Nick Hornbuckle - Posted - 02/10/2014:  16:04:37

Hi folks,

 Here is an arrangement of 'The Yellow Barber' in open F tuning-fDGCD. Sounds kind of nice there.....and yes, it is cold up here in the Great White North! Nick

VIDEO: The Yellow Barber (F) (click to view)

tonwil - Posted - 02/11/2014:  05:22:20

Very nice. And that banjo sounds great!

bhniko - Posted - 02/11/2014:  13:47:44

Superb...and just wait till your fingers thaw out.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 02/11/2014:  20:59:17

Has a remarkably Irish feel to it.  Most enjoyable.

Paul Roberts - Posted - 02/13/2014:  19:58:13

Yes, yes and more yes! 

I've listened several times and really dig it.

Lovely ringing tone.

Articulated with marvelous precision.

JanetB - Posted - 02/14/2014:  17:53:49

Wondrous 2-finger picking, Nick, on a tune I hope to learn soon. Thanks!

Banjowen - Posted - 02/15/2014:  03:06:41

Superb playing....

Jonny5 - Posted - 02/15/2014:  11:20:37

Enjoyed this. Love your tab book/CD with all the different tunings I bought at Shady Grove festival. It's a lovely approach to the old time sound.

guitarman8491 - Posted - 02/15/2014:  11:30:00

Really nice playing to a very wonderful song! Great job.

BlowingRockNC - Posted - 02/15/2014:  12:03:38

quote:

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Originally posted by JanetB

Wondrous 2-finger picking, Nick, on a tune I hope to learn soon. Thanks!

---

Janet, I gather then that the 2-finger style used here is the way to play 2-finger style? It seems a tad different from what I had understood, but I don't know much of anything on the subject, as I'm just starting to work on developing a 2-finger style as an alternative/addition to my normal style, which is not really a recognized style (3-finger, but not really OT 3-finger, and certainly not Scruggs' 3-finger). I could really follow this tune, and that's very helpful, as it was done a little more slowly than much of what I've watched, thus making it easier to duplicate. Anyway, you're an expert at this, and so I'm wondering if you feel that this is a good way to go about 2-finger OT? By the way, this isn't meant to suggest that Nick isn't an expert too.

Edited by - BlowingRockNC on 02/15/2014 12:04:46

banjo bill-e - Posted - 02/15/2014:  13:23:57

To Bill, from another Bill. I'm not Janet, or Nick, but I'm going to answer anyway! Nick has his own style. He was an accomplished Bluegrass 3-finger player and now is an accomplished Bluegrass 2-finger player who also appreciates some Old Time styles and has developed his own way of approaching them. So, Nick's two-finger style is pretty much unique to him.
I have his tab book with CD and enjoy it very much. My two-finger style is different but there is much great info in Nick's book and it has expanded my techniques and approach quite a lot. I used to be strictly thumb-lead, now I'm mostly thumb-lead but with some often-needed help from my first finger to get melody notes on the first and second string.
I would say that Nick is more advanced than *most* two-finger players, which is what you would expect from a top Bluegrass player. So well worth checking out but perhaps not the easiest or most intuitive approach for a beginner.
Bill

BlowingRockNC - Posted - 02/15/2014:  13:46:37

Bill, thanks for your comments. I felt like there was something a little different, but I just wasn't sure because I'm not all well versed in 2-finger OT style. On the other hand, I actually found his way of doing it to be easier for me. Go figure!

JanetB - Posted - 02/15/2014:  16:16:30

quote:

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Originally posted by BlowingRockNC

quote:

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Originally posted by JanetB

Wondrous 2-finger picking, Nick, on a tune I hope to learn soon. Thanks!

---

Anyway, you're an expert at this, and so I'm wondering if you feel that this is a good way to go about 2-finger OT? By the way, this isn't meant to suggest that Nick isn't an expert too.

---

Actually, I don't play a 2-finger picking style, but I've seen Nick perform both 2 and 3-finger picking, so I know how good he is.  Ask Nick any questions you might have.  He's an excellent teacher with his own instructional materials.

I listened to Buddy Thomas' fiddling of this tune (considered one of the source recordings) and Nick's.  I'm going to learn from Nick's video instead!

Nick Hornbuckle - Posted - 02/16/2014:  16:38:16

Hi folks,

 Wow..thanks for all the nice words! Step away from the computer for just a couple of days.....! To those who may be interested I will briefly illustrate my approach.

 I realize I am neither fish nor fowl in terms of the seemingly never ending Bluegrass vs. Old Time tussle, and I don't really have a dog in that fight. I just try to play these old tunes in a way that keeps the melody, sounds 'banjo-y' to me, and is easy to play.

 I know that I don't play two finger style the 'right' way, but I try to get the sounds I hear in my head out of the banjo. This might mean using an alternating T/I or, I might need to use a 'forward' roll-TTI, or.... anything to get the sound and sequence of notes that sound right to me. I really like to use hammer ons and pulloffs, often as 'ghost' HO/PO, to articulate certain notes or phrases. I also use a lot different tunings and try to get a legato, sustained sound....but only when I want it!

 From my days as a three finger picker, it became apparent to me that a lot of players were kind of on auto pilot and not really listening to what was coming out the front of their banjos, just defaulting to standard rolls, licks, etc. To me, this is the antithesis of Earl Scruggs' style. Mr. Scruggs had huge ears, figuratively, and not one tiny detail escaped his attention....this is one of the reasons he is so revered. I think it is very important to think outside of the box and play what you think sounds good, which may or may not be what the 'style' you play in 'allows'. I can't imagine Mr. Scruggs worrying too much about playing Scruggs' style the 'right' way!

 Anyway, the soapbox is going back under the bed..thanks for your patience if you've made it this far...!

Paul Roberts - Posted - 02/16/2014:  17:44:35

Well, you've really hit something with this tune.