Banjo Hangout Forum Feed

please help me to identify this instrument 😁

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:31:21 CST

Hello everyone.

My wife has been given this instrument (is it good english?) ??
It looks like banjo mandoline but not sure of it...
I tried to identify the manufacturer but i don't see any words or signs on it...maybe inside but i'm not sure it is good to open it ??

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance ????
Romuald

March of the Mollusk - original clawhammer tune

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:57:07 CST

Check out the latest video featuring this very cool band: Gus Tritsch on fiddle, Eric Heveron-Smith playing bass, and Huck Tritsch on drum set. We just released a new record! 'When I Am a Fossil' is available here: bennybleu.bandcamp.com/album/w...-a-fossil

slow and in the flow,
Benny

“…a banjo-helmed, ecological concept album… a vein of hope for the future“
– Americana UK

“Old-time with plenty of modern twists…has you craving to return back to the start and do it again”
– The Bluegrass Situation

Diatonic Progression

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:32:06 CST

Put the Diatonic Chords of a "C Scale" in a Diatonic Progression:

1 - 4 - 7 - 3 - 6 - 2 - 5 - 1

IM - IVM - VIIø - IIIm - VIm - IIm - V7 - IM

C - F - Bø - Em - Am - Dm - G7 - C

http://patcloud.com

It's College World Series time!

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:11:47 CST

This is real Baseball, and as good as it gets! The regional tournaments have been just great and today we kick off the main event. I'm rooting for underdog Troy, but knowing they will be probably get murdered by West Virginia. Anybody else love this?

A couple comments on Mitch Meador's 38 Special tone rings

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:27:11 CST

A couple comments on my experience with Mitch Meador's 38 Special tone rings.

I have an AMB banjo with a hoop ring. Meador's make a couple substitute rings to replace the hoop ring without any modification to the rim. The banjo sounds really really gooood! with either substitute ring.

Over time I've replaced my other flat heads with the 38 Specials and I couldn't be happier.

The rims in my parts banjos - one is hard maple and the other two are soft maple.

I found that his rings have an even tone across all strings...no 5th string ringing.

And the correct amount decay on the strings.

When I tap the ring with my knuckle I get the tone I want to hear.

Down the neck or up the neck the ring is strong and consistent.

The rings are consistent in tone across the rings. Gives me that old prewar sound I like.

He has all the combos short or long skirt, no hole - 20 hole, un-plated ,nickel , gold. I'm sure I'm missing a couple variations. It's nice that I find the config I need without the need to modify my rims. Which is great.

I plan on building a couple more banjos using his rings.

I have not been disappointed and he is a great guy to deal with.

Just my opinion but I thought I would share my info.

A couple comments on Mitch Meador's 38 Special tone rings

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:24:56 CST

Mushy Barre Chord Problem

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:19:11 CST

This relative beginner finds that the joints in my index finger line up much to well with the 1st and 2nd strings and I get a mushy barre chord if I don't mash down. Anyone else deal with this problem? Is it part of learning to play banjo with smaller hands?

Banjo Head Signed by Greg and Janet Deering

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:34:09 CST

I have an 11 inch Deering banjo head that has been signed by Greg and Janet Deering, with a 50 years anniversary sticker in the middle.

I was given this as part of a sale of a banjo - the seller included it in the sale as a surprise. What I have been thinking about is I'd probably never fit the head to a banjo as it seems like a shame to use it. Would it be of any value to anyone? Is it the sort of thing people like to buy as a memento?

I don't recall ever seeing one before.

Soccer, Ok Ok Football, Enough Already

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:43:03 CST

I am already bored with the banter and coverage of International Football. And, I wonder how many post game fights and other nonsense cr@p we are going to have to deal with here in the USA. But, mostly I am curious if you agree with this sentiment or are a fanatic and plan to follow all the games? It does seem that this game is becoming more and more popular in N. America.

