Mirek Patek - Posted - 12/08/2010:  00:28:29

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Holiday season is coming so the "lost art" of chord-melody pinched by TIM fingers is resuscitated for the sake of Christmas carols. Yes, this observation can be evidenced by the frequency of chord-melody tabs in the Banjo Newsletter, which peaks always in December.

However, in my 100+ BNL issues from last 15 years (not complete, but probably representative collection), I have found nothing but one article specifically discussing the right hand patterns which could enrich the obvious techniques of TIM pinches or whatever strums. It is Jack Hatfield's article in BNL November 1997 (pp. 22-23) with the tab of Pinch/Roll Solo for Greensleeves.

So - I wrote down my simple approach which uses (in addition to TIM pinches) nothing but two common vamping patterns. First pattern fills the gap in case of half note chord-melody, the second one syncopates (shifts) the melody off the beat - and they work very well especially in combination (also as a kind of rhytmic fill-in lick). Look at banjosessions.com/?p=130 . There are no successive strokes by the same right hand fingers, so this approach is useful for quicker tempos too. Comments below that article are welcome (thanks!).

How do YOU syncopate/enrich the chord-melody arrangements?

Mirek

g3zdm - Posted - 12/08/2010:  03:29:55

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That's a great progression, bulit up in stages, from straight chord melody to something more interesting.
How about including a 5 string banjo version of the Captain Kidd tablature ?

Mirek Patek - Posted - 12/09/2010:  09:47:11

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quote:

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Originally posted by g3zdm

How about including a 5 string banjo version of the Captain Kidd tablature ?

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Sorry, I do not play 5-string banjo - you have to find your 5-string voicings.

quote:

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Originally posted by g3zdm

That's a great progression, bulit up in stages, from straight chord melody to something more interesting.

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Thanks!

The fourth pattern [in addition to TIM pinch, TI(TM) and T(IM)T vamping patterns from banjosessions.com/?p=130 ] could be the TI(TM)(IM) pattern shown in the thread banjohangout.org/topic/141004/2

You can see how it evolves from TI(TM) vamping pattern:

  TI(TM) pattern   Add 2nd Index   Double the M
------0-------0--|----0-------0--|----0-0-----0-0|-
----0-------0----|--0---0---0---0|--0---0---0---0|-
--0---0---0---0--|0---0---0---0--|0---0---0---0--|-
-----------------|---------------|---------------|-
(----------------|---------------|---------------|-)
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
      M       M       M       M       M M     M M 
  T I T   T I T   T I T I T I T I T I T I T I T I

This pattern enables to play eighth notes of the chord-melody.

I am copying here also the example of mixing the TI(TM)(IM) and T(IM)T patterns:

                    T(IM)T                              T(IM)T
--------0-0-----0-0|--0-----0-0----|0-0-----0-0----|0-0---0-----0-0|
------0---0---0---0|--0---0---0---0|--0---0---0---0|--0---0---0---0|
----0---0---0---0--|0---0---0---0--|0---0---0---0--|0---0---0---0--|
-------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
(------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|)
    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

Mirek

Frisco Fred - Posted - 12/11/2010:  18:27:24

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Thanks, those are some clear explainations of timing for this musically illiterate BHO member...

Mirek Patek - Posted - 12/18/2010:  06:05:09

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I have received this question via e-mail:

quote:

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I read your article in Banjo Sessions about "chord melody" banjo playing for the 5-string. You covered the right hand but said the left hand was not going to be covered. I would like to know how you pick the chords to play with this style. I have seen banjo tabs done this way and find it very interesting but find little info on how the chords are picked. Can you direct me to another article or column that explains how the correct chords are chosen.

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Not being 5-string banjo player myself, I am not aware about any tutorial for selection of chord-melody voicings for 5-string banjo. Google search revealed some pages for tenor banjo in CGda tuning, but nothing for 5-string banjo...

Any advice for that 5-string banjo player?

Thanks
Mirek