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GS - Posted - 08/03/2024: 09:18:07
Hope all's well with you all. Please bear in mind I'm new to banjo and from a pretty non-existent banjo playing place. I've become very enamoured with Roscoe Holcomb, especially his playing on Wayfaring Stranger (particularly the version on the Mountain Music of Kentucky cd). I have read the archived posts regarding Roscoe, but nothing, as far as I can see, regarding Wayfaring Stranger. I was wondering the following...
what tuning, what type of banjo is used, how is it being played?
is there a tab - even a simple one - to try and learn this song, two finger (if that's what it is)?
I'd welcome any thoughts at all on this, I just love it!
Regards
GS
mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 08/03/2024: 10:20:26
tune up a fret and practice this
Edited by - mmuussiiccaall on 08/03/2024 10:23:51
GS - Posted - 08/03/2024: 10:39:07
quote:
Originally posted by mmuussiiccaall
tune up a fret and practice this
Thanks for your reply. I will indeed give it a go! Would I be correct in thinking that the thumb is playing strings 5, 4 and the index is playing 1 (first notes of each of the two bars) and count 3 of the second bar? Is it thumb lead? I've not seen tab like this before, it looks weird! Like I said, I'm a beginner. Regards
mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 08/03/2024: 11:18:43
yep it's strange, my conjecture would be to thumb anything on strings 3,4 or 5
DerekGoodman - Posted - 08/03/2024: 23:48:53
You have probably seen this thread but just in case it passed you by-
banjohangout.org/topic/398588/#5050915
No Wayfarering Stranger but definitely worth a read
Edited by - DerekGoodman on 08/03/2024 23:49:12
GS - Posted - 08/04/2024: 01:43:42
quote:
Originally posted by DerekGoodman
You have probably seen this thread but just in case it passed you by-
banjohangout.org/topic/398588/#5050915
No Wayfarering Stranger but definitely worth a read
Morning Derek!
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I had seen the thread and downloaded the pdf but haven't read it as yet. Have a fine Sunday
janolov - Posted - 08/04/2024: 12:08:30
I think his playing is more like the following. Itr is typical thumb lead with pinches. I think you should focus on playing single strings. Roscoe seems to play hard and hit other strings with both thumb and index, but I think it sounds better to avoid picking double strings.
RG - Posted - 08/05/2024: 16:49:46
Roscoe definitely played thumb lead, he used to thumb the first string quite often as well, you can hear it in his playing, he used a TTI pattern like the beginning of "Single Girl." His style and playing is a favorite of mine.
Bart Veerman - Posted - 08/05/2024: 18:52:49
quote:
Originally posted by mmuussiiccaall
tune up a fret and practice this
this tab could easily be the way Ralph Stanley would have 3-fingered it as it's just the alternating thumb roll + a pinch 
Edited by - Bart Veerman on 08/05/2024 18:54:59