Brad

TOTW, 06/12/26 – The Wizard’s Walk

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:14:15 CST

This week’s Tune Of The Week is a modern composition by Jay Ungar: “The Wizard’s Walk”. A few weeks ago, another Hangout user requested a tab for this tune, which prompted me to look this tune up and work out how to play it. It’s a three part tune, and quite complex sounding, but very memorable.
It was written by Jay Ungar and appears on his 1997 album with Molly Mason “The Lover’s Waltz”.

I contacted Jay to check if he was happy for the tune to be used here, and he happily agreed. He also provided some background on the inspiration for the tune to share:

“You asked how the tune came to be. I’ve written many tunes over the years, and they tend to arrive in different ways. Some begin with a spark of inspiration, then take shape through hours, days, or even weeks of refining and rewriting. Others arrive almost fully formed, as if they’d always existed. “The Wizard’s Walk” was one of those.
Although “The Wizard’s Walk” first came to me decades ago, in the mid-1980s, I still remember the moment vividly. I was playing fiddle while gazing out the large window of my office in West Hurley, New York—a room that has since become the recording studio of my daughter, Ruth Ungar, and my son-in-law, Mike Merenda. Sensing right away that this was a tune worth preserving, I switched on my cassette recorder to capture it. Titles don’t always come easily to me, but in this case, the name arrived the very same day as the melody itself.

A summer or two later, my wife Molly and I, and my pre-teen daughter Ruth, were at a CDSS dance camp at Pinewoods in eastern Massachusetts. While Molly and I were teaching a workshop, Ruth choreographed a contra dance that fit “The Wizard’s Walk” perfectly. That evening, caller Bob Dalsemer invited her to call the dance, and it was an instant hit.”

Other online versions
I found one banjo video, by Tyler Andal and Sterling Abernathy, featuring some great clawhammer playing.

There are a lot of videos online of people playing the tune on fiddle. It seems to have been picked up widely by contradance and Irish fiddlers. Some of these start off very slow and dramatic then speed up to a very quick pace.

The Wizard's Walk - Day 234 - 366 Days of Fiddle Tunes

Wizard's Walk (Jay Ungar)

Jacie Sites plays Wizards Walk

Playing the tune
You can find music notation here:

The Wizard's Walk on folk tune finder

The Wizard’s Walk (reel) on The Session

I have read that this tune is also included in Volume 1 of the Portland Collection, if you have access to that.

Here’s a tab and video of my arrangement. The main features are:
• In the key of E minor
• Standard G tuning (gDGBD)
• Three parts plus a short coda
• The second part can be played as a regular bum-ditty but it’s fun to try to get it to syncopate like the fiddle versions, which ends up sounding a bit flamenco-ish
• The third part starts with a descending circle of fifths chord sequence (a bit like the start of “Hotel California”). Then, near the end, its hits a diminished chord – not something you encounter every day playing clawhammer tunes!

I hope you enjoy finding out more about this tune and playing it.

Doug's Tune / Doug Dillard

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:00:08 CST

Here is a fun tune written by the late and very great Doug Dillard....Jack

Doug's Tune

Clifford Essex Regal (Adventures in Vinatge Banjos Part 3)

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:11:02 CST

I've just purchased a Clifford Essex Regal for the princely sum of £40 off Reverb. (Pictures below)

It's a top tension banjo. The metalwork is in great condition although the resonator back is very worn. I'm not sure about the tone ring arrangement. There's a sleeve around the rim but also a supported brass hoop inside making an archtop shape. The rim must be semi hollow judging by the holes.

The tuners say "Page patent" and seem to be good quality.

I'm assuming the things attached to the tension bolts are for a armrest.

The pegs at the perch pole bracket are missing but I have one carved for my Special XX which wasn't needed and wood to carve the other. The neck is therefore loose at present.

The fifth string tuner is odd. There's a fill or cover on the hole and the tuner pip seems unused.

The head is some strange plastic material and has a slight tear. I guess this is not some original 1920s (or whenever0 experiment. It reminds me of the material from Musima GDR banjos.

