Whats your banjo story?, page

Hi all

I see there are a few here that play the banjo, so i was curious to hear about what got you started, what type of banjo you play and what influences you have?

I've always liked Bluegrass and Country music, grew up listening to music in my parents record collection, John Denver, Bob Dylan (although never really took to him), The Eagles, Kenny Rogers and especially Dolly Parton.

Fast forward thirty years and my cd player includes many of the newer folk groups such as The Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek, Steve Martin's albums, Mumford and Sons, Jayke Orvis, Johnny Flynn, Morgan O'Kane....and many many more.

As for the banjo, i bit the bullet a few weeks back and bought myself a Gold Tone CC50OT open back, a beautiful old time banjo, not big on looks but sounds and plays nice when you know what you're doing with it. So at the moment it's a nightly ritual of getting down the basic clawhammer bum ditty and also the basic roll patterns, i'm learning both styles from scratch.

My daughters think it's really cool, i think they've played it more than i have lol.....i can think of worse things for teenage kids to get into.

So what's your banjo story? Did you grow up with it? Were you taught from an early age or is a later life thing? I love learning about the history of the instrument, so any stories you have will be most welcome.

I'll leave you with two vids, my favourite banjo busker, Morgan O'Kane....and one of my favourite banjo vids on YouTube, a very funny and very helpful guy called Richard Peek telling about how he came to play the banjo...funny and endearing at the same time.





CX

reply to post by CX

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Banjo's are happy instruments. Even the Royle Family likes them.

Can't believe this banjo thread is so unpopular....i reckon my girlfriend has hacked the site and made it invisible to stop me talking about it lol.

Here's a couple of vids for anyone who doesn't mind the sound of pickin...first one is what happens when you keep kids away from the tv and give them something productive to do.....



Billy Connnoly....



The fantastic Steve Martin...this a beautiful song, one that i'm learning to play at the moment...



The nice tribute to Earl Scruggs at the recent IBMA...



And you can't really have a banjo thread without the obvious...did you know that this lad in Deliverance didn't play that himself? Someone was behind him with his arms tucked through.



So come on.....there must be someone else with a banjo here? I know theres a mod who has one.

CX.

Shameless bump for my very old, very unpopular banjo thread.

There must be others here that play the banjo? I cannot believe that on a site this big and so full of American's no-one is willing to admit they pick a little?

I'm still persevering with mine, trying to tackle clawhammer after a bit of a break from it.

For anyone who knows what the hell i'm on about, tried to fit some nylgut strings on mine last night, went badly wrong, so that plunkier sound will have to wait.

Have treated myself to a lovely new strap though, handmade on a Lakota Sioux Indian reservation in South Dakota, USA.

Now to anyone who doesn't play the banjo, i appreciate this is about as interesting as......well any of my other threads as it happens , but if you do happen to have one, chime in and let me know i'm not alone.

I'll leave you with another couple of great players who have sadly passed on......Barney from The Dubliners, and a friend of mine who helped me pick my first banjo.....Dave Hum....





CX.

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