Banjo Hangout - Music Theory Forum Feed

Playing Outside of the Key of G

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 18:55:13 CST

I'm pretty new to the banjo, mostly working on learning to play the chords to back up my singing. So far, whenever I try to play a song outside of the key of C, it doesn't sound right. For example, I've been working on this song: http://www.martindardis.com/garden_song_lyrics_chords.html

So, when I tried to play it in the key written, it sounded completely wrong. (I followed the chord chart given here: http://www.tommyjordan.com/chords.htm in an open G tuning) When I converted the chords to playing in the key of G (with the same tuning), it sounded much better. Every song I've tried in a key that wasn't G sounded off; almost all the time I've moved it to G it sounds better (with I IV V chords sounding right always; the other chords in a song sometimes sounding right but not always). Why is this? Why can't I just look up the chords on a chart and they sound right?

What chord is this?

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 5 Feb 2012 09:20:34 CST

If you hold a standard D chord, bottom 3 strings only, raise the 1st string from F# to a G, what chord is this?

Thanks in advance.

Kevin

***may have figured it out, is it a G9?

The Hangout gets the academic treatment

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 20:21:52 CST

A couple of years ago, Dr. Janice Waldron asked to study the Hangout.

Her paper was published in December 2011. A PhD student sent me the link.

You may not recognize the topic - banjos - from the title, but that's how academics write (I know - I'm married to one):

Locating Narratives in Postmodern Spaces: A Cyber Ethnographic field Study of Informal Music Learning in Online Community

strings for clawhammer

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 11:25:06 CST

I have been learning to play bluegrass for a few years. I want to now try clawhammer style. I have always used medium weight strings on my banjo (mainly because my instructor recommended them). My question: Is it generally recommended to use lightweight strings for clawhammer? It does seem to me that it would be easier to pluck the lighter strings when not using the finger picks.

John

Different Time Signitures for measures within a song?

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:34:10 CST

At the moment I'm trying to learn "Boil Them Cabbage Down" from the Banjo Songs book from CVLS.

I'm just wondering, is it normal to have multiple time signatures within a song.

For instance, this song has 3 beats in measure one(3/4 time), 2 beats in measures two and three(2/4 time), 3 beats in measure four(3/4 time) and then back to 2 beats for measures 5,6 and 7. In measure 9 it has four beats(4/4 time).

I thought if a song was in say 2/4 time it would have the same number of beats for each measure of that song.

Looks like I could be wrong.

Just to say I'm kinda new to the music theory side of things.

Big Sciota vs. Big Scioty

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:47:14 CST

Hey pickers,

I'm wondering if anybody out there knows if there is a difference in chord progression between Big Sciota and Big Scioty as I have heard slightly different variations on part B.

With part A being the same, the difference in part B comes in the order of the Em and C chords.

Big Scioty -- ie:Russ Barenberg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyj7m0QdFkM

G-D-|D-Em-|Em-C-|D-G-|

Big Sciota other versions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWiZ5sjGU0Y

G-D-|D-C-|C-Em-|D-G-|

There are also a few tabs in Banjo Hangout that have this progression.

Is this just a case of the "folk process" switching it up randomly or is it Russ Barenberg making his own arrangement? Anyone have any input on this tune?

Banjotom

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:00:20 CST

Hope I got the right person. There was a post on Theory forum I think that had banjo neck diagrams, both blank and all notes filled in. Was that yours and if so what happened to it? Sure was helpful.

David

Temperament / Cleartune Tuner

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:50:06 CST

I have been using the Equal Temperament setting on the Cleartune tuner, and although it works better than my other tuners there were still some issues with intonation, and on a good day I got better results with my ear. (My ability to tune precisely by ear comes and goes, not sure why, but that's another thread...)

I tried a couple of other temperaments and with my instruments (banjos and guitars) the Almost-equal setting (in the Well Tempered section) sounds better, especially if I am playing C and D chords. I would like to try some others, but trying to remember which one sounds better in relation to others is mind boggling, so I'm throwing it out here to see if anyone else has done some experimenting and what has worked for them.

A short primer on reading banjo music notation – the easy way.

