Hey banjo peeps.
I am a beginner banjo player (2 years fingerstlye) and (1 year clawhammer) . I recently set up a band just for fun with 2 friends. One is a classically trained violin player, while the other is a guitarist.
Being British, my friends are somewhat alien to the world of bluegrass and old time and so introducing them to music that they A. like and B. isn't too difficult to play hasn't been so easy.
I'm wondering if anyone could recommend songs that would be good for a bunch of beginners using these 3 instruments. We already play (dare I say it...) Wagon Wheel and while not rally bluegrass it obviously ticks the boxes as it is simple, and for people who haven't heard it a million times, it is catchy and fun.
We are working on Will the Circle Be Unbroken at the moment, but not sure where to go from there. Any suggestions would be great!
Here is a link to our 5th practice session (quite rough around the edges, but so you can see the level we are at). Be kind, it is all for fun!
youtube.com/watch?v=jPC_IRAofkw
Thanks,
WPFM
One option you may consider is perusing some of the mp3s and videos on BHO…….
Try playing some vocals instead of instrumentals. They're easier to learn, easier to play and you can sing along with them. Most any 3 chord vocal song will work for that trio of instruments.
Is that Sheet music?
Very good. You are on your way!
Robert
I agree with Robert....you are well on your way. Very enjoyable listen.
What came to my mind was the Parking Lot Pickers books from Mel Bay. Versions for all 3 of your instruments, includes basic melody, audio samples (so your bandmates get an idea of what the tune sounds like). Check out the Mel Bay site for the song list and samples.
You might have your violinist look at some youtube videos on fiddle backup. Yep, she's a fiddle player, not a violinist when she is playing with your group. It appeared that she didn't do a whole lot other than her break/solo. Not a criticism, but some fiddle backup would give your music another "layer" of complexity. Even the simple offbeat "chuck" will keep her involved and add something to your group sound. '
Good luck with this venture!!
I recommend “Bile ‘dem Cabbage Down” in the key of D.
Great tune for the fiddler to be … can employ all four strings (double-stops galore) in standard tuning.
Old time tunes don’t usually involve singing.
Singers quite often look for keys that match their vocal range and that can sometimes “throw a monkey wrench into the works”.
Edited by - mrphysics55 on 05/20/2022 18:34:35
Good start.
You can find repertoire on your own. Listen to music. Scour the Web. YouTube is a great source. Find other songs that aren't bluegrass that you can play. You'll figure out quickly enough if you can play them.
The guitar player's stutter rhythm has to go. He should watch videos of pro players in acoustic groups. Then ask why no one else is playing that way.
You guys don't have a bass, so guitar is responsible for the rhythm. That means steady. Solid.
quote:
Originally posted by woodpekkerfrommarsHey banjo peeps.
I am a beginner banjo player (2 years fingerstlye) and (1 year clawhammer) . I recently set up a band just for fun with 2 friends. One is a classically trained violin player, while the other is a guitarist.
Being British, my friends are somewhat alien to the world of bluegrass and old time and so introducing them to music that they A. like and B. isn't too difficult to play hasn't been so easy.
I'm wondering if anyone could recommend songs that would be good for a bunch of beginners using these 3 instruments. We already play (dare I say it...) Wagon Wheel and while not rally bluegrass it obviously ticks the boxes as it is simple, and for people who haven't heard it a million times, it is catchy and fun.
We are working on Will the Circle Be Unbroken at the moment, but not sure where to go from there. Any suggestions would be great!
Here is a link to our 5th practice session (quite rough around the edges, but so you can see the level we are at). Be kind, it is all for fun!
youtube.com/watch?v=jPC_IRAofkw
Thanks,
WPFM
Hi There,
There's a ton of stuff out there on YouTube that might fit your needs. Try searching Google and YouTube for "Fiddle Tunes" "Celtic Music" "Banjo & Fiddle" "Old Time" "Sea Shanty" You'll be amazed at what comes back at you.
Pete Wernick has assembled two playlists--one on Spotify and one on YouTube--of widely known bluegrass and bluegrass-compatible material. You can find out more on his web site: wernickmethod.org/jam-favorites.
Hi all,
Thank you so much for the kind words about our dumb little video. That is really encouraging and I will be sure to pass on the constructive critisim as it will really help us impove.
Thank you also for all the ideas on what to search for and songs we might be able to play. I have a few ideas now to take forward.
I love the banjo community. It is always so friendly and encouraging!
Pick on!
Where in the UK are you?
Seeing as how this post is in the Bluegrass (Scruggs) Style forum & the OP is playing a 5-string resonator banjo, I have to agree with Ken's comment on your guitar player. No fancy Folk/Country strumming, just steady boom chuck bluegrass style rhythm, with simple runs leading into/out of chord changes & a Lester Flatt run (!) ending. And yeah, the violinist could use some fiddle exposure.
To your credit, everyone is keeping time, although to my ear, the music lacks cohesion. In addition to the materials suggested, & I would also suggest 1000 Fiddle Tunes.
My wife & I visited the UK, on a traditional music tour, with our instruments (dobro & banjo). We jammed with local musicians all over the UK. We found most all pubs had regular amateur jam sessions. You may find a wide variety of instruments, but fiddle players make it all worthwhile.
keep going like that and you'll be just fine. it had a warming sound.
quote:
Originally posted by woodpekkerfrommarsThank you so much for the kind words about our dumb little video. . . . Thank you also for all the ideas on what to search for and songs we might be able to play. I have a few ideas now to take forward.
The great thing about banjo, fiddle and guitar being musical instruments is that they can be used to play music from any genre. If you want to play non-bluegrass songs in a bluegrass style, that's a legitimate musical choice and one that many bands before you have made. My 1980s bluegrass band did that.
You can also just play non-bluegrass songs in whatever style is most comfortable and natural for you and your bandmates and let the sound of fiddle and banjo impart their character.
For an example of this, search out videos of the American band Love Canon. Their act is they play 1980s rock music on bluegrass instruments. For a lot of their repertoire, they play very straightforward covers that capture the sound of the originals. For others they might go for signature riffs but otherwise not try to copy the original. In their live show, they do maybe a couple actual bluegrass songs, but the rest is all 80s covers.
Not saying you should do the songs they do. Just saying you can choose any songs that appeal to you and that are within your ability to play as a group. If you want to mix bluegrass with non-bluegrass that's a great way to come up with your own sound.
Have fun. Enjoy. Good luck.
Here’s a few three chord songs that are kind of similar to Will the Circle.
Man of Constant Sorrow
I Saw the Light
I’ll Fly Away
Also, you might want to get the Bluegrass Facebook. Lyrics and chords to a bunch of different bluegrass songs you can try,
There’s a pdf version here:
It's also available on Amazon UK.
Your Wagon Wheel sounds really good. Something the fiddle player could add immediately for backup is a light chop on the off beat. Here's a video showing how:
Edited by - jdeluke137 on 05/22/2022 05:48:32
I'm at a small festival right now and a local bluegrass band is playing "Shine" from Collective Soul. They do it slow/moderate tempo like the original then break into a fast bluegrass instrumental section, back to moderate then fast instrumental to end. Very clever
It was their set ender.
Tray Wellington next.
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