YouMa Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 (edited) After hearing some banjo music my friend and i took the the plunge i had heard earlybird by the eagles and the deliverance stuff,earl scruggs etc......After going for a walk and playing in some local caves and taking the newley aquired banjos with us i am totally hooked! The sound is just so earthy and natural. It must be one of the easiest instuments to get a good sound out of,any other pluckers here. Edited January 10, 2016 by YouMa Quote
chriswareham Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 Check out the bands 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand, both featuring David Eugene Edwards who alternates between guitar and banjo. I have to confess I couldn't stand the sound of the banjo before hearing these two bands, but have since toyed with the idea of buying one. Quote
Dan Dare Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 I fell in love with the 5 string many moons ago. Check out some of Bela Fleck's stuff. Quote
lowdown Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 Listening to Bela Fleck many moons ago, I was hooked. There are some seriously great players out there. Quote
KK Jale Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 I'd like to give banjo a go again. It's been years. Must say these days I'm much less drawn to warp-speed bluegrass and much more to frailing/clawhammer styles, mountain tunings, that old-time vibe. Quote
JapanAxe Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 Check out anything from the 80s 'Newgrass' movement. Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Edgar Mayer, Russ Barenberg, Glen Worf, and Mark O'Connor all played on each other's albums - you can hardly go wrong! Quote
TrevorR Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 [quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1452461302' post='2950191'] I fell in love with the 5 string many moons ago. Check out some of Bela Fleck's stuff. [/quote] Check out his Mrs too, Abigail Washburn. Top player, esp when she was in Uncle Earl. Great band! Quote
KingBollock Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 I have a cheap Fender five string and I love it. I did have one before that, that I sold and regretted selling. That would have been over fifteen years ago. I was/am mostly inspired by Irish stuff, like The Dubliners, The Pogues and stuff like that. Quote
ivansc Posted January 10, 2016 Posted January 10, 2016 My first paid gigs were in a Jazz band playing banjo. I borrowed he banjo from the clarinettist. Never have actually owned a banjo, but I am now getting tempted. IF I can find one cheap enough. Depends if I can still play, as I can buy kindling locally quite cheaply and of course I have the obligatory accordion for fanning the flames. Quote
Paul S Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 What is the best way to tune a banjo? Tighten the top string until it snaps, repeat with the rest What is the best sound you can get from a banjo? Splash. What is perfect pitch with a banjo? Throwing it in the bin without it hitting the sides. I adore banjo. Wish I knew more about it and will check out the suggestions. I had assumed it took decades to get a reasonable sound. Quote
pete.young Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1452499878' post='2950399'] What is perfect pitch with a banjo? Throwing it in the bin without it hitting the sides. I adore banjo. Wish I knew more about it and will check out the suggestions. I had assumed it took decades to get a reasonable sound. [/quote] That would be "into a toilet without hitting the seat". It's like anything else: any idiot can master the equivalent of root - 5th in a couple of days but to get to a reasonable level takes a bit of time and effort. If you are anywhere near Suffolk you are welcome to drop by and I can show you the basics of old time frailing/clawhammer/drop thumb and Irish style tenor. Not bluegrass though, I found that way too difficult to master anything more than a basic 3 finger roll. Edited January 11, 2016 by pete.young Quote
Paul S Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 [quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1452502077' post='2950420'] That would be "into a toilet without hitting the seat". [/quote] That is a much better version, now filed And a very kind offer. I may well take you up on that! Quote
Beer of the Bass Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 I have an old Slingerland/Concertone short-scale open-backed tenor banjo which is setup for Irish GDAE tuning. It's a fun instrument, but I haven't quite bonded with it somehow. I haven't had it out very often in the last couple of years as I prefer to play mandolin or mandola when in folky mode. I keep thinking of selling it to fund some bass gear, but my wife likes it and won't let me! Quote
Stu-khag Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 (edited) I've got a banjo and love it. had various unplayable ones since being a young child. Here's me rocking my first banjo. [url="http://s5.photobucket.com/user/stulaws/media/IMG_3129_zpshg1fmdoj.jpg.html"][/url] I'm not very good but enjoy playing every so often. I refuse to play in public and always quote back some Twain [color=#545454][font=arial, sans-serif][size=1]'A gentleman is someone who knows how to play the [/size][/font][/color][color=#6A6A6A][font=arial, sans-serif][size=1][b]banjo[/b][/size][/font][/color][color=#545454][font=arial, sans-serif][size=1] and doesn't.[/size][/font][/color] I'm a fan of Phillip Roebuck, plays his banjo more like a lead guitar though! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U37I3P2JBgE Edited January 11, 2016 by Stu-khag Quote
KingBollock Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1452468041' post='2950290'] My first paid gigs were in a Jazz band playing banjo. I borrowed he banjo from the clarinettist. Never have actually owned a banjo, but I am now getting tempted. IF I can find one cheap enough. Depends if I can still play, as I can buy kindling locally quite cheaply and of course I have the obligatory accordion for fanning the flames. [/quote] My Fender five string was only £200 new. I imagine you could get a secondhand one very cheaply. Quote
ben4343 Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 I borrowed and loved a banjo for a week, but haven't picked one up in 3 years maybe. The 5 string open backer (I prefer frailing to finger rolls, based on my limited playing) on Thomann has jumped in and out of my basket more times than I can count. I've used and liked their basses; has anyone tried it and can comment on it's quality? 80 quid seems worth a punt... Quote
alyctes Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 I never learnt to play the one I bought. My ex-guitarist has got it, I should get it back off him. Quote
Wonky2 Posted January 11, 2016 Posted January 11, 2016 Im a banjist, love it..... I always said it has similarities to the bass in playing sytle, bit like slap, very percusive.... I love it... Had one years ago and sold it to buy a ticket to go see gilmour play.... Loved seeing dabid gilmour but regretted selling the banjo,deeply, but another soon after and never shall we part. Cripple creek forever dudes ! Quote
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