www.cluniechiropractic.com
Playing Since: 1988
Experience Level: Purty Good
banjered has made 67 recent additions to Banjo Hangout
Interests:
[Jamming]
Occupation: bone bender
Gender: Male
Age: 78
My Instruments:
banjo, classical guitar, octave mandolin, harmonica
Mogi#40 with steel strings - my main jam banjo, and a Tradesman, skin head with Minstrel Nylguts tuned down to low D for vocals for singing
sample at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jbtcmr
Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Banjo - it's ALL good!
Classified Rating: (+3)
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 10/13/2005
Last Visit 1/22/2026
I was walking down the streets of Santa Cruz (Ca.) one day out in front of the Cooper House when I saw/heard a banjo, but not like any banjo I had ever heard before. "Whatzat you playing?" "Clawhammer", she said. That was it, the devil nailed me right there and down his dark road I have staggered ever since. At that time the only description of CH I could find was Pete Seeger's book, and recordings. So about ྔ I started bangin' away. At first I thought the beat fell on the DIT of BUM DIT-TY, it was the loudest part after all. Two months latter, "Hey, that can't be right!" Back to minus square one...SLAM the foot down on BUM. Over and over, rewire the hardware. I sat out under a tree and plunked for hours. Finally one day as I was going through the "Skip to My Lou" exercise I suddenly realized I was actually PLAYING the tune. Some time later a neighbor walking by said, "I wasn't sure if you were going to get it but you got it." With sparse materials and no one to show me anything I remained a beginner for 10 years. Then I got a computer in ྞ, discovered BANJO-L and made more progress but later when the Hangout appeared along with videos and sound clips was when I finally got out of beginner stage. These days it is possible to learn more in one month than I could in a year. Two years ago I moved to Southern Oregon and spotted a man carrying a banjo. Turns out he was a banjo teacher. I was going to take lessons from him but when he heard me play he said, "You got it. I can't show you anything. You just need to build up your repertoire." That was a surprise. Then I found a local jam and I could finally see/hear Old Time music up front, dirty, and personal. Wow! So I have learned about a hundred old time tunes and feel I am finally well on my way to achieving my goal of becoming a banjo prodigy by the time I am ninety. There, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