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:52:57 CST

Introduction

After posting some videos of mine, I have received some questions about how to read music notation, so I thought it might be useful if I wrote a short primer on the subject. Indeed, from what I’ve seen on the Hangout, most banjoists are either completely allergic to music, or very knowledgeable about music theory, but there aren’t many “casual” readers out there.

So let’s start out with the good news: reading banjo music written in notation can be a lot easier than you think. Don’t fret (no pun intended) if you’ve struggled with it all your life, if you just “don’t get” the dots, or if you think it requires years of hard study -- it doesn't have to.

Literally hundreds of thousands of banjoists have been reading music in the past two hundred years, and only a handful were geniuses. So, how did they do it? Well…

...editors have always had an interest in selling their product, and music is no exception; therefore, they have often strived to make music as accessible as possible to their potential customers in order to increase their target demographic. In order to sell music which could be read by people with even modest music reading skills, editors developed a system for notating banjo music which contains all the information you need at a glance.

So let's begin by debunking some stereotypes: music notation is not "poorly suited" to the banjo, nor is it ridiculously difficult to read. By the time you’re done reading this thread, you will be able to read most (well-annotated) banjo music notation with ease; this will broaden your musical horizons, and allow you to benefit from loads of music which is in the public domain, and therefore absolutely free.

Part 1: Specific symbols of banjo music notation

In order to accommodate the peculiarities of the banjo and banjo music, new symbols were devised to notate certain indications on how to play the notes on the banjo.

On the subject of stereotypes, an objection I have often heard against notation is that, "you can't tell when you have to strike the 5th string"! Well, yes you can -- banjoists a long time ago thought about it and decided that whenever the high G is played on the 5th string, it carries a small flag, like so:

So, whenever you see a dot with two stems, one of which is that little flag, you know it's the 5th string; the note is a G, that is, the first one above the top line in the staff; another way to notate the use of the 5th string is to add a 0 next to it (in music notation, numbers next to the notes stand for which fingers you fret the notes with; a 0 is an open string).

Another objection I often hear is, "notes can be played in many places on the banjo! Notation doesn't tell you where to play them!" Well, fortunately, that is also taken into account. There are several markings used for this: P., P.B., and numbers under the notes.

P. stands for "Position", and tells you which is the lowest fret your hand is fretting -- in other words, for instance, say you are fretting the 3rd string at the 10th fret, the 2nd string at the 9th fret, and the 1st string at the 10th fret, that would carry "P. 9" above, as you are in the "9th position".

Take this chord, for example:

What do the annotations tell you? Well, for starters, there's 8P -- so the fretting takes place from the 8th fret upwards. Then you've got 2, 1, and 4. This is a chord shape (we'll talk about chord shapes later) which you can simply form starting at the 8th fret. It tells us that the lowest note (on the 3rd string) is fretted with the 2nd finger (your middle finger), the note on the middle (on the 2nd string) is fretted with the 1st finger (pointer) and the note on top is fretted with the 4th finger (pinky); since your index finger is always on top, you know it goes on the 8th fret (from P. 8), and the other two fingers fall in place: the middle finger on the 3rd string, 9th fret, and the pinky on the 1st string, 10th fret.

Simples!

P. B. stands for "Position Barre" -- in other words, it's the same as P., only it's telling you to form a barre chord at the indicated fret; PB. 10 means a barre at the 10th fret, and so on. Of course, apart from the barre you might have to fret more notes; take this example:

Here you've got 5 PB, which means you're going to form a barre chord at the 5th fret with your pointer, and you've got 1, 1, 4: pointer, pointer, pinky. You know the 1's refer to the barre you're forming across the 5th fret, so you've already got the two lower notes in the chord. The 4 means that, apart from the barre, you're reaching down with your pinky to fret the 1st string (it's the 8th fret, but you can't tell because I've cut out the key signature which has 1 flat).

Numbers under the notes (do not confuse with the numbers which are next to the notes) come in two forms: plain numbers, and numbers surrounded by a circle.

A plain number (without a circle) indicates which fret a note must be played at.

A number with a circle indicates which string a note must be played at; this is helpful when a note is played on a string where it usually isn't played.

