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Originally posted by BG Banjo

I started playing banjo in a bluegrass jam and in a jam band that came out of it. But there was always some country that found its way into the mix. Then over time, some Bob Dylan found us, some Greatful Dead, we plugged in and did some Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Neil Young, and it has come to a point where anything goes. And all along I've been working on creative ways to bring banjo into the mix, no matter what it is. It has become my passion, to take the banjo into non traditional music. I found this video and it really inspired me. I really want to go there some day.

youtube.com/watch?v=MarQVlEAmB...t_radio=1

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Go where you want the music to take you. A banjo is not limited to one or two genres (BG, CH etc) There are purists who never stray from the canon of BG. My son in law is a heavy metal drummer and sings lead. I have suggested he might like to consider a banjo in there somewhere. I would definitely need ear plugs.

Pretty Kool! Normaly I don't care for any "music" with drums but I liked their sound and creativity. A bit of Fairport convention sound. banjered

Our jams usually had a variety of music in them. You never knew whether it would be bluegrass, old time country, jazz, rock-n-roll or gospel. The banjo seems to work in any genre of music you wish to play.

Our group (now retired) used to work various genres of music into our gigs and the audience always seemed to enjoy the different types.

Sounds like you are on the right track; i.e., to reach out for different types of music rather than just be contented with one.

Not really my kind of music, but they are obviously very talented. The banjo kind of had a sitar flavor. Play what you like!  I don't like the bluegrass police - they limit the music.

I do wish you’d named the thread “ And Now for Something Completely Different.” 

BGbanjo, Earl Scruggs said much the same thing when he formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons about 1970. He wanted to take the banjo into types of music where it had never been.

History will judge how successful he was. But he did claim his career became much more lucrative with the Revue than it had been with Foggy Mtn Boys.

I've been fortunate to play banjo and guitar to music other than bluegrass all my life starting with country and western music at home with Mom's piano and Dad's pedal steel.
After getting out in the world I joined a band that played Grateful Dead,The Band and Jerry Jeff on bluegrass instruments.

The 3 or 4 jams I go to every week play very little bluegrass except when it's my turn or Kip Yattaw's,but I'm just as likely to choose a fiddletune or Alley Cat.
I go to jams to try things I've never tried before.
No matter what happens it's a great lesson in what works and just as importantly what doesn't work.

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

BGbanjo, Earl Scruggs said much the same thing when he formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons about 1970. He wanted to take the banjo into types of music where it had never been.

History will judge how successful he was. But he did claim his career became much more lucrative with the Revue than it had been with Foggy Mtn Boys.

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Yes, several years ago I read Thomas Goldsmith's biography of Earl and found that side of him that seems to get overshadowed by the image of Earl Scruggs the bluegrass banjo player. Maybe that is where the seed got planted. 

If you want to take some wild trips on the banjo play with a piano/bar person.

I have been jamming backup with some friends for some blues songs in the key of E. I drop the fifth string to E and play that. It has been a very interesting genre to play around with, lots of fun things to explore.

I looked up White Rabbit just to see. I'm a long way from playing like that banjo player in the video that I posted, but the song itself is not difficult. The hard part is going to be finding the singer.

Molly Tuttle and Golden highway did a great version of this with traditional bluegrass instruments. Check it out...

youtu.be/LeHlvXvG6vA?si=QQGN3twOniB0LbAy

Take it Easy ... MarK

Kudos to the inventive banjo players on those vids. I keep hearing it played via a double-timed banjo version with (gasp!) Scruggs-ian rollls.

You can also move that old bluesy,chromatic 89879 in G down 3 frets and play it in E with no capo.
Then the open G string is in the new A7.