DJBob - Posted - 05/14/2013:  06:49:24

I was thinking that my banjo was really sounding "twangie" and was becoming unhappy with it so I had a couple of other folks play it and I thought it really sounded good.... maybe it was just how bad I play?

So yesterday I was practicing and my wife walked in... She said, you know that banjo really sounds good.  I said "Huh?" I guess being over and next to the pot makes it sound different than what is coming out the front.

Does your banjo sound different to you than what your audience hears?

hamishpink - Posted - 05/14/2013:  06:55:25

I think it was Mike Iverson who said:

'The only person in the world who can't hear what a banjo sounds like is the person playing it'

Correct me if I'm wrong, Mike.

OldInTheNewWay - Posted - 05/14/2013:  07:02:59

Oh yeah!

Try playing into walls or in a small bathroom where the sound can bounce around.

You will get a much better idea of what your banjo sounds like!

Rich C - Posted - 05/14/2013:  07:16:46

Hey DJBob I think my banjo changes a little with the seasons, seems to get twangy in the winter when the humidity gets low in the house, I usually keep it in the case with a humidifier, but that only slows the process. But in the summer months it sounds fuller.......who knows maybe I'm fuller that's just my $0.02 : )

BoneDigger - Posted - 05/14/2013:  07:51:47

What??? A twangie banjo? Never!

Actually, it can be a good experience to have someone else pluck some strings for you while you listen. Even your wife who may know nothing of playing can at least sit down and pluck some open strings.

Another option is to record the banjo and listen. But, recordings can alter sound, as can the speakers/monitors.

Or, you can play into a wall or in a bathroom to hear it bounce off the walls. But, that can result in overtones.

Lastly, you can use it as an excuse to buy another banjo with just the right tone, then in a year realize the tone has changed and sound twangie, then buy yet another banjo and start the process/loop over again.

Todd

Brerrabbit - Posted - 05/14/2013:  08:02:10

This is how BAS begins...(Banjo acquisition syndrome)

Paul R - Posted - 05/14/2013:  09:10:59

Yup. I always recommend, if you're going to buy a banjo (or guitar, or ...), that you bring someone along who can play the instruments for you, so you can hear the sound "out front". (This is especially true if you're a complete beginner - some people need someone who can just play.)

My old Orpheum never sounded better than when Sam and Teilhard (Sheesham and Lotus) played it.

davidppp - Posted - 05/14/2013:  09:59:00

I was shocked when I first heard a recording of my playing. It sounded like a real banjo! The geeks would say, "The sound radiation pattern in space is frequency dependent, the highest being the most columnated forward." I like a narrow hall or stairway with unadorned walls to get to hear the whole sound.

davidppp - Posted - 05/14/2013:  09:59:20

I was shocked when I first heard a recording of my playing. It sounded like a real banjo! The geeks would say, "The sound radiation pattern in space is frequency dependent, the highest being the most columnated forward." I like a narrow hall or stairway with unadorned walls to get to hear the whole sound.

Joe the banjo guy - Posted - 05/14/2013:  10:14:31

Yes!  The sound you hear as a player is not a good predictor of what your audience hears (and of course this is even more true if you're amplifying it). 

The Old Timer - Posted - 05/14/2013:  10:29:52

They sure do sound different when you're picking. You really need to hear someone else play it, or a good recording, to know what it sounds like to others (especially to other banjo players).

Steve Jeter - Posted - 05/14/2013:  10:36:43

this IS one of the most frustratin things to me. sometimes Ill sit there and play and it sounds like crap, sometimes ok, I wish there was a good way to alleviate this.

I think this may be a terrible thing for newbies , as what your hearing, may not be what develops 6 ft away & thus frustration,

mbuk06 - Posted - 05/14/2013:  10:48:32

A banjo projects sound out and away from the player. Listening to the sound we actually make is one reason why many teachers recommend we record our own playing.

Edited by - mbuk06 on 05/14/2013 10:49:17

pick it - Posted - 05/14/2013:  11:01:38

Welcome to the world of banjos DJBob.it will change this evening or tomorrow.

h - Posted - 05/14/2013:  11:48:14

With me, some of it is pure psych. If I'm too tired or out of sorts, nothing sounds good. Then its time to rest for a while.

bango - Posted - 05/14/2013:  14:29:42

And then there's BSS (bridge-swapping syndrome), which I am a victim of... if my banjo starts sounding maybe a little harsh, or maybe a little dull... It's rare that I keep the same bridge on for more than a month. Good thing it's not a guitar!

JonT - Posted - 05/15/2013:  08:31:24

Same deal with a guitar or mando. You're in back of it and you hear what it sounds like from that position. Those out in front hear something rather different. Just the way it works.

RioStat - Posted - 05/15/2013:  09:06:31

quote:

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Originally posted by Rich C

 

Hey DJBob I think my banjo changes a little with the seasons, seems to get twangy in the winter when the humidity gets low in the house, I usually keep it in the case with a humidifier, but that only slows the process. But in the summer months it sounds fuller.......who knows maybe I'm fuller that's just my $0.02 : )

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?? This relates to the OP's question how..................?

Turnabout945 - Posted - 05/15/2013:  10:02:17

Back when I was playing a bottlecap, I thought I'd gotten it sounding pretty decent until my teacher played it one day.....when he started playing I was like WOW that sounds HORRIBLE!!  I don't notice as big a difference when other people play my Gibson, though.  Still a difference for sure, but not anywhere near as big as with the bottlecap.

banjo bill-e - Posted - 05/15/2013:  11:25:02

I am actually more concerned with the way my banjo sounds to me than how it sounds to listeners. When I think my banjo is sounding great it really affects my playing in a positive way. And when my banjo seems to sound bad, I can't seem to get anything going on at all. My wife and son never notice any difference--------

marshh - Posted - 05/16/2013:  19:25:53

I couldn't believe how good my Red Fox  sounded when Tony Trishka played it for me.  But then, he could probably make my first banjo [Bakelite Kay] sound better then I sound when  playing the Fox.

Rich C - Posted - 05/28/2013:  14:12:29

quote:

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Originally posted by RioStat

 

quote:

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Originally posted by Rich C

 

Hey DJBob I think my banjo changes a little with the seasons, seems to get twangy in the winter when the humidity gets low in the house, I usually keep it in the case with a humidifier, but that only slows the process. But in the summer months it sounds fuller.......who knows maybe I'm fuller that's just my $0.02 : )

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?? This relates to the OP's question how..................?

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 Seasonal changes do effect wooden instruments sound, so your point would be...less