Here you have 16P, 2 1, 17 16, 3 4 (that's a lot of numbers!) What does this mean? It means that this is played at the 16th position, fretted with the pointer and middle finger, on the 17th and 16th frets, on the 3rd and 4th strings. In other words, you fre the 3rd string at the 17th fret, and the 4th string at the 16th fret.

Slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs (slurs and snaps) are notated with lines between the notes, as so:

In this case, you can see two slides, one upwards, one downwards, on account of all three notes being fretted with the same finger, which frets the string as it slides up and downwards.

On the other hand, pull-offs and hammer-ons start with one finger, and finish with another; for instance, a pull-off could be made by pulling off with the pinky (4) while the next note is fretted by the index (1).

Part 2: Starting to read

Now, I've been trying to keep this as theory-free as possible, but there are some basics which are absolutely necessary -- for instance, knowing where the notes produced by the open strings lie on the staff.

(Keep in mind that this illustration depicts standard C, also known as drop C, tuning; in open G tuning, the 4th string is a D note, which is in the space just above the C in this chart).

I'm assuming you already know about FACE and EGBDF -- no need to go over all that here -- so here are the notes on the banjo; the three lines in the middle are your 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings; the 5th string, G, is just above, and your 4th string (C or D) is below the staff. These notes are often (but not always!) notated with a 0, meaning they are played open.

Here is the intro to Freckles, a solo I've recorded, which we will read through step by step:

So, let's see; the first note is a G, just like the G on the 5th string, as we saw in the chart; however, next to the note there is a 3, underneath there is a 12, and a 3 in a circle. As we saw earlier, this means that: with your ring finger (3), you are fretting the 3rd string (3 in circle) at the 12th fret (12) -- which, as it turns out, gives the same pitch G as the 5th string. This note is a minim (half note), so you're going to let it ring while you play the next chord.

After that, you play three open strings (0 0 0), which are -- (as you may see by glancing at the chart of the notes and strings) the 5th, 1st, and 2nd open strings.

Notice how the circled 3 has a line of dots which extends to the right -- this means that you're still using that 3rd string. The next note is the 3rd string fretted at the 11th fret, and then at the 9th fret, as you may see from the numbers underneath the next notes.

In the next measure, you play the 3rd string at the 7th fret, then another pinch of the open 5th, 1st and 2nd, then the 3rd string at the 4th fret, and another pinch.

In the next measure, you play the 3rd string fretted at the 2nd fret with the middle finger, the 2nd string open, then the 2nd string fretted at the 1st fret with the pointer finger, then the 1st string fretted at the 2nd fret with the ring finger; this 2, 1 3 is a chord shape; as I said, more on chord shapes later.

Then back to the open 2nd string, 3rd string 2nd fret, and finally, open 3rd and a pinch of the open 1st, 2nd and 5th.

That wasn't so hard, was it?

Part 3: Chord Shapes

I've already made several references to moveable chord shapes; indeed, chord shapes make reading banjo music much, much easier, and there aren't all that many chord shapes to learn. Learning these chord shapes will allow you to instantly sight-read most banjo music just by seeing the fingerings and positions, and will also really open up the fingerboard for you.

The best resource to learn these chord shapes is a chart produced by BHO members Ian (thereallyniceman) and Marc (trapdoor2) which really allows those numbers to come to life; these have been produced for the excellent Classic Banjo beginners' tutorial.

Download this and open the PDF file called "Chord Shapes for Classic Style Banjo.pdf"; however, these chord shapes do not only apply to Classic Banjo, but to any style of banjo music in Standard tuning. Here you will find all the basic chord shapes, with:

What they look like in music notation;

What they look like in tablature;

What they look like on the fingerboard;

And a photograph of the hand, fretting each one of them.

These chord shapes are moveable, so once you know the chord shape, you can just have a look at which position it is played at, and form it there. Take your time, look at the PDF chart, and once you've had a feel for the chord shapes, we'll try the following exercise:

These are the first few measures of another solo I've recorded, "The Syncopatin' Shuffle". With what you've learned about chord shapes, you can easily figure out how to play this challenging solo; let's take it measure by measure.