It had four ancient steel strings and seems not too bad but the bridge is extremely small. I'll be putting on nylons.

Good Friday Morning

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:34:17 CST

Good morning from Sweden.

How far do you let your fret wear go?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:20:35 CST

I didn’t want to hijack the other fret topic, so decided to start a new one. I tend to be a “don’t fix what isn’t broke” when it comes to frets. I was changing strings today, on my Sierra, and thought I’d take a pic of my current frets. I don’t think they are that bad, and will play them until they buzz. They are fine now, and should be for several more years. I recently replaced the first 5 frets on my other banjo, so this one is now the furthest along in wear.

What say you? How far do you let your frets get, before dress or replace? Do you get nervous when they get a shine, or do you play them into the ground?

And don’t worry, my frets are not pulling up… I saw the picture and freaked out… but it’s just the lighting and shadows.

J.D.Crowe & New South / Showboat Gambler (live)

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:07:25 CST

This is from a live performance . Crowe does two breaks on this.
The tab is to the Intro,The first, and second breaks. Pure Crowe all the way.Pay attention to the dotted 1/4 note in the second break, second measure of line 2. And Crowe does some 1/8 slides( or hammers, take your pick) without hitting another string at same time. But you can do it if it feels more natural
youtu.be/buJohU4tYkM?is=ldHO72XDVaEErRy8

Sir Mick J entertains with “Handsome Molly”

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:33:05 CST

facebook.com/reel/163900623052...fs=e&fs=e

“Down By The Bay” , a kids’ singalong & TAB

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:22:55 CST

You might think I’ve gone over the edge but my kids used to crack up when I played this for them. The banjo solo is after the third verse.

Has anyone gone from Cable to Streaming ?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:44:53 CST

I have had cable TV for 55 years. The company promises a fixed price but the bill increases every 2 months. That issue is presently under audit after a scathing report from the old grouch.. I know less than nothing about streaming but my kids in their 40's seem to think its the way to go. For me I need more information about the advantages and pitfalls. What can you experienced consumers tell me that I will understand ?

Binding a Complex Banjo Peghead?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:03:38 CST

Binding a banjo peghead is a pain because of the angled edge of the side of the peghead, especially if there are multiple curves. I saw a post in the past that talked about using tape along the edges as a dam and using some kind of casting plastic to fill the routed edges, and then smoothing everything out once it's dry. What kind of material is that? Does anyone have any photos of the results?

Haven't owned a horse for 30ish years ...

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:21:43 CST

.... but it's better late than never, I suppose. Don't recall having used a specific knot, but pretty sure it wasn't "the bank robbers' knot" * :

https://www.facebook.com/reel/767262436409315

[* my all-time most useful knot was probably a clove hitch.]

After You're Gone

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:20:50 CST

Inspired by my Benny Goodman CD

calling all auto mechanics

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 05:22:24 CST

03 chevy 4x4 4.8 auto trans ... this one really bugs me. every so often and i mean every 6 months,, sometimes a year or more goes by i will have a gremlin jump up and bite me in the a$$... it happened yesterday sitting in line to get meds.
out of nowhere it started skipping and idle went down and shut off.. i cranked back up same thing,,,, this went on for 3 or 4 minutes , so i finally got it running backed out and parked .
i started it again and it cranked up i revved the engine a few times and it skipped then cleared up. driving home i felt it hiccup once after that it runs perfect.
it did this about a year ago while i was driving ...
today i cleaned the mass airflow unit and she cranked right up idled smooth and ran perfect... it gives no check engine light ... so i don't know what could cause this and be so infrequent .... anybody got some ideas ???????

Good Thursday Morning

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:45:19 CST

Good morning from Sweden.

Advice on cleaning up a prewar TB-3

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:55:49 CST

I just picked up a ball bearing TB3 from the 8225 batch (1926).

It’s in playable condition already, but pretty grody with corrosion on the metal, and wood finish.

