stomapicker - Posted - 11/08/2020:  06:11:10

Please forgive me my ignorance, but I just heard someone play jingle bells with "chimes" ( Jim Pankey maybe?) and I'm intrigued.
When I great googlie mooglied it I only found one reference and that clip showed using side of finger as a bar, not on an individual string, and really offered no true instruction on the whole technique ((sorry, no offense intended to the poster of said clip) I have no teacher, no musical past, I'm just trying to figure this whole banjo thing out the best I can . Now I don't t even have my dog to be my one fan as we had to help him into his forever sleep recently. I couldn't pick up my banjo for 3 months, but I started again 3 days ago. My brain couldn't remember squat, but my fingers found their own way after just a couple false starts.
Back to the point. These Chimes interest me, and I need something new to keep my mind off the empty spot by my practice chair.
Thanks,
Russ.

thisoldman - Posted - 11/08/2020:  06:47:18

Have you ever checked the intonation of your banjo using harmonics? Same idea. I'll try to explain my approach to chimes. You touch a string (or strings)  LIGHTLY with your (fretting hand) finger and strike the string with your picking finger. It's "feel" thing, to get just the right amount of pressure on the string to let it sound out and not choke it off.  Here is Mike Hedding  lesson on harmonics.   And here is a LOTW  clip from John Boulding.

banjoy - Posted - 11/08/2020:  06:50:55

Chimes are fun to do and easy to play. I hope these help explain the concept, and how to achieve chimes. Two very brief videos.

youtu.be/RLemBMNc8rs

youtu.be/QaTriqkF7Hs

Ira Gitlin - Posted - 11/08/2020:  06:52:41

Also important: The fretting-hand finger must be directly above the fret, not upstream of the fret (as you do when fretting normally).

stomapicker - Posted - 11/08/2020:  07:06:16

Thank you all for your quick response. When I have the time later today I will definitely go to all the above links and start trying to learn .
Thanks !!

J-Byrd - Posted - 11/08/2020:  07:48:22

I don’t believe that the place next to your practice chair is empty. You just are not able to see him for now. I have two that sit next to me. There used to be three. But I still feel his presence.

pat_mccarley - Posted - 11/09/2020:  08:48:36

You should take a look at the new version of Earl Scruggs' book on playing the 5 string banjo. He has a whole section on chimes. I took some photos of the key pages which I have attached below. Good luck!

Chimes 4

Chimes 3

Chimes 2

Chimes 1

Cover Earl's Book

 

stomapicker - Posted - 11/09/2020:  17:56:37

Thanks Pat, thank you Jacob.

I have been doing pretty well practicing these since yesterday, I think. I'm not getting the sound I would like, but I don't get that from hammer-ons either. I think my light synthetic material ac1 and my inexperience are working together to declare some limitations. But I don't believe in any such thing, so I'll keep on plugging, er...pickin'.

Joel Hooks - Posted - 11/09/2020:  19:37:57

Frank Bradbury did a fantastic job explaining both natural and artificial harmonics on banjo here...


archive.org/details/bradburymo.../mode/1up