The 1st measure has the same chord played 4 times; it is a 311 chord at 15PB; this is the same as the 411 chord on page 5 of the chord shapes chart, but you use the 3rd finger because it's a much shorter reach from the 15th to the 17th fret! So, by forming your chord shape at the 15th fret, you get:

3rd and 2nd strings, fretted at the 15th fret; 1st string, fretted at the 17th fret.

In the next measure you have another chord -- a 231 chord at 9P; if you look at your chart on page 3, you can see how to form a 231 chord; you get the 3rd string at the 9th fret, 2nd string at the 11th fret, and 1st string at the 10th fret. The note between the chords corresponds to the open 4th -- as you may see, a low C with a 0 next to it.

In the next measure, you get a 411, which you form just like the 311 in the 1st measure, only at 3 PB; and, finally, in the last measure, back to the 231 at 9P.

Block chords are easy to read with this method; but it also applies very well to spread-out chords. Since banjo music is often chord-based, you can easily recognize where there is a chord shape, and pick the individual notes in the chord.

Conclusion: Putting it all together

With this knowledge, you can now attempt to read some easy banjo music -- or even more advanced pieces. Little by little, as you read by using these crutches, you will become more and more familiar with the notes and where they fall in on the banjo fingerboard, and you will hardly need them anymore; this is a good long-term goal.

Eventually, you will want to learn more about playing in different keys; learning the chords in different keys, as well as the different scales; this is all useful and necessary if you want to play more advanced music.

However, on the short term, it is also gratifying to be able to read music without needing to memorize the notes on the fingerboard, and, as you have seen, this is not necessarily a difficult or unpleasant task. Once you're used to this method, you'll see it's as easy to read as tablature -- and often easier, because the chords and chord shapes are more obvious on the notation than on tab.

If you spend but a little bit of effort learning to read notation, you will expand your musical horizons considerably, and will probably save some money as well rather than pay through the nose for tab books. Understanding music will also help you to understand other instruments, and to arrange banjo parts based upon, for instance, fiddle music or piano music.

I hope this brief primer has been useful to those who were struggling with musical notation or thought it was too difficult, and I hope it motivates them to learn more about this crucial aspect of a musician's education.

ok ... so WHY MELODIC MINOR ???!!!

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:05:42 CST

here's a couple of videos that intro you to melodic minor, with a focus on how that scale colors a dominant 7 chord.

This study is easier if you have a really good knowledge of where any major scale falls on the fingerboard (and the harmonic sounds that major carries with it) ... with no "dark areas" that confuse you.

Just like playing a blues scale ... melodic or "jazz" minor is a coloration of a "7" chord.

Play G7 and a blues scale ... then play G7 and Ab melodic (jazz) minor.

This is a very common sound with jazz artists ... which I'm NOT ... but I still love the sound.

The first video is me talking about the idea behind this study, and the people who influenced me to do it.

The second video is an intro to Melodic minor, and some application.

There are Theoretical explanations in .jpg form on my pics page .. and some fingerboard diagrams, some of which will be linked in this thread.

playing thru the cycle of 4ths with dominant chords

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:57:45 CST

this is an exercise i do to warm up. It helps me to tie jazzy dominant chord voicings with major scale "modes" in any key.

It also helps me play thru ii-V's while minimizing my left hand movement, and helps me visualize those parts of the fingerboard that used to be "no man's land" for me. (I also called it "stumble territory")

6 extended dominant 7 chord voicings

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:53:16 CST

... I call these "consonant" extensions. The 9(2) and 13 (6) are pretty colorations of a dom 7 chord. I use these voicings a lot.

If you offset these voicings by a tritone, you get nice ALT 7 colorations of the same 7 chord.

G Major-Diminished Scale Chord Exercise

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:09:01 CST

G Major Scale-F#Diminished-7th Chord Scale Exercise - Tabledit

G Major Scale-F#Diminished-7th Chord Scale Exercise - MIDI

See attached PDF...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

How old is banjo music theory?

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:22:04 CST

Just pondering banjo thoughts in the bath....

How long has the theory been around for the banjo? I mean when was the first music for the banjo written down, put into books or teaching format etc?

There must have been a time when initially someone just played the instrument, got some nice sounds out of it but weren't to sure of the notes, chords and songs they were playing?

