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Jun 5, 2021 - 7:33:21 AM

38145 posts since 3/5/2008

Jun 6, 2021 - 5:38:44 PM

734 posts since 10/23/2003

quote:From all descriptions,  Cannon had to raise the bridge considerably which he already kept very high to make the slide work.  As I mentioned before in 2005 at the Black banjo gathering Mike Seeger wanted to demonstrate some slide banjo.   There were a bunch of fine banjos, but someone had just given me a 19th century Fairbanks with serious neck problems making the action too high to play properly.  In fact it took a couple years to get that banjo into playing shape, but he was able to do wonderful slide on it.   Slide banjo sounds nice, but it really isnt a practical thing if you intend to use the banjo for anything else.  
Originally posted by EulalieBlue

Thanks for sharing your work, Tony.  I love the clarity of Gus Cannon"s playing in general but wondered how he managed such good tone on his slide recording of Poor Boy.  I always got fret rattle, and a raised bridge explains it. 

I think Cannon's playing in general is a perfect combination of the popular parlor styles from the 19th century and the more punctuated rhythm in his blusier numbers.  I probably wouldn't be playing banjo at all if not for his influence.

RA

 
quote:
Originally posted by writerrad

As I point out below,  I have done years and years of research on Cannon.   While this was something he learned to do from a guitarist when he lived in Clarksdale and gets magnificent sounds from retuning his banjo for the Paramount recording,  he found it was not a practical thing for him to do in his work as a banjoist because to get the sound he got to play what he called Hawaiian, he had to untune the banjo, and place coins under his bridge to raise the action,  tighten the strings so they effectively held down the bridge, and retune in a different tuning from the drop C he normally tuned. 


Aug 3, 2021 - 7:53:02 PM

Enfield1858

England

133 posts since 8/1/2020

quote:
Originally posted by cevant

I like the way this fellow keeps the bum ditty going with slide...
youtu.be/3jSR5z9yjxQ


Just wondering if the fretless neck means that he didn't have to raise the action to play slide?  What do you think?

With best regards,
Jack

Aug 4, 2021 - 6:29:05 AM
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Jim Yates

Canada

6866 posts since 2/21/2007

quote:
Originally posted by chuckv97

Some nice slide banjo on this one,, a very fine tune too.
youtu.be/U4yYOATYgdM


I always liked this one. It was my first exposure to slide banjer. Must be over 40 years ago.
The Hamilton Art Gallery used to own the "Horse And Train" Alex Colville painting. Maybe they still do.

Aug 6, 2021 - 1:47:49 AM
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banjopaolo

Italy

1684 posts since 11/6/2008

Thank you Tony for all your information, you are always a great source!

I must say that I triestini to play slide on banjo but wasn’t satisfied: I play slide on resophonic instruments (I penso a Dobro and a National style tenor guitar) and I slide so better on such instruments, playing the banjo fretted


Aug 6, 2021 - 10:52:11 AM

Jim Yates

Canada

6866 posts since 2/21/2007

With a banjo, I've found that I need to use a much lighter slide than a guitar, probably because I have lighter strings and a lower action.
I have a small pill bottle that covers all of the banjo strings and is light glass. It works much better than the deep socket that I use for guitar.

Aug 6, 2021 - 10:57:46 AM

Jim Yates

Canada

6866 posts since 2/21/2007

quote:
Originally posted by Jim Yates
quote:
Originally posted by chuckv97

Some nice slide banjo on this one,, a very fine tune too.
youtu.be/U4yYOATYgdM


I always liked this one. It was my first exposure to slide banjer. Must be over 40 years ago.
The Hamilton Art Gallery used to own the "Horse And Train" Alex Colville painting. Maybe they still do.


Alex Coleville's 1954 painting was inspired by the poem by  South African writer Roy Campbell (1901–1957):

I scorn the goose-step of their massed attack
And fight with my guitar slung on my back,
Against a regiment I oppose a brain
And a dark horse against an armoured train.

Aug 27, 2021 - 10:35:48 AM

17 posts since 2/21/2021

Put a mike's banjo mute on mine and than use a slide.I've tried it a few times before and it worked pretty well

Sep 6, 2021 - 4:58:26 AM

38145 posts since 3/5/2008

Feb 10, 2022 - 11:03:58 AM
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RB-1

Netherlands

3896 posts since 6/17/2003

quote:
Originally posted by banjopaolo

Thank you Tony for all your information, you are always a great source!

I must say that I triestini to play slide on banjo but wasn’t satisfied: I play slide on resophonic instruments (I penso a Dobro and a National style tenor guitar) and I slide so better on such instruments, playing the banjo fretted


I couldn't agree more.  I think your example is so good because it uses a similarly, layered structure, not entirely unlike Bluegrass and that's probably the reason I do appreciate this so much more than the usual 'piling it all on top of each other' old time styles.

Feb 10, 2022 - 12:01:16 PM

banjopaolo

Italy

1684 posts since 11/6/2008

quote:
Originally posted by RB-1
quote:
Originally posted by banjopaolo

Thank you Tony for all your information, you are always a great source!

I must say that I triestini to play slide on banjo but wasn’t satisfied: I play slide on resophonic instruments (I penso a Dobro and a National style tenor guitar) and I slide so better on such instruments, playing the banjo fretted


I couldn't agree more.  I think your example is so good because it uses a similarly, layered structure, not entirely unlike Bluegrass and that's probably the reason I do appreciate this so much more than the usual 'piling it all on top of each other' old time styles.


Thank you Bruno! :-)

Feb 11, 2022 - 10:53:10 PM

Jim Yates

Canada

6866 posts since 2/21/2007

I think of Bruce Cockburn's Night Vision LP when I think of slide banjo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUL-3MaFEE&list=PLnMNiJL3mO8wFpXWZ-zlVoT9bNegoHcFG
 

Feb 12, 2022 - 5:59:28 AM

4354 posts since 9/12/2016

the needle nose are good and light -also with low action the small tip lets one see the contact point without having to press hard and listen for it--

Jun 11, 2022 - 5:48:15 AM

kd8tzc

USA

392 posts since 4/11/2022

I'm glad there was a video above of what a slide banjo is, as I had visions of something like a slide trombone, and the neck would slide in and out.... lol... sorry, I haven't had my coffee yet. :)

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