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| banjo picking - Beginner Questions - Guitar - Guitar - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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Must Fret Approved
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I've played classical guitar for years and want to start banjo - I'd rather not use thumb/finger picks while playing bluegrass/Scruggs style, just translating classical guitar picking over to the banjo. anyone else do this?
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vrteach Approved 
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Good for you! There is a community of classical banjo players out there who are keeping alive a technique of banjo playing that was very popular in the 1880-1910s. No picks, thumb & 2 fingers, and gut, silk or nylon strings, on a lightweight non-resonator banjo. There is a CD on CDBaby called "Black Tie Banjo" that has a bunch of composed-for-the-banjo works from that period. Clarke Buehling is another great player of this music, often with his group the "Skirtlifters". There is also a group called the "American Banjo Fraternity" which has annual meetings about this. Really, your methods of playing the guitar can pretty much be transferred to the banjo. Not exactly, but pretty much. The usual tuning used by people who do this style is gCGBD, where the "g" is the 5th string. This is called variously "Standard C", C, Concert tuning, among others. You might want to sign up for the banjo hangout http://www.banjohangout.org and ask this same question in the "other styles" portion of the forums there. Among the thousands of bluegrassers, old-timers, and folkys there, there are a few classical style players who can help you find out more. I, myself, am a wannabe for this style.
____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator 
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vrteach took the words right off of my keyboard! I played classical guitar since the 1960's, and took up clawhammer in 2000. I attempted to learn some classical banjo, using the "Mel Bay Banjo Method" C Tuning book. The problems I encountered, just as a heads up, were the 1st string tuning, and the fact I absolutely wanted to fret the 3rd fret 1st string every time the book wanted the 5th string picked. I still fool around with it some, but have a much greater interest in Clawhammer and 2-finger OT picking than classical banjo right now. Welcome to the land of 5 strings!
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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Must Fret Approved
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Thanks for the good advice and encouragement!
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garyblanchard Approved 
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Must Fret wrote: I've played classical guitar for years and want to start banjo - I'd rather not use thumb/finger picks while playing bluegrass/Scruggs style, just translating classical guitar picking over to the banjo. anyone else do this? I think the problem you will run into is playing Bluegrass without picks. Asking this question on Banjo Hangout in the Bluegrass section will bring many negative replies. Part of the feeling is that playing Scruggs style without picks affects volume and tone. Another issue is tradition - "it just ain't done that way." My personal feeling is - do what you like. 
____________________ http://www.brookfieldsmusic.net Preserving the Old-Time/Good-Time Tradition http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/919/ Buy our CDs at: http://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=111162 |
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| ezFolk Forums > Guitar > Beginner Questions - Guitar > banjo picking | |