Would it have been a case of someone teaching a friend or family member, "Put your fingers like this and you get this sound"? I'm sure this would have been the case for many people who have had an instrument to hand but know absolutely nothing of notes and chords, and who have no books, tv or internet available.

Anyone know anything about this? Obviously written music has been around for centuries with other instruments, so was it just a case of someone eventually getting a banjo who knew something about the theory side? Did that happen over in Africa or did it happen once the banjo came across to America?

Thanks for any info, just interested thats all,

Calv.

Unfamiliar chord structure

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:02:21 CST

I'm looking to try a song with what are, for me, unfamiliar chords (E, B, C sharp minor, A). I figure the key is E as this is the first chord. Can anyone suggest the best tuning or capo position for me to play a clawhammer version? Some theory explaining this choice would be appreciated too. I can read music and have a basic knowledge but am always looking to learn.

The Scruggs book...

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:33:11 CST

I purchased my copy some 30 years ago,and even then I had the feeling this

very copy had been kicking around the shelves for quite some time...so...what´s

new in the later editions..?..or is it basically the same..?..McUtsi

Buddy Wachter Workshop at the Punta Gorda Banjo Bash

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:46:33 CST

OK folks, Here's an opportunity that you shouldn't miss. Buddy is considered to be the best 4 string banjo player in the world. I realize that many of you are 5 string players but even you can learn something from a guy that plays a 4 string and makes it sound like he's playing a 5 string flat top Gibson.. don't miss this amazing opportunity... If you doubt my word, do a google search for Buddy Wachter, or look him up on You Tube... he was the US Music Ambassador to the World, and has played to sold out crowds at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, He has played with the Oklahoma Symphony, Bella Fleck, and many others. This is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed....

On February 19th, the Sunday following the Punta Gorda Banjo Bash, Buddy Wachter will present a special four-hour workshop that offers an engaging look into ‘how and what’ to practice to really impact your banjo playing.

With a simple and effective approach to learning right and left-hand techniques, fingerboard harmony, playing by ear, and both single note and chordal banjo styles, Banjo Breakthrough is designed to take the mystery out of learning the banjo.

The work in Banjo Breakthrough is designed to generate progress in your playing – a momentum that can create an actual breakthrough in your relationship to music, to the banjo, and to yourself as the player. It is about moving from a mystified ‘paint by number’ approach, to experiencing the satisfaction and enjoyment of actually playing the instrument.

Time: February 19th from 9am until 2pm (Lunch 12-12:45)

Location: Best Western (Banjo Bash Hotel)

Cost: $50

To register, please contact Buddy Wachter at:
410-889-0884 or Buddywachter@yahoo.com

Please register now; space is limited.

Combining Major Scale and Diminished Scale-Chords...

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:21:17 CST

Cascading G Major Scale with Diminished Riff... - Tabledit

Cascading G Major Scale with Diminished Riff... - MIDI

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

Diminished Chord and Lick Substitution in Bluegrass...

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 22:29:23 CST

I posted this in the tab request section here on the BHO... but thought it may also make an interesting discussion piece for the theory section...

In Earl's original, he plays an A chord... I heard Bela Fleck do some diminished chord and lick substitutions on this Scruggs standard... and the diminished chords and riffs sounded like they belonged there... where the A chord normally is...

This arrangement also has a 2 measure diminished chord riff in the tag ending...

Sounds like it belongs there... what do YOU think?

* * *

All of the diminished chord and lick substitutions are visible on the second and lower staff... I left the A chord in the rhythm... it still sounds right...

Ballad of Jed Clampett with Diminished Chord Substitutions - Tabledit

Ballad of Jed Clampett with Diminished Chord Substitutions - MIDI

See attached PDF sample...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

Nashville Numbering System - How it is Used.

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 04:51:39 CST

Ok Guy's...

I know what the NNS is. So to save you from wasting your time explaining it all again. That's not what I am asking here.

What I am interested to know is how the system is used in the band context. Does someone produce a large chart with lot of numbers in rows for band members to follow. I am trying to visualize how it would be used in a group session.

Do YOU use it when working with a band or at a workshop or jam session?

Best way to work yourself up to full speed?

