Playing Since: 2009
Experience Level: Novice
Interests:
[Jamming] [Socializing]
Occupation: Gov't Mule
Gender: Male
Age: 60
My Instruments:
I have a 1930s Kay open-back banjo, purchased from Bedford Banjos in Bedford, PA. Its got a great sound, plays well and looks great. The thing has got 38 hooks holding down the head (its from a more hooks mean a better banjo era!).
Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, John McCutcheon. I favor singers who play banjo, rather than banjo players who also sing (I think this gives me an excuse for focusing on learning new songs instead of working on my banjo skills!).
Classified Rating: not rated
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 5/12/2009
Last Visit 11/15/2011
I've been a bass player for more than 30 years, and got tired of only helping others make music. Learning clawhammer banjo has given me the avenue I want to make my own music.
I'm slowly working through Pat Costello's "The How and Tao of Old Time Banjo" (I got my start from his and Dear Old Dad's lessons on YouTube). But its going REALLY slow because I'm having so much fun learning new songs using the handful of chords that I know, and singing and playing to my kids.
I've got the basic frailing strum pretty much nailed down, but I need to work on my left-hand technique -- hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides. Singing an entire verse of a song while beating out a bump-ditty G chord gets boring.
'Grizzly!' 1 hr
'Half-Shaved' 2 hrs
'Used Schaller Tuner' 4 hrs
