Banjo

[Cato]

is there any banjo player here?

I bought one the other day to play "Don't piss me off" with it.
but I don't know anything about banjo.
so, someone teach me how to play it. thanks.

[jhale667]

[Nitro Express]

is there any banjo player here?

I bought one the other day to play "Don't piss me off" with it.
but I don't know anything about banjo.
so, someone teach me how to play it. thanks.

They are a whole different can of worms from a guitar. I never could figure out how Keith Richards got his unique sound. I would try and play some Rolling Stones songs and they just sounded wrong. Then I read Keith's autobiography and learned he took the top E string off his guitar and tuned the other five strings to standard banjo tuning. That's how he got that great sound of his.

[FORD]

They are a whole different can of worms from a guitar. I never could figure out how Keith Richards got his unique sound. I would try and play some Rolling Stones songs and they just sounded wrong. Then I read Keith's autobiography and learned he took the top E string off his guitar and tuned the other five strings to standard banjo tuning. That's how he got that great sound of his.

Keef was planning to be a country singer before he heard Chuck Berry.

That part of him still exists, and he lets it out of the barn once in a while...

[Nitro Express]

Ha! Ha! If Keef did country music it would be something like this.

[ThrillsNSpills]

How to play the banjo:

well you pluck on the strings on one end in a rolling fashion, and you move your fingers on the frets on the other end.

That'll be 12.95.


watch a lot of Beverly Hillbillies










wait, is there even banjo on Don't Piss Me Off?

[ThrillsNSpills]

They are a whole different can of worms from a guitar. I never could figure out how Keith Richards got his unique sound. I would try and play some Rolling Stones songs and they just sounded wrong. Then I read Keith's autobiography and learned he took the top E string off his guitar and tuned the other five strings to standard banjo tuning. That's how he got that great sound of his.

I thought it was G tuning that he used.
G tuning is different than standard banjo tuning, isn't it??


I got around it by fretting the root note with my pinky but that was not early on as it is a bizarre shape, but sounds the same.

Countrified Stones to me is half the Let it Bleed album, which is a classic.

[Cato]

thanks all.

I already have a couple of mandolins. and got a banjo this time.
I have been into bluegrass since "Strummin' with the Devil" came out.
I found lots of things to learn on it.

bought a CD of bluegrass tribute for ZZ TOP and ordered a beatles version last week. they are called "pickin' on series".

I thought it would be easier to play mandolin than guitar because it just has 4 strings but it was not easy. those are 2 different things.
banjo has 5 strings. I think I will realize soon those are 3 different things.

[twonabomber]

My friend's dad has built a few banjos from scratch.

Beyond that, I am not much help.

[clarathecarrot]

thanks all.

I already have a couple of mandolins. and got a banjo this time.
I have been into bluegrass since "Strummin' with the Devil" came out.
I found lots of things to learn on it.

bought a CD of bluegrass tribute for ZZ TOP and ordered a beatles version last week. they are called "pickin' on series".

I thought it would be easier to play mandolin than guitar because it just has 4 strings but it was not easy. those are 2 different things.
banjo has 5 strings. I think I will realize soon those are 3 different things.

I have little or no banjo info for you, but as you may already know these guys right here have a multitude of tunes with a banjo theme and can easily get you into the groove of one.

I have been to quite a few Bluegrass Festivals and seen this band like 50 times they are always on rotation on a summer evening around me.

If you get to a bluegrass festival show the camp fires are the best late into the night, lots of musicians hang out all night jamming with each other and rolling some smoke and so and so on....best part of the deal.

I am sure some banjo players would be more than happy to show you some helpfull tech.

[Cato]

thanks thome.

[Nitro Express]

I thought it was G tuning that he used.
G tuning is different than standard banjo tuning, isn't it??


I got around it by fretting the root note with my pinky but that was not early on as it is a bizarre shape, but sounds the same.

Countrified Stones to me is half the Let it Bleed album, which is a classic.

It's G tuning. Keef said that's what you tune a banjo to in his book so I took Keef's word for it.

[Nitro Express]

thanks all.

I already have a couple of mandolins. and got a banjo this time.
I have been into bluegrass since "Strummin' with the Devil" came out.
I found lots of things to learn on it.

bought a CD of bluegrass tribute for ZZ TOP and ordered a beatles version last week. they are called "pickin' on series".

I thought it would be easier to play mandolin than guitar because it just has 4 strings but it was not easy. those are 2 different things.
banjo has 5 strings. I think I will realize soon those are 3 different things.

Jerry Garcia was an excellent banjo player and bluegrass musician. He recorded some bluegrass music that's worth a listen.

[Cato]

should I become this boy's pupil?

[Nitro Express]

should I become this boy's pupil?

If you are nice he might actually let you play with his millenium falcon model there on the night stand.

[Matt White]

http://www.ezfolk.com/banjo/Tutorial.../g_tuning.html

Notice that the notes the open strings are to be tuned to are written on the left side of the first line of tablature. For G tuning these are:
D - 1st string
B - 2nd string
G - 3rd string (one octave lower than the 5th string)
D - 4th string (one octave lower and the 1st string)
G - 5th string (the short string on top when holding the banjo)

G Modal Tuning -- This is a very popular tuning for old-time tunes such as Shady Grove, Little Sadie, and many others. It is also sometimes called “sawmill tuning” or “mountain minor tuning.” From G tuning only the 2nd string is retuned.

D
C - From G tuning, tune the B note up to C.
G
D
G


etc etc....................

[envy_me]

I won't pretend Matt, I thanked you by mistake. I have NO idea what you just wrote But I'm sure it was good info :-)

I don't know anything at all about banjo. We used to have a bouzouki, though.

[Zing!]

Jerry Garcia was an excellent banjo player and bluegrass musician. He recorded some bluegrass music that's worth a listen.

You betcha. The stuff he did with John Grisman like The Pizza Tapes is fantastic. I like Garcia's work outside the dead!

[jhale667]

should I become this boy's pupil?

YES.

If you are nice he might actually let you play with his millenium falcon model there on the night stand.

It's an Imperial Battle Cruiser, but whatevs.

[Cato]

I'm sure that kid has been playing banjo for 30 years.

[Hardrock69]

[Matt White]

I actually dug up an old Banjo that's been laying around my parents house for the past 30+ years...never played.....an old Harmony 5 string

Have to take it in for some tweaking......

I'm gonna tackle that thing this year...another goal I've set for myself

[Nitro Express]

You should have that project done by the end of this year. Come Christmas time you can dress up like a snowman and entertain the little kiddies.

[Matt White]

If I could sing like Burl I'd be the happiest mofo alive!!!