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 7 Jan 2012 18:01:09 CST

I am newer than new to this, I got a banjo for Christmas so I've only been playing for about two weeks so bear with me here.

Here's my question: once I have learned the strumming pattern and all of the notes is it better to slowly increase my speed while still playing cleanly, or to push myself to full speed while playing a bit more sloppily.

Lets just say I may or may not have put (and played a bit with) my finger picks on upside down.. so I am trying to steer myself away from any big mistakes or bad habits. All advice welcome!

Power Tab for banjo tabs

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 5 Jan 2012 15:23:28 CST

I use TablEdit almost exclusively but one of my friends wants to use Power tab for banjo tabs because it is free. I downloaded the software and it looks like (even though the instrument is still called guitar) I can set it up for 5 strings with G tuning.

Anybody use Power Tab?

Are there banjo tabs online I can test it with?

Thanks,

Rick

Banjo Capo Question

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 4 Jan 2012 13:20:24 CST

Ok. So lately I have had some confusion with my capo and my banjo. I understand moving the capo to different frets will affect the key (putting the capo of the 2nd fret will change the key to A) but, where I am confused is the finger positions.

So, say I'm playing in open G and want to play an A cord, I will use my standard G shape finger positioning up on the 7th fret. Now say I'm in a new key where I'm capoed and want to play an A chord, do I use the same finger position on the 7th fret from the capo?

I guess my real confusion is the finger shapes. Overall when capoed do those shapes stay the same? Does this make sense??

A Theoretical Happy new year

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:02:44 CST

To all the contributors thank you, have a great one and here's to many more Theory journey's in 2012.

What key?

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:11:42 CST

It sounds like a stupid question.

I understand for vocalists that have a preferred key, that banjo players should play in a key people accompanying can sing in.

I also understand that the lowest note in G tuning is a D (4th string open).

But there are times when I hear an instrumental in a certain key and wonder why? Is it all personal preference or am I missing something? Will it work just as well in G? Am I making too much of this?

Playing in different tunings

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:50:12 CST

Im too old to start learning differnt chord patterns for alternative tunings such as D or C, is there any way I can play along with someone whos playing in something beside G tuning? BTP

D (add E) chord

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:31:52 CST

I plan to delve into chord formation, but I currently have nothing but a vague understanding of it. I ran across this chord in an older Moody Blues music book, and it has rather puzzled me (and internet searching has been unfruitful). Is there alternate name for this guitar chord?

chord question

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:09:37 CST

I'm in a G minor position at the fifth fret, with a carre across the third and my pinky on the first string, fifth fret, my pointer on the fourth string, fifth fret.

I move my pink and my pointer to the 4tth fret, still holding the barre at the third fret.

what chord is that?

How to Read Music

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:51:48 CST

I'm looking for a book that will teach a beginner like me to read music (not tabulature). I've seen a number of books that do that; however, they were all written for the piano. I'm looking for one that's oriented toward the banjo. Any suggestions?

A440 Hz or A432 Hz or A at a different Hertz?

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:50:43 CST

I've been learning to play the banjo at the ISO standard of A above middle C (on the piano) is at 440 Hertz but recently found information that the old standard tuning was at A = 432 Hertz. There is some pseudoscience as to why this is better but one scientific reason could be that at 440 Hz you only get 8 harmonic octaves but at 432 Hz you get 12 (this statement does need verification though).

Ignoring that for the moment, have any of you seasoned players ever played around with this, and what is your experience and preference. I do know that some people have used different pitches so that their singing voice was more inline with the songs being sung.

Assumption is that we are talking about 5 string banjos in G tuning.

Perfect Pitch

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:14:27 CST

Does having "perfect pitch" have any musical value?

I know when instruments or voices are out of or in tune,but that's a different thing,I guess.

Please explain the I, IV, V thing to me

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:41:04 CST

Need some help with this concept.

Thanks

Steven

Hard Day's Night: The First Chord

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:45:35 CST

Revealed by Randy Bachman visiting Abbey Road Studios, London. Listen - you'll love it!

http://web.me.com/mlutthans/Site_68/Welcome.html

AA BB A1B1 AA - Does this mean what I think?

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 8 Dec 2011 11:00:52 CST

I don't mean to ask such a silly question as I think I know the answer but I want to be sure.

