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nhigdon11 - Posted - 12/15/2024: 12:13:01
My daughter has recently picked up the guitar and really enjoys playing contemporary Christian music. This has encouraged me to pickup my banjo after 15 years of looking at it. In the past, i have tried scruggs style. I have mostly pickup songs from tabs. I still consider myself a novice.
Anyway, i am looking for suggestions on how to play songs with her when there are no tabs available for these newer songs.
davidppp - Posted - 12/15/2024: 12:35:24
You or your daughter should call out the chords Nashville-style, i.e., I for the tonic (the first note in the scale), IV, V7, VIm, etc. To get into the same key as the guitar, capo one, the other, or both; different tuning is allowed. For starters, I would go for bum-ditty or bum-dittty-ditty, but forward rolls would be OK, too.
It'll open whole new horizons.
Old Hickory - Posted - 12/15/2024: 13:58:11
What David said.
Playing banjo to songs you've never played, regardless of genre, begins with the chords. Rather than your daughter calling out the chords, you having a chord chart is a better way to go -- whether the chart is lyrics and chords or just chords by measure and whether the chords are by letter name or Nashville Number. All that matters is it's a chart you can read and that tells you accurately when the chords change.
Then it's a matter of applying the things already you know to the chords in this song. If all you can do is play in G, then you should learn how to use a capo so you can play certain keys (I'd say A through C) "as if" in G. If you know how to play in C without capo, then using capo gives you the keys of D, E and F which you play as if in C. Key of F, however, works nicely in G tuning with no capo. Learning C and D without capo is a big help. Point is: if you're not comfortable or able to play a song in the key in which your daughter need to sing it, you have to use a capo so you can play it elsewhere on the neck as if in a key you're able to play.
The point about applying what you know is that everything you already know how to do on any chord in any song will work on the same chord in any other song. OK, there may be slight differences related to context. For example, licks and phrases you do on a G chord in key of G (where it's the "one" chord, the home sounding chord of the key) may need an adjustment at the last note when used on a G chord in the keys of C or D (where it's the five and four, and so what comes next is functionally different and can sound different). I can't go into every situation. You'll have to develop your ear. This is one of those aspects of music theory that many ear players know without knowing they know theory.
Use the rolls, pinches, chord vamping you know. Any way you know how to make musical sounds on the banjo. Then do those on the chords in whatever song you're trying to play.
This is trial and error. There's no one way and no formula. Too many people approach this by asking what roll to use. How do we know? Use the one that fits the rhythm, tempo and timing of the song. That, again, means trust your ear.
If you're able to learn songs from tab, I'd suggest searching for tabs of songs from outside bluegrass. Work on them to get a sense for how banjo is applied in songs that by their nature sound different than straight-ahead bluegrass. If you can find recordings of songs in your genre that use banjo, listen to them. Even if the songs are not available in tab, hearing what the banjo is doing will be informative. Try to work it out. Transcribing from records is a tremendously valuable skill. If you can't do it, consider finding a teacher who might be able to work out things for you to do on the songs you want to play. Depending on how fast a learner you are, you might not need very many lessons.
Good luck.
Texasbanjo - Posted - 12/15/2024: 14:44:11
As long as you play a rhythm guitar, you don't have to get fancy with it. Just a boom, chuck rhythm works well on most any song. If you want to work on a few riffs up and down to play at the end of a song, that's not difficult to figure out or learn. The usual G, C, D runs always add to a song.
As far as melodies, try picking out the melodies when you're alone practicing. Just noodle around and see if you can find the melody notes to a song you know and know well.
If you can't pick out the melody, how about singing the song together, one of you lead and the other harmony. That's always fun.
Fathand - Posted - 12/15/2024: 19:40:39
Hopefully you daughter can play her songs in keys like G and C that are simple on the banjo to get you started.
If you daughter is strumming guitar and one or both of you are singing you can follow chords and play a simple TITM pattern and add a lot to the sound. Keep it simple, do not try to play tabbed solos while someone is singing or if your daughter is playing one on guitar.
mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 12/16/2024: 12:21:36
The use of banjo in contemporary Christian music is usually relegated to rolling over the first and the fifth notes of the key in order to provide a droning effect. In other words, they’re not looking for you to change their sound into the bluegrass or old-time genres.
Texasbanjo - Posted - 12/16/2024: 14:20:15
Gee, I misread your post and thought you were the one playing guitar. My mistake.
Gospel music is usually very easy to play on banjo. You can find many tabs in our tab archive for various gospel songs. Might check that out and see if any are of use to you.
Otherwise, just vamp or roll the chords, slide into a root note and finish off with either a roll or vamps. You can still do hot licks at the end of a musical phrase.
And meanwhile, find the song(s), lyric(s) and chord(s) to some of the songs you want to play and try to pick out just the melody notes. If you get those right, then you can add a few frills like slides, hammers pulls, etc.
mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 12/16/2024: 15:33:00
quote:
Originally posted by Texasbanjo
Gee, I misread your post and thought you were the one playing guitar. My mistake.
Gospel music is usually very easy to play on banjo. You can find many tabs in our tab archive for various gospel songs. Might check that out and see if any are of use to you.
Otherwise, just vamp or roll the chords, slide into a root note and finish off with either a roll or vamps. You can still do hot licks at the end of a musical phrase.
And meanwhile, find the song(s), lyric(s) and chord(s) to some of the songs you want to play and try to pick out just the melody notes. If you get those right, then you can add a few frills like slides, hammers pulls, etc.
I guess you still have to reread the initial post, he's not playing gospel
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