olderisbetter - Posted - 04/08/2007:  20:56:42

i was wondering if anybody has ever tried transcribing leadbelly songs to the banjo. i have a generic version of pick a bail of cotton down so far.

brokenstrings - Posted - 04/08/2007:  21:02:45

I think "Whoa Back, Buck" might work well. I've seen "The Grey Goose," "John Hardy," "John Henry" and one or two others arranged for banjo, not necessarily in Leadbelly's style. Seems to me you'd want to get in some of Leadbelly's powerful bass runs to get the right feeling. To do which you might have to let some of your fifth-string chimes fall by the wayside.

Jessy

Frailaway, ladies, frailaway!

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 04/08/2007:  21:49:12

When the Weavers did Irene, Pete Seeger played banjo on it. Their version wasn't really in Leadbelly's style, but you don't have to copy songs identically to capture the feeling of them. In the Leadbelly recording I have of John Hardy, he plays it on concertina. I don't have anything else he played on concertina.I also have two versions of Eagle Rocks he plays on piano. He may have played other instruments as well. Some folks can make music from anything you hand them. Them's the ones that inspire us to try.



"As I see it, every newborn should be issued a banjo." .....Linus

Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 04/08/2007 21:50:00

twhite54 - Posted - 04/08/2007:  21:51:27

i'd love to hear rock island line worked up some how...

"she'd her apron wrapped about her and i took her for a swan..."
that's my story and i'm stickin' to it...

"ya got time to breathe, ya got time fer music"...Briscoe Darling


ethel the wonder basset

banjo_brad - Posted - 04/08/2007:  21:58:59

I do "Stewball."

It's kinda neat - 3/4 time with an Em and an Am in it.

Brad


"Banjos and Fiddles and Guitars, Oh My!" (me)
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/5
www.PricklyPearMusic.net

ndlxs - Posted - 04/09/2007:  09:04:42

See the other thread I commented on; I played When I was a Cowboy in aDACD tuning.

I have always wanted to arrange "House of the Rising Son", the Leadbelly ragtimey version, not the Animals version too.

Andy Alexis
Sacramento, California
"The Pearl of the Central Valley"
Buy my CDs:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/pineycreek
and
http://www.offtocalifornia.com

chasgrav - Posted - 04/09/2007:  12:37:25

I do a version of 'John Hardy' in G-tuning based on Leadbelly's recording. I also do 'Jaybird Town' and 'Jean Harlow'. Lots of his stuff would work very well on banjo, though. Thanks for the thought!

banjozane - Posted - 04/09/2007:  12:42:18

Tom Brad and Alice's Album: Carve Dat Possum has a version of "Whoa Back Buck" on it. Good Stuff...

Bluegrass Rocks, but Old-Time Rules!

Boxcar - Posted - 04/10/2007:  20:09:02

Mike Seeger does a version of Old Man Can your Dog Catch A Rabbit. it's a great version. he does it in either 2-finger or clawhammer. He uses the tuning f#ADad with his 3rd and fourth tuned real low.

Blake