Any advice on what to use to clean it up? I’m not trying to get back to factory new, honest wear is great, I just want it protected and stable moving forward.

I was planning to use some of the Gibson spray polish on the wood, which is what I’ve been using for decades on most of my instruments. But I think 1926 was a borderline year where the may not have been spraying nitro yet.

I dunno on the metal. Most seems fine, but the tone ring has a lot of greenish corrosion right where it touches the head, as well as a lot on the skirt. As far as I know, it’s somewhat of a mystery as to what plating was used on the ball bearing system, so I don’t know what’s safe here.

I intend to keep this banjo as is and play Irish trad with it. I will probably replace the grover 2 tab tuners and the 2 footed bridge, but other than that it’s exactly what I was looking for. Since the headstock has been broken and repaired already, probably no issue reaming for modern tuners.

I’m sure I’ll be chasing setup a while. Whoever had it before me had the head down at 80 (and neck angle to match the bridge sunken way down!). 88 was too high, so I have it around 85 right now. It seems the ball bearing banjos are completely different in what they want than the 40 hole archtop I’m used to messing with.

Adjusting the rim-stick on an OME Banjo?

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:59:52 CST

What is the OME rim-stick? How does one use it to adjust the neck? How is it different from coordinator rods?

mark

Jamming With 2025 Berks Fiddle Fest Grand Champion

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:26:52 CST

Jamming with 2025 Berks Fiddle Fest Grand Champion Palmer Loux and friends in the park

1970's Tokai banjo frets

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:05:33 CST

After stripping, cleaning and reassembling this jo, the lower frets are rather worn. I have measured the height of the goods up the neck and they read as shown. My first thought was to level the frets but looking at them, it appears they have been levelled in the past (maybe more than once). Doing so may make it unplayable?

The option is to co0mpletely re-fret it. The only fret wire available here is Accu-Fret and limited in the sizes available.
Does anyone known what size fret wire was used back in the day?

Using an iPad to store music and flip pages remotely/multiple tab sheets

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:52:18 CST

I am looking for suggestions on storing tabs on an iPad and having a contents page that hyperlinks to each song tab. Guitar Center suggests four score. It is a lot of horsepower for this simple task. So, following questions:
1. Suggested app to store tabs
2. Any commercial, simple way to accomplish the above?
3. I spoke with Deering and they had no familiarity with the above product or any other but after my comment, they are looking
Appreciate any help I can get

Pizza, Pizza, Apizza

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:20:51 CST

I think here in Wichita, home of Pizza Hut, we now how nearly every style pizza available. If a state or city has a pizza style we have it too nowadays, mostly mom and pop shops. I thought we did until now! A Connecticut local is opening a, you guessed it…a Connecticut style pizza joint called Tommy’s Apizza. He says it’s pronounced “ah-beetz”. It is located close to our house. From the description, I may be a regular there. What say you? Brad

Banjo Tab request:Yokogao Shika Shiranai (Celtic Version)

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:58:20 CST

I know it's really strange to ask for a banjo tab for a Japanese song here, but I really love this modern folk song. The banjo part sounds absolutely beautiful to me. So I figured I'd give it a try and just ask here anyway.

Blue Skies

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:07:38 CST

A show tune

The Yellow Rose Of Texas

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:41:06 CST

The Yellow Rose of Texas

Rubber knuckle surgery.

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:35:33 CST

Anna one here have had that done?

Saturday Night

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:12:20 CST

There’s an Alan Munde lick in the middle somewhere that was kind of the inspiration for the whole thing.

New tab: Ghillie Dhu

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:27:37 CST

Here's an arrangement of Ghillie Dhu, open G tuning, suitable for either 3-finger or clawhammer:
banjohangout.org/tab/browse.as...l&v=29221

If you’d like to hear how the tune sounds, here’s a recording:
banjohangout.org/myhang...&archived=

I built a tool where music becomes geometry… is this useful or just cool?

