OldPappy - Posted - 07/16/2024:  05:05:29

YPCT has just made this old favorite available again through the YPCT Bandcamp site. 

dwightdiller.bandcamp.com/albu...-banjo-96

 

Bob Buckingham - Posted - 07/16/2024:  06:23:52

Ole Dwight was quite the fellow and had a definitive banjo style. Glad to see this available again.

banjered - Posted - 07/16/2024:  06:42:06

What alteration in Dwight's bum-tit-ty timing made his sound so distinct? banjered

banjo bill-e - Posted - 07/16/2024:  06:54:14

That remains, for me, the high water mark of solo clawhammer recordings.

---edit--- actually, what I have is Just Banjo 99.

Edited by - banjo bill-e on 07/16/2024 06:55:12

OldPappy - Posted - 07/16/2024:  11:43:24

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjered

What alteration in Dwight's bum-tit-ty timing made his sound so distinct? banjered

---

Well, to start with, Dwight did not play a "bum-tit-ty" or "Bum-Dit-ty". He played what is properly called a "Double Thumb" stroke, which he often called a "Boom-A-Lac-Ca". Notice there are four parts of a Double Thumb stroke, and only three with the more common "Bum-Dit-Ty". For me, and many others, the evenness of the stroke makes learning the rhythm easier, and then syncopated rhythm emphasis can be made by the adjusting timing between each part of the stroke.

With the style Dwight played the hand comes down at a steep angle of attack, on the first stroke the note is stuck at the same time the thumb hooks on to the fifth string and is sounded when the hand is raised, the hand goes down on the second stoke for the brush, again the thumb catches the fifth string and sounds it when the hand is raise.

Dwight taught his students to get some snap into these strokes by letting the thumb stretch out so that the drone is sounded immediately before the next down stroke so that it doesn't ring out as an individual sound but becomes a modifier for the next note or brush. That is my best explanation of how he played, and what he taught.

If you want a better understanding of this his "Just Rhythm" instructional DVD is another project we are working on within YPCT, and will soon be available for download, and perhaps physical DVDs. We plan to have some of his material available at the Clifftop festival.

Edited by - OldPappy on 07/16/2024 11:53:19

OldPappy - Posted - 07/16/2024:  11:55:19

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjo bill-e

That remains, for me, the high water mark of solo clawhammer recordings.

---edit--- actually, what I have is Just Banjo 99.

---

Just Banjo 99 is the one I have. Just Banjo 96 has not been available for many years, and I think it is even better. Dwight was in his prime at that time.

DerekGoodman - Posted - 07/17/2024:  13:40:46

Just bought this, thanks for the recommendation!

Beautiful and exciting playing, plus the liner notes detailing that this 25 track album was recorded "between 3:20 pm and 6:10 pm on 26 June" is fantastic.

JollyRogers - Posted - 07/18/2024:  03:55:01

quote:

---

Originally posted by OldPappy

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjered

What alteration in Dwight's bum-tit-ty timing made his sound so distinct? banjered

---

 

Well, to start with, Dwight did not play a "bum-tit-ty" or "Bum-Dit-ty". He played what is properly called a "Double Thumb" stroke, which he often called a "Boom-A-Lac-Ca". Notice there are four parts of a Double Thumb stroke, and only three with the more common "Bum-Dit-Ty". For me, and many others, the evenness of the stroke makes learning the rhythm easier, and then syncopated rhythm emphasis can be made by the adjusting timing between each part of the stroke.

With the style Dwight played the hand comes down at a steep angle of attack, on the first stroke the note is stuck at the same time the thumb hooks on to the fifth string and is sounded when the hand is raised, the hand goes down on the second stoke for the brush, again the thumb catches the fifth string and sounds it when the hand is raise.

Dwight taught his students to get some snap into these strokes by letting the thumb stretch out so that the drone is sounded immediately before the next down stroke so that it doesn't ring out as an individual sound but becomes a modifier for the next note or brush. That is my best explanation of how he played, and what he taught.

If you want a better understanding of this his "Just Rhythm" instructional DVD is another project we are working on within YPCT, and will soon be available for download, and perhaps physical DVDs. We plan to have some of his material available at the Clifftop festival.

---

Andy,

Like many, Dwight was and is still an inspiration.  I can't make Clifftop this year, but am interested in any instructional videos digital or DVD that may be released. Please feel free to contact me when they are released.  I have all his music that has been released via bandcamp or itunes.

DerekGoodman - Posted - 07/18/2024:  05:32:05

quote:

---

Originally posted by OldPappy

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjered

What alteration in Dwight's bum-tit-ty timing made his sound so distinct? banjered

---

 

Well, to start with, Dwight did not play a "bum-tit-ty" or "Bum-Dit-ty". He played what is properly called a "Double Thumb" stroke, which he often called a "Boom-A-Lac-Ca". Notice there are four parts of a Double Thumb stroke, and only three with the more common "Bum-Dit-Ty". For me, and many others, the evenness of the stroke makes learning the rhythm easier, and then syncopated rhythm emphasis can be made by the adjusting timing between each part of the stroke.

With the style Dwight played the hand comes down at a steep angle of attack, on the first stroke the note is stuck at the same time the thumb hooks on to the fifth string and is sounded when the hand is raised, the hand goes down on the second stoke for the brush, again the thumb catches the fifth string and sounds it when the hand is raise.

Dwight taught his students to get some snap into these strokes by letting the thumb stretch out so that the drone is sounded immediately before the next down stroke so that it doesn't ring out as an individual sound but becomes a modifier for the next note or brush. That is my best explanation of how he played, and what he taught.

If you want a better understanding of this his "Just Rhythm" instructional DVD is another project we are working on within YPCT, and will soon be available for download, and perhaps physical DVDs. We plan to have some of his material available at the Clifftop festival.

---

It's awesome that you're doing this, I hope you can get all his instructional works available for download. It would be a tremendous way to preserve his legacy.

OldPappy - Posted - 07/18/2024:  10:49:36

Dwight was a dear and close friend, more like a brother. We spoke on the phone several times a week for the last dozen years of his life, and I made the trip to his place at least 4 times a year. He and his lady friend Catherine travelled down to TN a couple of times to spend a week with us. Dwight was a big history buff and while here we visited some of the Civil war sites in the area, and spent a lot of time on the back porch playing music. On their first trip here we discovered that Catherine had never roasted hot dogs on a camp fire, which is something they don't do a lot of in England, so one night we built a camp fire in the back yard, roasted hot dogs and brats while Dwight played "Red Rooster" and other tunes which we sang around the fire. Fun was had by all.

I miss him greatly.

ceemonster - Posted - 07/18/2024:  12:44:07

I love this recording so much. Both of '96 and '99, actually.  OTOH, '99 really has the haunt factor, it's a tad slower.  They're both awesome.

Edited by - ceemonster on 07/18/2024 12:45:24