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Forums > Music: Banjo

real live banjo picker

gstring	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 7:51 AM I've noticed some of you need banjo help. Well, I'm a real live banjo picker and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Also, don't go around thinking of the banjo as "that instrument off of deliverance". The banjo can be used to play many styles. I've noticed someone mention Bela Fleck. Excellent melodic style player. He was taught by Tony Trischka, who was influenced by Alan Munde and Bill Keith. You can play blues, jazz, of course bluegrass, metal, grunge, on a banjo.
gstring	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 7:54 AM The fifth string "shorter one" is used as a drone while playing. It's nearly never fretted and acts in the same way a drone pipe does in bagpipes. It's there mostly for filler. Scruggs style playing uses rolls i.e. extra notes "rolled" around the melody line. That fifth string helps fill in those rolls.
soundsseeker	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 10:52 AM
soundsseeker	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 10:52 AM what happened to my
soundsseeker	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 10:53 AM wt...
soundsseeker	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 10:54 AM sorry bout that ... the banjo wasnt showing up... (at least on my end)
smooka	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 11:05 AM http://www.flecktones.com/
kingo	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 11:05 AM regarding the fifth string, the "rarely fretted" part explains a lot. Thanks!
gstring	Date: October 1, 2004 @ 11:48 AM The fifth string, is fretted quite a bit in melodic style playing. It's fretted with the thumb coming over the top of the neck. It's pretty hard stuff to get down, that's why most of ole banjo folks don't use it in that way. To explain, melodic style is playing runs of scales to pick out every note in a tune. It's a very difficult style to play. There is also single string style, clawhamer style,and frailing. See..the banjo is a little more complicated than most people tend to think. Banjo is usually associated with little pale retards boys sitting on swings, but it's a whole lot more than that. Most guitar pickers I've talked to have said that they find the banjo very hard to play..I would say that banjo is a whole lot easier than guitar...but then again, I'm a banjo player.