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:13:37 CST

I’ve developed a free web app: erhythm.org (disclosure: I’m the developer). It’s a visual, interactive rhythm composer inspired by Godfried Toussaint’s The Geometry of Musical Rhythm. The idea is to represent rhythm geometrically: you place beats on a circle, the active steps form shapes, and you can instantly hear the result.

This is not intended as a learning system or replacement for notation, but as a visual presentation tool for rhythm, to explore and illustrate patterns like Euclidean rhythms, polyrhythms, and world rhythms in a more intuitive visual form.

Example (Bembé Afro-Cuban rhythm):
Link in comment.
erhythm.org/composer/r/bembe-afro-cuban?utm_source=banjohangout.org

I’d really appreciate feedback from musicians and educators on whether this kind of visual representation is useful for explaining or presenting rhythmic structures.

Good Wednesday Morning

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 23:29:50 CST

Good morning from Sweden.

1970's Tokai Hummingbird banjo

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 20:20:18 CST

I picked up this jo last weekend. Am in the process of stripping it down for cleaning and inspection. When I pulled the tone ring off, I found a brass rod sitting inside the ring. Any ideas why it is there and what purpose it serves?

Rebuilding a tenor from spare conversion parts?

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 20:00:14 CST

I recently got back my first (and likely last) “commissioned” conversion — a 1932 TB-3, all original metalwork, converted by Chris Warner with a wonderful neck and uncut rim (via Turtle Hill conversion flathead tone ring).

I’m loving this banjo, perhaps with the exception of the original low ratio tuners — they’re in good condition but a little coarse for me (seems like they might be 1:2 ratio or something along those lines)

Did I mention I’m loving this banjo? And Chris for taking on the work!!! I feel like I’m blessed with some great banjos, but my band mates insist this is THE ONE.

That aside… I have the original neck and arch top tone ring leftover. I’d love to have a tenor in the arsenal if it could be done cheaply with these parts, but not sure where to begin. And the bigger issue perhaps is a pretty bad crack across the heel of the neck — not sure how stable the repair is (see pics). What would you do? Is it worth the trouble?

Paired Eighth Notes

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 16:00:34 CST

My discussion with Ken Norkin (Old Hickory) on this topic in the thread started by David Knowles (knowles1234) — “Need help playing faster” — while related to David’s development as a player, was threatening to hijack the original post, so I started this topic instead. I won’t repeat what was said there, but there are things I believe are worthwhile to continue discussing.

Fourteen years ago, I wrote a BHO blog article entitled “Roger Sprung & ‘Pairing.’” Roger (who passed away in 2023, having taught more than 3,000 banjo students) taught me “pairing” — his term for bounce or swing or paired eighth notes — in the very first banjo lesson I ever had, in May 2003. In his view, pairing wasn’t some kind of additional technique for experienced players, but an essential first-lesson skill. I took many lessons with Roger, and know many of his former students, and he insisted without exception that every student pair with everything they played. (As Roger taught his students to play by ear, using no tab, written music, or “put your fingers here” instruction — really by ear: determining the chord progression, finding the melody, weaving the two together with rolls (paired rolls), etc. — there was never a question of playing anything “as written.” Then again, as Earl Scruggs couldn’t read music, I guess he never played anything “as written” either.)

Roger is quoted in Masters of the 5-String Banjo saying: “The most important catalyst for improving is the syncopation, phrasing, and ‘pairing’ of the notes.” He was also quoted in the August 1984 issue of Frets Magazine that: “In bluegrass, it’s not the smoothness of a banjo player that counts, it’s the jumpiness – a bounce that’s more conducive to tapping your foot.” This is also a reference to pairing.

While the term “pairing” may be unique to Roger, the concept — as a foundational technique — isn’t just his. His mnemonic for this rhythm — the word “Chattanooga” — was taught up front (i.e., not as an advanced alternative) by Bill Keith on his video “Play Bluegrass Banjo By Ear,” by Paul Hawthorne in his out-of-print book Gestalt Banjo, and by Ritchie Mintz in his book Conversational Bluegrass Banjo.

