Rich Weill - Posted - 02/24/2008:  14:01:02

I'm looking for feedback from players who have tried the techniques John discusses in these DVD's. I wasn't advanced enough to make use of them when I first got the DVD's, but now it's been a couple of years, and I'm taking a second look. He talks about (or demonstrates) a lot interesting stuff: how to emphasize and phrase the melody (while deemphasizing notes that the other instruments will supply just as well), some specific backup techniques, various licks and runs that work behind any chord, a fascinating pull-off technique, and lots more. And if the DVD moves a little too fast in spots, it comes with a tabbed-out version of everything John is playing.

I suspect there is tremendous potential value in all of this -- but that it will take a lot of time to integrate. John Hartford's banjo style was a bit unconventional. [I didn't realize just how unconventional it was until I watched these DVD's.] So before I set off down that path, I wondered if there were others who worked on these techniques and could offer some feedback.

Thanks.

plunka5 - Posted - 02/24/2008:  19:13:48

I have these dvds as well. I got them for instructional reasons (I love Hartford's style), and performance value as well. Any opportunity that entails watching Hartford perform or give instruction is well-worth the price paid. I came to the conclusion that a lot of the material he discusses while valueable, is way above my head for the reasons that I think are related to his background as a multi-instrumentalist. He relates melody very well on the banjo because of his expertise as an excellent fiddle player as well. If you listen to a lot of Hartford, or have seen him perform live very many times this becomes very obvious. He will perform any of his tunes on either instrument, (fiddle or banjo) with equal expertise. He has been around so many talented individuals and yet carved out his own unique style. When he talks about backing up the fiddler or vocalist, he's hearing all those things in his mind. He doesn't have to make the mistakes we make when trying to do the same thing. I would say listen to anything that he has played on, and try to hear the "fills". Btw, this is just my opinion for sure, for I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination!!!

my hand is out of tune...hold on a second...

Edited by - plunka5 on 02/24/2008 19:15:15

Rich Weill - Posted - 03/20/2008:  16:14:55

If you watch this video -- at about the 1:50 mark -- you'll see a demonstration of John's "slide whistle lick," a formation he discussed at length on his "Banjo According to" DVD, which he maintained could be used to follow the melody under any chord: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOA86MeCrro

wildboar - Posted - 03/20/2008:  17:02:00

I just watched these DVDs over the past couple days, and I too am wondering which techniques I'll end up incorporating into my repertoir. As John refers to in the beginning of the video, this is a lesson in how HE plays banjo... and I doubt you will find many of these techniques discussed on any other DVD.

CageyK - Posted - 03/20/2008:  22:20:19

Hey Rich,

Thanks so much for posting the YouTube link to the John Hartford video.

Anyone wanting to learn about banjo backup (among many other things) should watch this seriew of video clips.

CageyK

Rich Weill - Posted - 03/20/2008:  23:07:15

The more I watch Hartford's banjo playing -- and examine the tab that accompanies his DVD's -- the more I wonder if his style was too unorthodox to be copied, or even borrowed from significantly. He said himself that he played a lot of 2-finger banjo, and the tab bears this out.

CageyK - Posted - 03/20/2008:  23:18:11

The thing that JUMPED out at me watching this videos was the range of dynamics he demonstrated when accompanying his singing.

At a recent BG/OT festival in Minnesota (MBOTMA), there were several times banjo playing announcers and MC's mentioned the importance of other banjo players to NOT PLAY LOUDLY when someone else has the break. Appraently, these more-than-several experts were detecting a common problem of banjo players playing accompaniement too loudly (and being complained / joked about by other instrumentalists--I got the impression this was not unique to this weekend festival).

In this respect, John Hartford's playing in these videos is very helpful. Some of his accompaniement is so soft as to be barely audible over his voice, and simple at times, too. And at other times, espciailly during fills or breaks, his volume is "break" loud.

I thought it was neat to see such a demonstration, and for me at least, an effective teaching point was made.

CageyK

Edited by - CageyK on 03/20/2008 23:20:11

rwkuta - Posted - 03/21/2008:  11:15:14

I have both DVD's as well. I love them and John Hartford's style, music and mojo. What I took away from them are his great control of the tone of his banjo. Subtle, loud, sweet, mellow, driving, soft, he has it all.

Another technique he uses which I'm struggling with ......he has passages that utilize the fifth string on almost every other note and my thumb has a hard time time getting up there for every other note. It's almost like a clawhammer thing

The slide whistle lick part of the DVD is also really neat and unique. He demonstrates playing a chromatic scale over any arrangement ........and you get hear how "it works" Then he demostrates how he created these chromatic licks to play over just about anything. He then uses slide whistle licks in Aereo Plane and Ol Time Riverman and you realy get to see and hear how they fit into a song. While I haven't gotten proficient using these licks I have played them with other musicians and they really sound good. The fingerings can be a real stretch but like anything it gets better with practice. The hardest part of the licks are the finger streches and the awkward rolls. And I say awkard only because for me they're awkward.

If you are a Hartford fan I highly recommend both DVDs.

"Obsession is a great subsitute for talent" Steve Martin
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists...5033&alid=-1
www.myspace.com/rwkuta