jcuempire's myHangout Homepage at the Banjo Hangout

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

jcuempire

You must sign into your myHangout account in order to contact jcuempire.

BLOG

FRIENDS

MEDIA

REVIEWS

ABOUT

Banjo Wayward Son

Monday, January 7, 2008

I admit that I have neglected my banjo of late. I have been spending alot of time with my guitars and (heaven forbid) my electrics. Plus during that time, I have cooled somewhat to the classic Earl style bluegrass banjo sound. Not that it isn't great, but I am feeling less inclined to practice it.

But I have been listening to some frailers or clawhammerers or old timers (whatever the prevailing name is) and been intrigued with the sound. When I first got into banjo, I kind of arrogantly shrugged off the frailing style as something less than the slick Scruggs 100 miles per hour sound of the bluegrass bands I was exposed to at the time. It has taken some time, but I have learned to appreciate the softer, somehow lazier sound of clawhammer. Now I really love the way it sounds.

But I can't really go out and buy a new banjo especially since I haven't been playing the original one. There would be no explaining that to my wife, so I shrewdly decided not to try. Instead, I took off the resonator, put a slightly shorter bridge on it (which loosened up the action a bit) and tried my hand at clawhammer.

I was awful, but that's ok. It didn't sound like a real open back, but it was good enough. And it was alot of fun. But more importantly, it got me back playing the banjo. I haven't given up on bluegrass banjo, but this just adds some spice. I figure I don't play just one style guitar, why should the banjo be any different? 2 comments