Banjo action

[pete.young]

Thanks for the info. Eagle Music have them, and also Aquila 'Nylgut' which I've not come across before. I'll add a pack to the next strings order.

[Nail Soup]

16 minutes ago, pete.young said:

Thanks for the info. Eagle Music have them, and also Aquila 'Nylgut' which I've not come across before. I'll add a pack to the next strings order.

Aquila Nylgut are pretty well known in the Ukulele world (where non metal strings are the norm of course).

[pete.young]

Be an interesting banjo that would fit in this banjo case:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114710290432?hash=item1ab5442000:g:uY0AAOSwj4FgPjQF

 

[pete.young]

15 hours ago, pete.young said:

Be an interesting banjo that would fit in this banjo case:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114710290432?hash=item1ab5442000:g:uY0AAOSwj4FgPjQF

 

One like this maybe: https://www.redlineacoustics.com/index.php/component/virtuemart/hgh-electric-banjos

 

I was hoping for a acoustic version .

[Soledad]

15 hours ago, pete.young said:

Be an interesting banjo that would fit in this banjo case:

I bet that's flying out.

[Nail Soup]

16 hours ago, pete.young said:

Be an interesting banjo that would fit in this banjo case:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114710290432?hash=item1ab5442000:g:uY0AAOSwj4FgPjQF

 

Hayseed Dixie maybe?

[pete.young]

Think it's about time we had some more banjo action.

 

 

[Soledad]

5 hours ago, pete.young said:

Think it's about time we had some more banjo action.

Great find, excellent! D-bass and 'cello groove is quite something, and 'cello solo, then banjo...  👋

Vocal sounds quite like Aoife O'Donovan I thought. Dead good.

[pete.young]

26 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Great find, excellent! D-bass and 'cello groove is quite something, and 'cello solo, then banjo...  👋

Vocal sounds quite like Aoife O'Donovan I thought. Dead good.

That would be because it IS Aoife O'Donovan. Great spot.

[Soledad]

On 17/10/2021 at 18:15, pete.young said:

That would be because it IS Aoife O'Donovan. Great spot.

Seriously didn't recognise her, and didn't think to check line-up. I'll go investigate Crooked Still some more.

[barkin]

On 31/08/2021 at 14:47, Nail Soup said:

Seems to work OK - but should I go for one of the pukka solutions instead?

You get a lolly stick with pies...?

[Archy]

Hi everyone,
I'm in the process of restoring/fiddling about with an old banjolin (Mandolin strings and tuning, Banjo-esque body).

Never played one before, just bought it once for the novelty of it, but still a long way to go before it's playable  .

 

Some time ago I already made a new nut from bone, but now I'm wondering what I should use to file the nut? 

Since the mandolin strings are ofcourse very narrow...

 

[Nail Soup]

14 minutes ago, Archy said:

Hi everyone,
I'm in the process of restoring/fiddling about with an old banjolin (Mandolin strings and tuning, Banjo-esque body).

Never played one before, just bought it once for the novelty of it, but still a long way to go before it's playable  .

 

Some time ago I already made a new nut from bone, but now I'm wondering what I should use to file the nut? 

Since the mandolin strings are ofcourse very narrow...

 

Not sure about nut filling (not much of a repair guy!), but how about a pic of the banjolin?

[pete.young]

You can buy specialist nut-slotting files but the're pretty expensive. You might be OK with ordinary needle files. There's also a theory that you can use welding nozzle tip cleaners, there's a page about the pros and cons here https://hazeguitars.com/blog/cheap-alternative-to-guitar-nut-files

 

[Geek99]

35 minutes ago, pete.young said:

You can buy specialist nut-slotting files but the're pretty expensive. You might be OK with ordinary needle files. There's also a theory that you can use welding nozzle tip cleaners, there's a page about the pros and cons here https://hazeguitars.com/blog/cheap-alternative-to-guitar-nut-files

 

Buy jewellers files on the bay. They work for bass also 

[Nail Soup]

I'm continuing my banjo journey... sticking with clawhammer though. Aiming to learn half a dozen (beginner) pieces in the next few months. Mainly instrumental versions, but a couple of vocals if I feel so inclined. 

I just bought an ebook from Hilary Hawke of 10 beginners tunes. I'll start wit the first one in the book - she posts a video on Yuotube for each tune:

 

 

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/793299086/beginner-clawhammer-banjo-digital-book?click_key=cbece83a7a39235326e62c9733e2b0eeb7c25bb3%3A793299086&click_sum=7ac2b30d&ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1

 

 

 

[pete.young]

It's a great journey. A couple of things about this video which spring to mind.

 

Firstly, there is a technique in here which I would say is more intermediate/advanced than beginner, which is using the thumb to play the second string. This is called drop-thumb. I notice she only does it in the fast version, in the slowed down section she just leaves out the note altogether or plays the 5th string instead. I'd do that too, at least to start with.

