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Irish Tenor Banjo

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130 Members, Created 2/1/2011 -

Administrators: chrisblack (owner)

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From yancy on 1/1/2013 5:02:34 AM

Hello, I'm interested in learning the Irish Tenor Banjo in GDAE tuning using a pick. I play a little bit of mandolin and can read music for it. I originally wanted to learn 5 string but developed a problem in my right hand that makes finger picking impossible. Thanks! I thought I should introduce myself. Dan.

5 Comments
	captbanjo says: 1/1/2013 5:29:28 AM Good luck! Wayne
	keelermatt77 says: 1/1/2013 5:49:39 AM Welcome, Dan. I was a classically-trained musician for many years before I ever got into the folk music, so I read music, too. I was playing saxophone in school and simultaneously learning a lot of country blues on guitar on my own, then I picked up tin whistle and mandolin to explore some other music styles. I think the most important lesson folk music has taught me is to get past the written music and use your ears more. Now I learn just as many tunes by ear as by eye. At present, I'm basically a mandolin player who's only crossover to banjo comes on mandolin banjo and tenor banjo. I still do a pretty mean piedmont blues finger-style (with finger picks) on guitar and love the history of African-American music, which crosses weirdly into 1800s minstrel show songs, vaudeville, and Irish-American music. What I like about mandolin banjo, and especially tenor banjo, is that you can use them to play both ragtime and traditional Irish music, but they're loud enough to cut through in a band setting. Also, playing tenor reinforces your mandolin skills. After playing tenor, switching back to mandolin is simple. The stretches are smaller, and the ornaments and tremolos are easier on double-course strings. I look forward to whatever you bring to the group page. This seems to be a raggle taggle bunch of folks from different backgrounds, and I've already had quite a bit of fun reading everybody's slant on things. Good advice all around. Enjoy!
yancy says: 1/1/2013 6:01:52 AM Thanks Capt n Keeler! Like fingerpicking, learning by ear is not much of an option since I'm very hard of hearing. I have to rely on reading music. Don't get old, you won't like it!
yancy says: 1/4/2013 6:35:37 AM Well, I got an Irish tenor banjo off of ebay. It looked great in the pictures but it's a total mess. I'll have to reset the neck (it has a stick) which will probably then require a new nut. So much for plug and play!
	crazyace says: 2/15/2013 6:31:53 AM I symspathise with you there yancy, I also have hearing problems and have to learn tunes from the sheet music. I had to stop playing the fiddle in public because if the issues I had with intonation. I also find it impossible to learn tunes by ear. The Irish Tenor Banjo has my saviour as I can continue to have fun in sessions without have to learn all over again with the tuning being the same as the fiddle. Good luck with it.
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