In his four-volume Bluegrass Banjo Workshop series, Bill Knopf wrote: “All of the arrangements and examples in this four-book series have been recorded with a bouncy or jazz feel.” He then explains the rhythm (“the first note in each group is twice as long as the second”) and concludes with: “It is up to the individual player to decide for himself whether or not to play with the bounce.” What makes Knopf’s statement particularly interesting is that (1) he uses “bounce” not selectively, but with “all of the arrangements and examples in this four-book series”; (2) even though Knopf bounces everything he plays in these four volumes, all the accompanying tab — his arrangements “as written” — notates every eighth note as evenly spaced, thus refuting the notion that tab “as written” is intended to dictate how notes should be spaced; and (3) he doesn’t suggest to the “individual player” that they may add pairing, but rather may omit the bounce he uses; to Knopf, paired eighths is the default.

In his last post on this subject, Ken said: “no one rhythm fits every piece of music and no one way of playing banjo — of timing the notes on banjo — can possibly fit or be right for every piece of music.” I have two responses to this: First, if this is your position, then why suggest to beginners that they space all notes evenly “for every piece of music”? In other words, if Roger was wrong to teach beginning students that all playing should be paired, then isn’t it equally wrong for you to advise all beginners that “at the outset one should play the notes as written, which means playing them as evenly as possible because that's how they're written.” (Is this really why they were written evenly, or is the tab representation simply a visual shortcut?) Aren’t you recommending the very one-size-for-everything solution that you purport to criticize.

Second, and more importantly, I think you grossly undervalue how learning to pair, and learning to pair early, accelerates learning to play overall. Pairing isn’t complicated. It’s a very easily understood concept, and a rhythm very easy to vocalize (using the “Chattanooga” phrase or simply counting 1–&2–&3–&4–&1–&2…, emphasizing the numbered beat over the “&” — a la the lubDUB of a heartbeat). Getting it under your fingers takes a little practice. (Roger would recommend that, at first, you “over pair,” i.e., exaggerate the separation of the notes; personally, I think it helps enormously to start with the last note of the roll, thus starting with an “&1.”) But once you habituate the technique, everything suddenly becomes much easier to play. Why? Because the biggest hurdle for a beginner is getting a string of notes to sound like a recognizable song. How many beginners complain: “I’m playing all the notes, but it doesn’t sound like what it’s supposed to be”? That’s because the dry rat-a-tat-tat of even eighths isn’t particularly musical. How can it sound like a song when it’s being played like a typewriter? Music isn’t straight. Music fluctuates. Pairing adds that fluctuation.

Pairing isn’t running. Pairing is walking with shoes on. Shoes help you walk. Shoes make walking more comfortable. Pairing makes playing more musical. And until a new student’s playing starts becoming more musical, and songs thus start becoming recognizable, playing the banjo can be very frustrating.

Interesting Observation on BHO

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 15:32:37 CST

I can tell that BHO is shifting from both styles of banjo being posting. Now, all or mostly what I see, is old time 2 finger or Clawhammer no later than the 1800s Ha for sure. It's just that my students love Clawhammer but not the really remote ones that are mostly being posted now. They like the Clawhammer style but not so many songs that they've never heard of...The people who post them probably don't make a living teaching banjos. I think BHO is becoming an Banjo engineer based History site...

All this is amusing to me is all and not meant to Belittle anyone who likes remote "Library of Congress" Clawhammer and two finger....Ha for sure....Jack

p.s. I know this has been brought up before but students don't like to learn songs with no Chords whatsoever as they can't have anyone accompany them. Chords help define the melody but they just see a bunch of notes which they have never heard of before...I know I will not make that happen and BHO is becoming a History of Ancient Music even though in its time, it was what people played and so it goes....Jack

Shredding aluminum cans....