 

Secondly, in the slowed-down version she is definitely bending her thumb to pluck the 5th string. This is usually regarded as bad technique, and she doesn't do it in the fast version.

 

The way it was explained to me was that the tip of your thumb comes to rest on the 5th string, and stops the hand on it's downward/inward travel. You then sound the 5th string by lifting the hand up and out. There's a good book by Dan Levenson called 'Clawhammer from Scratch' which goes into a lot of detail about hand position, ergonomics and such. Eagle Music has it for a reasonable price. And this demo of his take on the basics is on Youtube:

 

 

[EBS_freak]

Edited March 1, 2022 by EBS_freak

[EBS_freak]

So the above didn't work... try this.

 

[Nail Soup]

I'm getting on OK with the first Clawhammer piece........ but am having one problem.

My downstroke fingernail is wearing thin and not making a very well defined strike on the string.

The other time I use that nail for music is Ukulele (nylon strings so maybe that's not wearing it down much) and whe nI strum the acoustic guitar without a pick. 

One option is to do only finger picking and placrum stumming on guitar.

 

Anyone recommend any other options?

I'm currently trying out a banjo finger pick put on upside down (to cover the nail rather than the pad of the finger), but it is a bit awkward and is getting caught in the strings. Maybe a matter of more practice though.

 

I'm also thinking of getting a acrylic nail stuck on.... any thoughts?

[pete.young]

The acrylic nail will work. The banjo player in our old-time band makes regular visits to the nail bar to have his playing finger nail built up. They thought he was a bit odd at first, only having one finger done, but they've got used to it now.

 

Another option is the plastic fingernail kits you get from Boots. I've used these they're cheap and they work OK.

 

There are some banjo picks which are made specifically for clawhammer, maybe some ideas here? http://glorybeamingbanjo.blogspot.com/2018/01/clawhammer-picks-and-you-review.html

 

[Staggering on]

Just discovered this thread and although I mostly play DB and EUB I am also a banjo fan.

Anyone on here who plays tenor banjo? I have been playing tenor since the early '70's(I'm old) and have played in many trad/Dixie bands over the years and am currently playing in a seven piece band that is just coming out of a two year Covid shutdown and we hope to get rehearsing and gigging sometime soon. It's funny how most folks dismiss this "old fashioned" music but it always goes over well. Tenor banjo was big from the 20's to '40's in small and big bands as a rhythm instrument but there were and are some virtuoso players that are amazing. Tenors are tuned CGDA for band work, not Irish tuning.

I have a Baldwin Ode that I bought new in the '70's and it is still going strong today.

BTW there are banjo mutes that go on the bridge like a violin or DB mute and if you get a heavy steel one it makes the banjo very quiet. Easy on and off and can be used when tuning any banjo.

 

 

 

[Nail Soup]

On 24/03/2022 at 14:53, Staggering on said:

Anyone on here who plays tenor banjo? I have been playing tenor since the early '70's(I'm old) and have played in many trad/Dixie bands over the years and am currently playing in a seven piece band that is just coming out of a two year Covid shutdown and we hope to get rehearsing and gigging sometime soon.

Those are the banjos with four strings right? I guess that 5th string would be  real pain in music where there are lots of chords and different keys.

Feel free t o post an example of the banjo in action in the kind of trad/dixie that you do 👍

[Staggering on]

2 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

Those are the banjos with four strings right? I guess that 5th string would be  real pain in music where there are lots of chords and different keys.

Feel free t o post an example of the banjo in action in the kind of trad/dixie that you do 👍

Yup, 4 strings and played with a flat pick not fingers like a 5 string. There is another 4 string that was used in many bands called the plectrum banjo, it has a longer neck than a tenor and is tuned CGBD. In the 20's and 30's there were touring banjo bands with eight or ten players and some soloists had amazing careers. Now there are some banjo clubs in a few big cities and big get togethers for 4 string freaks but they are not as popular or common as 5 strings. Some of these "conventions" often have mass play alongs with 50 to 100 banjos all playing at the same time, I've seen videos but haven't been at one of these in person, they must be LOUD.

Since these are played in bands with horns some music is in C but an awful lot is in B flat, E flat, F, and A flat that are horn friendly keys and many arrangements have key changes in them. You have to know a lot of chords because capos aren't used like they often are on 5 strings. I'll see what I can find for videos.

[pete.young]

I've just acquired another tenor, a Gold Tone TS250R but it will be set up for Irish trad playing, GDAE octave down from a fiddle. This came fitted with a Plectrum neck which I've removed to refit the original tenor neck. This has been slightly butchered by the previous owner to fit the hoop, but is servicable if anyone wants to try and use it for a frankenbanjo.

 

In the UK, besides trad jazz the other place you find plectrum and tenor banjos is so-called BMG groups or orchestras, Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar. There used to be quite a few of these when I started playing in the '70s but they've mostly died out.