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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/59427
N8116B - Posted - 08/04/2006: 10:48:41
My wife, the guitar player, has been really getting to playing the blues lately. She was doing soe stuff in A and I capoed up and was just playing some rythem stuff with her. But I was wondering if anyone has some hints for the 'clawhammer blues' as it would be fun to play a bit more with her.
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Scott
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Instruments:
1. Bart Reiter Galax
2. Deering Goodtime Special (looking for a new home)
vrteach - Posted - 08/04/2006: 10:59:54
There was a very long-lived topic on this a while back which may have some hints. Mostly, as I recall, it had examples of people who played bluesy things, not much advice on how to do it. But my memory may be poor.
http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...PIC_ID=52622
Erich
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http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/index.php
farka - Posted - 08/04/2006: 12:14:46
f#DF#AD. Vestapol tuning will do amazing things within the blues sound. G and A are nice, but that "D" tuning is where the mournful sound comes from. Doc Watson uses this tuning on "Ruben's Train."
Two things jump right out... well, three. Get a copy of "Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia." The music on it predates the blues, but is the essential root and has a ton of great tunes to add to both your repetoirs. Second, but probably more immediately helpful: IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PURCHASE EVERY GUS CANNON AND MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS RECORD YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON. The at-home record "Walk Right In" is as good for banjo blues as anything you can find. Cannon up picks, but in the context of guitar/banjo blues it'd be difficult (I'd imagine) to maintain pure thumping.
Third, though he is classified country, pay close attention to Charlie Poole. Again, he has kind of an up pick/guitarish strum thing going on, but his chording is what is interesting. I believe he played in a "C" tuning though for blues "D" is helpful, and he employed a very simple 7th and just slid that pattern up the fretboard I-IV-V. Completely impractical for solo playing, but in an ensemble it is a great way for the banjo not to thump its way out of the room when not playing old time tunes. I hope that helps some. If it doesn't, I suggest whiskey.
"Banjo players spend half of their lives tuning and the other half playing out of tune."
Richard - Posted - 08/05/2006: 06:28:03
If you learn some 'open G' licks on blues guitar, you can quite easily transfer to banjo. A lot of slide blues ( bottleneck as opposed to dobro / lap style) would sound really cool on fretless banjo, i would think. There are a fair few instructional dvds on these subjects, so they might be a starting point. or, search on the web and get some stuff for free. Just subtract a couple of strings and you're set. I play bottleneck guitar as well as banjo, and the two support each other quite well.
Richard
"There is nothing whatsoever that does not become easier with acquaintance" - Santideva
see my band UPDATED and IMPROVED SITE ! http://www.geocities.com/bottleneck...atitude.html
brian2 - Posted - 08/05/2006: 08:39:52
Lots of bends, solos based loosly off of bluesy scales, etc. Listen to Doc Watson's "Country Blues".
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Edited by - brian2 on 08/05/2006 08:40:16
zorki1 - Posted - 08/09/2006: 06:27:09
Try th site, click on Frank Lee at the bottom. Then click on banjo,he plays a couple of blues tunes on banjo and uses a slide on one.
http://greatsmokymountains.tv/music.htm
writerrad - Posted - 03/28/2007: 14:05:55
Frank Lee is a great slide blues guitar player. Folks who know him say he is a better slide guitarist than banjoist and he is pretty damned good banjoist. he has thought about the issue of slide and fretless banjos because we exchanged about this on another forum. He is certainly someone to listen to. In fact you just sold me his album based on wht you write and what I know
Tony Thomas, a black banjo player