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 15:13:00 CST

I've heard that some recycling facilities prefer cans to be NOT crushed, and some don't care. The rationale I've heard for NOT crushed is that crushed cans can "jam the shredder." It seems to me that ^^ would be a pretty wimpy shredder.

This AI generated overview https://www.google.com/search?q=where+do+recycled+aluminum+cans+get+shredded%3F&sca_esv=0af47fe24a20a796&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA1116CA1116&ei=6osoao-sNLnDp84P3q7PsQE&biw=1600&bih=739&ved=0ahUKEwiPyeGHk_uUAxW54ckDHV7XMxYQ4dUDCBA&oq=where+do+recycled+aluminum+cans+get+shredded%3F&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiLXdoZXJlIGRvIHJlY3ljbGVkIGFsdW1pbnVtIGNhbnMgZ2V0IHNocmVkZGVkPzIFEAAY7wUyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiJBRiiBDIFEAAY7wUyBRAAGO8FSIgtUM8GWMAbcAF4AZABAJgBtAGgAYEJqgEDMS44uAEMyAEA-AEBmAIKoALYCcICChAAGEcY1gQYsAPCAgQQIRgKmAMAiAYBkAYIkgcDMS45oAeWIbIHAzAuObgHxgnCBwcwLjQuNS4xyAcwgAgB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp says "... At the industrial mill, heavy-duty shredders tear the cans into smaller chips."

Is "jam the shredder" a legitimate reason? If not, is there a legitimate reason? [Inquiring minds want to know!! ]

============================================================================

Btw, not Moose Jaw's former civic center:

John Lomax recording Lead Belly at Angola Prison

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 14:03:49 CST

In 1933 ; Huddie was later released and set out on a music career

My Two Month Old Banjo

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 14:02:08 CST

Have I mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE my new Gold Tone OB 250LW?? What a great instrument!! It sounds incredible. Handles like a dream. And the thing simply will NOT go out of tune!

Been playing 2 to 3 hours a day (I'm retired.) Used to play, years ago ... it's commin' back... The resources on the Net are remarkable. Shout out to Rob Bourassa, Jim Pankey, and Willian Nesbitt.

Want to Buy: Original 5 string No Knot Tailpiece

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 13:01:01 CST

banjohangout.org/classified/115544

Bach Minuet in G / Guitar / Chet Atkins

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 12:51:13 CST

Chet Atkins could play any Genre of Music if He wanted. Here's a beautiful example...Jack

Bach Minuet in G

Lovin' the key of E.

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 08:01:35 CST

Our country/bluegrass jam has evolved over the years and people are throwing a lot more songs in the key of E into the mix, a lot of blues. So I've taken to tuning the fifth string down from G to E and playing over the chords and that is working real well. I always thought the open E and E7 sounded clunky, but bouncing between the two on the first string when I'm in the root seems to somehow transform it into something that sounds a little swampy. Also walking the B down into the A at strategic times works well. I've tried working it up the neck, but so far no joy with that, though I'm always experimenting.

Anyway, the more I'm playing in E, the more I'm loving' it, and I'm getting some good compliments on it lately, which is encouraging. Lately, when someone calls out a song in E, I'm thinking,"yes, let's do it." I'm just wondering is other people are playing a lot in the key of E and what little tricks they are doing to spice it up.

'Hard for to Love' Tab

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 02:40:30 CST

Hi everyone. I'm a complete newbie here so I don't think I can post a link yet, but I would love to get hold of a tab for Dock Boggs's 'Hard for to Love', from the original 12 Songs recording (1929). The Hayes Shepard version would also be fine, but its the Boggs version I've been listening to. I think its a two-finger Kentucky style but there's something weird going on with the drop thumb, I think. I can't seem to get that percussive repeat. Thanks.

Careless Love

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 00:11:25 CST

Hope you like this. My version of "Careless Love".

Good Tuesday Morning

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 23:13:54 CST

Good morning from Sweden.