You're right ... sometimes a little musical interlude is exactly what it takes to restore perspective so that we can move forward again with renewed purpose. Heh ... a nice warm cup of sweet tea helps too!
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"Long term: first the rich get mean, then the poor get mean, and the rest is history." My brother Rob.
Not a lot of people know that. I can't three finger (Scruggs) pick. Very few people can do both, well. Steve Martin, and Pete Seeger before him. The two techniques take a very different approach to the music.
I cut off my right index finger, once. With a hammer. A surgeon put it back on, and made it work, which was something of a miracle. Not quite well enough to pick, with any accuracy, though. Sometimes I think it would have been better to leave it off, like Jerry. But it works well for a lot of things. I am learning to pick, "two-finger-thumb-lead" (2ftl). For that, I just use the index finger as a drone, on the first string, and it works plenty well for that. It's the brain that is having trouble.
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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Our 8 yr old granddaughter that lives with us has been taking violin lessons for about three years. It's been a joy watching her musical skills grow with each passing year. We were lucky enough to find a teacher that's pretty proficient in both concert style violin and bluegrass fiddle who agreed to teach her both styles. I prefer bluegrass most of the time but enjoy both, depends on my mood at the time. I play a little guitar and enjoy laying down some rhythm for her on the bluegrass tunes. Typically that involves only a handful of pretty basic chords so even with my limited talent I can usually keep up. We have a great time playing together and I think it kind of helps to keep her motivated too so it's all good.
Seems like I recall that you had even built your own banjo a few years ago, or is my memory playing tricks on me?
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All I want is the truth. Just give me some truth. John Lennon
For a while, I was doing the "citizen's" science about bells. Glass, brass, iron, steel, crystal, tin, gold, and others, - I tested, wieghed, measured, and tried to figure out why some bells are great as alarms, and others hypnotize you with their stunning sound. I am about 1/3 of the way through what my plan is. Sadly, other art priorities interfered. Even worse, my RL demands, like working as a solo, prevented even more research.
But banjos - wow. I was introduced to playing one, when my college roomie played one nonstop. He was pretty good. He hated my Dead and Neil Young stuff, and in return, I did suffer from several skin conditions related to bluegrass, but we still got along and he let me play on his. Fascinating instrument.
and continued to play it in his other band "Old and In the Way". Neil Young had a six string banjo...played famously by James Taylor on a couple of tracks, but there is a neat video of Neil Young playing Old Laughing Lady on the street in Scotland, on his banjo. I play Heart of Gold, Sugar Mountain, Love is a Rose...and trying Cortez the Killer with it. Neil plays a Double Dropped D tuning on a lot of songs that is very banjo friendly.
The one in the video is an antique S.S.Stewart (1898), and has a distinctive tone, but like you, I experiment with sound, and most of my banjos have a much warmer, and often deeper tone.
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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Comments
Ah! Very nice ...
You're right ... sometimes a little musical interlude is exactly what it takes to restore perspective so that we can move forward again with renewed purpose. Heh ... a nice warm cup of sweet tea helps too!
"Long term: first the rich get mean, then the poor get mean, and the rest is history." My brother Rob.
Nice...
clawhammer style, right? Do you three finger pick too? Love the old timey stuff, thanks.
Yes, clawhammer!
Not a lot of people know that. I can't three finger (Scruggs) pick. Very few people can do both, well. Steve Martin, and Pete Seeger before him. The two techniques take a very different approach to the music.
I cut off my right index finger, once. With a hammer. A surgeon put it back on, and made it work, which was something of a miracle. Not quite well enough to pick, with any accuracy, though. Sometimes I think it would have been better to leave it off, like Jerry. But it works well for a lot of things. I am learning to pick, "two-finger-thumb-lead" (2ftl). For that, I just use the index finger as a drone, on the first string, and it works plenty well for that. It's the brain that is having trouble.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Banjos are always fun...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gNuj8UkyC4]
Course, this shows my age group, I admit.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
You're in my age group, then.
I drive a little green Mini, named Kermit.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Here's the Naked Bootleggers. Pro-banjo organization.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3mxDJugT74]
Just another voice with a mouth
Sounding good Bis!
Our 8 yr old granddaughter that lives with us has been taking violin lessons for about three years. It's been a joy watching her musical skills grow with each passing year. We were lucky enough to find a teacher that's pretty proficient in both concert style violin and bluegrass fiddle who agreed to teach her both styles. I prefer bluegrass most of the time but enjoy both, depends on my mood at the time. I play a little guitar and enjoy laying down some rhythm for her on the bluegrass tunes. Typically that involves only a handful of pretty basic chords so even with my limited talent I can usually keep up. We have a great time playing together and I think it kind of helps to keep her motivated too so it's all good.
Seems like I recall that you had even built your own banjo a few years ago, or is my memory playing tricks on me?
All I want is the truth. Just give me some truth. John Lennon
I have built 27 banjos now.
most were for sale, but I have kept a few. One is a banjo uke, for my grand-daughter.
Nothing like playing music with your grand-daughter!
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
That is impressive.
For a while, I was doing the "citizen's" science about bells. Glass, brass, iron, steel, crystal, tin, gold, and others, - I tested, wieghed, measured, and tried to figure out why some bells are great as alarms, and others hypnotize you with their stunning sound. I am about 1/3 of the way through what my plan is. Sadly, other art priorities interfered. Even worse, my RL demands, like working as a solo, prevented even more research.
But banjos - wow. I was introduced to playing one, when my college roomie played one nonstop. He was pretty good. He hated my Dead and Neil Young stuff, and in return, I did suffer from several skin conditions related to bluegrass, but we still got along and he let me play on his. Fascinating instrument.
Art, music, creativity, = SPICE OF LIFE.
Jerry Garcia started out as a banjo player
and continued to play it in his other band "Old and In the Way". Neil Young had a six string banjo...played famously by James Taylor on a couple of tracks, but there is a neat video of Neil Young playing Old Laughing Lady on the street in Scotland, on his banjo. I play Heart of Gold, Sugar Mountain, Love is a Rose...and trying Cortez the Killer with it. Neil plays a Double Dropped D tuning on a lot of songs that is very banjo friendly.
The one in the video is an antique S.S.Stewart (1898), and has a distinctive tone, but like you, I experiment with sound, and most of my banjos have a much warmer, and often deeper tone.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
this is excellent
I look forward to many more such interludes.