I see that the songs are broken into sections labeled A, B, A1, B1, etc.

I see this pattern AA BB A1B1 AA or something similar on the tab arrangements in a Tony Ellis book I just bought...

Does this mean that one playing the song would play the A part twice, B part twice, A1 part once , B1 part once and then play the A part twice to finish?

my first attempt at learning a song by ear..

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 08:35:23 CST

Last weekend I decided to step into the terrifying world of learning a song by ear without tab or chords to reference. So I worked on the A part of Forked Deer (probably not the best song to start with) for a few hours trying to transcribe the notes that a fiddle player played on youtube.

First I figured out the key and chord progression and then proceeded to try and figure it out note for note. This was tough, I worked on it off and on Saturday and Sunday and finally felt confident that it was at least close.

Yesterday I found a sheet music version for fiddle and compared it to my transcription and was of course disappointed. The first two measures were perfect but the rest was off. Each of the remaining measures contained some correct notes and some incorrect. This is discouraging though because when I play my version it honestly sounds decent to me. I found another sheet music version for fiddle this morning and compared it to the one from yesterday and it was just as different as my attempted transcription.

So what is going on here? Are there just a lot of variations of old songs like this? How can I know how close I am if every version is a little bit different? Does a song like this just have to be recognizable, or should it be note for note accurate? Should I even be trying to learn a song like this by ear or should I just have started with the fiddle sheet music and figured out a banjo arrangement from there? Thanks.

G melodic scale

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 2 Dec 2011 08:32:37 CST

When practicing the G melodic scale, should the left hand thumb be behind, or in front of the fifth string tuner? I've been practicing this for a while, and just noticed I do it both ways. As a new exercise, I want is most practical. Please Help.

G (9 fr.) Chord notation grrrrrrr

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:02:01 CST

I wonder what this means in guitar chord notation: G (9 fr.)

Modes?

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:27:32 CST

Could someone sum up for me in a nutshell what "modes" are in relation to scales in plain english? I'm learning my major and minor scales for banjo, and this term comes up from time to time. I'm sure I could just google it, but I'd rather hear it from a banjo picker!

counting quarter note triplets

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:54:43 CST

This has always been a tough one for me. I count 1/8th note triplets as: 1-trip-let, 2-trip-let, 3-trip-let, 4-trip-let.
So, that's easy, but do you have a simple way to count 1/4 note triplets?

Quarter note triplets have a great syncopated sound - like in the song "Crazy" - but I still don't have a way to count or clap them out for more than a half measure. Any help?

Rick

What is swing and what is bounce?

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:00:15 CST

As a part of an ongoing project to learn the banjo I went to the local music store today. There was a wonderful book available on Scott Joplin. Although written for the piano in standard music notation, I had a look. It did not look too bad, nothing complicated or fussy. I think I could have played these tunes on my tenor banjo - if I had bought the book. There were some interesting notes on beats per minute and many of the tunes were around 120 beats per minute. I also noticed something else. Each tune had comments which read march, bounce or swing. I had heard of swing before but have no knowledge about it. Can anyone give me an explanation of what is a march, bounce or swing or perhaps a link to some examples?

Beats per minute

eric@banjohangout.org — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:20:03 CST

The question is simple. So simple that I need to add a few words to make it look bigger than it is but a question I feel should be asked. What are the recommended beats per minute? I ask this because I saw on television yesterday (the day my television died and left me lonely) a bird watcher. He was enthusiastically pointing at a bird and said, 'It tweets at 127 beats per minute, 127 disco heaven' or something very close to it. He then went on to say that 127 beats per minute is the optimum for dance music which set my thoughts in motion. I guess we all like to play fast but I had never considered an optimum level for beats per minute. I thought to ask the BHO, what are the recommended beats per minute?

The Black Keys

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:02:45 CST

All you guys (and gals) who improvise blues based on the minor pentatonic scale will find this clip interesting: http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=1312

Enjoy!

