versa.

In case you're interested, try www.banjohangout.org


Not a replacement for this forum, but a supplement for your banjo habit.

[FutureFolkie]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Got to play a Deering Goodtime when I was looking for my banjo. Great sound and I loved the basic old timey look. The problem I encountered was that it didn't have an armest and after a few minutes of clawhammer I noticed that my forearm was hurting terribly (brackets digging into my flesh). Have you had any problems with this with your Goodtime? I've since learned that you can buy armrests that will fit onto that style banjo. I might have done that instead of buying the Vega if I'd have known.

I've never heard of Derroll Adams. I'll have to check out some of his music. Pete Seeger has been a favorite of mine since the early 60's. A few years ago I got to meet Bela Fleck. He talked to a group of us folks at the aforementioned music festival for an hour, expounding on all things banjo. If only I could repeat that experience now...

Lots of inspiring folks playing banjo for sure!

I haven't had any issues with the brackets.

[Wade Hampton]

I own a five string parts banjo, with a modern reproduction of a Clifford Essex Paragon tone ring; a Deering B6 guitar-banjo; and a Gibson Mastertone mandolin-banjo. I've also got a Saga pony five string, which is a small banjo tuned up a fourth from the normal five string. Saga markets this as a "travel banjo," but it's an accurate reproduction of a Stewart pony banjo.

Pony banjos were used as lead instruments in the banjo orchestras that were popular for a while in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.




Saga Travel (pony) banjo. This is not to be confused with the piccolo banjo, another short scale banjo used to play leads, but which is noted for its large pot in relationship to its short neck. The three seated players in this period photo of a banjo orchestra are all holding piccolo banjos:



In this next group, the first banjo player seated at the left has a pony banjo, and the guy seated to the right with a four string instrument has what was called a cello banjo:



Here's another banjo group from the same era, and you can see a pony banjo a bit more clearly in the hands of the guy who's third from the right:



Mandolin-banjos are useful instruments, in their own heathenish way:



Gibson Mastertone mandolin-banjo. Mine looks a lot like this, except that I aligned the drumhead properly. There's also a great deal more playing wear on the head of mine, because I actually use mine - this one looks as though it always sits in the case unplayed until it's time to have pictures taken...

Mandolin-banjos are weapons of mass destruction, especially in the wrong hands.

Of course, any banjo can be a curse upon all those within earshot, if played out of tune, off the beat or with no taste or restraint whatsoever. But used in moderation, they're a joy.

Guitar-banjos were most popular during the ragtime era, but their usefulness to guitarists who want to be able to transfer more easily to banjo without having to learn the five string has meant that there's always been a small but persistent niche market for them. Here's a picture of the great guitarist Sam McGee (of "Buckdancer's Choice" fame) holding his Gibson guitar-banjo while standing next to the great Uncle Dave Macon:



Gibson made good guitar-banjos, for the era, as did Vega. Here's another Gibson guitar-banjo, of a significantly higher grade than what McGee appears to have had:



But having owned and played a number of modern and antique guitar-banjos, I can state without any hesitation at all that, as musical instruments, there isn't one out there that holds a candle to the modern Deering guitar-banjo:



Deering has solved all the intonation and tonal problems that have plagued guitar-banjos since their inception. Even those nice old Vegas and Gibsons, as beautifully made and decorated as they were, still have serious problems in this regard.

But the Deerings don't. You can play every chord in every position on the neck, and they all play true and clear.

So it's nice to see that there can be progress in things like this.

I'm sure that's more information than you wanted, but I'm deeply fond of all these oddball banjo mutants, as you can probably tell.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by Vcubed

Never really wanted to play one until I heard a guy named Bela Fleck. Dang.

If you like Bela Fleck, give a listen to Jayme Stone.

Here's a sample:

Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko


Jim

[jwenting]

not a banjopicker yet, but considering it as an option for next year (going to take that long to complete my guitar course, though of course not my path towards actually being able to play something decent).