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iamxavier - Posted - 11/13/2009: 03:18:03
I just began playing clawhammer about 4 months ago. I think im good enough now to jam with other string players. I was wondering how a guitar or ukulele would be played along with clawhammer banjo. I've only ever jammed with a washboard and harmonica player so I don't know much. I need tips for myself and for my guitar playing buddies for starting to jam together. We're all sorta beginners so go easy on us. Thank you!
stop progress.
Oalbrets - Posted - 11/13/2009: 05:13:04
Just play the songs and work it out till it all comes togeather.
Poverty Ridge Bluegrass
R Buck - Posted - 11/13/2009: 05:21:59
If you are playing banjo, then isn't up to the other players to know or figure out their role? Play what you know and they will play what they know and either it will work or someone will have a learning curve.
RobBob
Music; the best way to count time. It is a journey not a destination.
www.blueridgerounders.com
tfaux - Posted - 11/13/2009: 05:26:40
Depends on how old-fashioned you want to sound.
In old-time dance tunes it's pretty typical for the guitar to play a strong bass and light chords (BOOM-chukka-BOOM-chukka...) Moving bass lines sound good in that style. I prefer that to the "folksinger" style of playing light bass and big strummed chords (boom-CHUKKA-boom-CHUKKA...) but it's a matter of taste and era.
If you're a little more innovative it can also be good for the guitar to play up the neck once in a while, to play fills between phrases, and if they're strong players to double the melody occasionally, especially cross-picking.
Beyond that, Irish-style up-the-neck open chords can sound great, DADGAD can work, electric, slide...
LarryD1 - Posted - 11/13/2009: 05:29:10
Guitars players should have no problem accompanying you on claw hammer banjo . If you are like most of us, you will be playing tunes in G , C , and double C tunings. Pretty much all guitar players are comfortable in the keys of G and C.
When you have a fiddle or mandolin player join the group, they may request both you and the guitar to put your capo on the 2nd fret which will change the tunes to A and D. Some fiddle players like to play in the key of G and some don't. Most prefer D over C.
Hope you have lots of fun jamming.
minstrelmike - Posted - 11/13/2009: 05:56:49
Just play songs. And bring song books and sheets with just chords and words when you get together.
What will happen is the ones you (or your beginner buddies) "know" will be the ones that sound the worst because you have this fancy break that isn't quite sounding good and you don't really know the chords or anything.
OTOH, the songs that _none_ of you have practiced or worked on will sound reasonable. You'll page thru the songbook and find something where you can play the chords and just try it and since everyone is just trying to stay in rhythm with simple chords, y'all start listening to each other instead of yourselves (because you aren't expecting anything except chords).
The basic boom-shukka of frailing is the basic Down Down-Up of guitar strumming. It''ll work with pretty much anybody playing anything.
Mike Moxcey
http://moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/index.html
majikgator - Posted - 11/13/2009: 08:10:28
A big amen on the listening to each other, that's key and as you say you are pretty much all beginers, keep it simple at first, All the above suggestions sound good to me but every group of people are a little different and it helps if you pretty much want to go to the same place (or near) musically. A jazz guitar players phrasing is so different than a typical folk or bluegrass guitarist and somethings are just going to sound better than others and it can be difficult to try and tell someone how THEIR instrument should sound. if you get along with each other personally it helps.
jk
rendesvous1840 - Posted - 11/13/2009: 19:56:21
The uke players usually strum with the same rythmic feel as the guitarists. Most guitarists play the bass/chord style as stated above. Riley Pucket, with The Skillet Likkers mostly played bass note runs rather than full chords. I can't recall any other examples of that style of guitar, most only use runs as seasoning, rather than as the main ingredient. Seems like a good tecnique to know if you find yourself in a guitar-heavy jam. The Skillet Likkers usually had twin fiddles playing the lead, and on some songs, it's very hard to hear their banjo player at all. Here's a link to some of their stuff. This is the original Skillet Likkers. There's a current version of the band, with some of the decendents of the original members also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYJoDtJoJ-A
Paul
"A master banjo player isn't the one who can play the most notes. It's the one who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello
http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...IC_ID=128303 IBARD topic
http://ibard-rendesvous1840.blogspot.com/
oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 11/13/2009: 20:41:02
You mostly have to have the same repertoire. Teach your stuff to them, and learn their stuff from them. Give and take. Play tunes and songs together until they work.
There are a couple problems with keys - Guitarists love E and E is not a common key for banjo. I moved several E songs down to D when I started playing them on the banjo. A couple went up to G, but in general I found going up much harder than going down - on my voice, not the banjo.
If you play a lot of tunes in Sawmill tuning off of G (gDGCD) the guitarist will probably be happier if you move them up to A (aEADE) so he can use the easy A minor and G chords instead of G minor and F. You will also find this is the key fiddlers tend to play. However if you have a real vocalist in the bunch let him (or them) choose the key. I was always just a guy who sang, so I sang the tunes in the key that worked out best for the group. A real vocalist or a real harmony duo, trio, etc, is going to be much more demanding -- never be without your capo.
Since you have a uke in the mix, you and the guitarist should have a certain amount of freedom in the rhythm dept, but always do your best to keep the tempo and rhythm consistant. Having a rhythm player does not allow you to just go wild.
If you want to do "breaks", remember to really back off while someone else is doing their stuff. And equally, if you want to do songs, spend some time working out ways of playing "UNDER" the song. It can be very hard to be heard over a few instruments, and people don't like to strain while singing. So keep it down whenever there is a singer or a break happening - unless you are taking the break or doing the singing.
I've been working on an RSB chapter on large group and open jams. Right now I'm taking time out to have the flu or whatever has us down, but I hope to have the first draft ready in a couple weeks.
http://www.rocketsciencebanjo.com
Rocket Science Banjo - Advanced Clawhammer Techniques for beginners and long time players alike. Plus videos and 25-40 EZ Clawhammer Tunes.
& check out "How To Mold A Mighty Pinky" at:
http://www.pricklypearmusic.net
banjo brad's great banjo site
iamxavier - Posted - 11/16/2009: 23:26:21
Awesome. Thanks for the great responses. It really does help alot. Especially oldwoodschucks detailed description. The tunings and picking styles on the guitar had me a litte confused. I'm interested in listening to more clawhammer banjo with guitar. Does anyone know where I could hear more or see videos?
Thanks. I'm liking this place.
stop progress.
majikgator - Posted - 11/28/2009: 18:43:59
there are lot's of examples of clawhammer banjo and guitar and probably uke as well as the uke is having a bit of a resurgence in popularity lately as well, if you just search youtube for clawhammer banjo or old time music you will probably see lot's of different configurations. i wish you a lot of luck, have fun with it.
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