I was wondering how you could produce pentatonic scales using only the black keys so I drew up the following figure:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/guitarandbanjo/black.jpg

Rick

Music recogntion software

eric@banjohangout.org — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:50:54 CST

Has NE1 had experience with the above topic? If, so, which software works best and gives the most faithful reproductions? I have tried WIDI, largely with little success. Theoretically, it supposedly analyzes the Mp3 or wav, then attempts, using advanced sensors(whatever they are), to graph out the tune, which can then be converted to MIDI. That all sounds well and good. However when you use tabledit , which is supposed to have the capability of Importing MIDI, you wind up with an elaborate display of gibberish. The idea, of course, is to, ultimately convert sounds into tablature. I'm not sure if technology has brought us far enough along to do this accurately. Other similar programs i have tried unsuccessfully are TS audio, Sibelius.

G Major Harmonized Scale - Neck Diagram(s) & Tablature...

eric@banjohangout.org — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:28:34 CST

See attached diagram...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

Beginning Banjo Roll Instruction Sheets - Double Thumb Roll

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:50:10 CST

These are the sheets I have used for years... to get folks new to the banjo, playing something that sounds 'banjo-ey' with the smallest amount of effort... A.S.A.P.

Just some easy rolls with alternating bass, slides, hammers, pull-offs and chokes that build on one another... to build banjo skills...

I'll be adding more sheets to this collection as time goes by...

I do work out of the standard banjo tutorials... but these sheets get people playing very quickly... and builds up their finger strength and coordination for rolls without wearing out their brains in the process...

Usually a good thing in the beginning stages...

I also provide these sorts of learning aids, free of charge... so that's another little umph for them to enjoy... I figure they're paying enough $$$ for the lesson time...

See attached PDF'd Beginning Banjo Roll Sheets...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

Open Position Chord Diagrams in G...

eric@banjohangout.org — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:11:19 CST

I did the following open position chord diagrams in Inkscape... a top-notch illustration program that is free...

Joe Downes pointed this program out to me... thanks again to Joe!

See attached PDF file...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

Steps and Half Steps - Banjo Neck Diagram Worksheet

eric@banjohangout.org — Tue, 8 Nov 2011 09:12:05 CST

I use these types of illustrated worksheets to help students of any fretted instrument visualize and find the natural notes names on the fret board.

The benefit of doing this is enabling the student to find the root notes of chords and scales.

Just print the sheet out and use pencil or pen to write in, manually, the note names on each string.

Remember, the note combinations b-c and e-f will always be on adjacent frets.

If you have any questions, I or anyone else who knows, can answer your questions...

* * *

I will also be posting neck diagrams with the actual note placements on the necks for reference in figuring out chord inversions and scale locations.

In the mean time, check out the following PDF'd banjo neck, "Step and Half Step" worksheet.

These are being provided for everyone and anyone to use freely...

See attched PDF...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

Banjo Scale Finder

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 7 Nov 2011 23:36:48 CST

Hi Guy's

I bought the Hal Leonard - Banjo Scale Finder by Chad Johnson when I bought my first banjo some three and a half years ago... When I got home I flicked through the pages one time then stuck away in my bookcase where it's been until today... When I flicked through the pages once again.. The book isn't heavy on theory maybe half a dozen pages and the rest of the book is just scales. Pages and pages of them.....

Goodness.. NO...... I am not contemplating sitting down to learn all these scales but I was thinking that maybe I should learn a couple at least...

Does anyone out there use this book and if so which scales should I focus on.

Blank Neck Diagrams for Guitar...

eric@banjohangout.org — Mon, 7 Nov 2011 09:41:07 CST

For you banjo players who also play or teach guitar...

This is just the beginning of the types of practical and useful chord diagram charts I use for my own teaching needs...

Hopefully others will be able to use them as well...

I will be putting some together for the banjo also...

Thanks to Joe Downes for pointing me in the direction of "Inkscape"... the FREE illustration program...

See attched PDF file...

Print all you like...

Tom

www.banjotom2.com

chord question

eric@banjohangout.org — Wed, 2 Nov 2011 04:08:00 CST

OK. You’re holding an F shape chord on the banjo anywhere on the neck. You take your index finger (which is minding its own business on the second string) and move it one fret south (toward the rim) so that your index finger is on the same fret as your middle finger – middle finger on the third string and index on the second string,

What chord is this?

Thanks,

Lew