Q&A | "Right" and "Wrong" Banjo Music?
Added 2018-03-06 19:00:02 +0000 UTCCurtis asks for some insight on how to learn a new song by ear: "do I think in terms of musical notation or what?" And what's with all this "Right" and "Wrong" that many so-called banjo experts are obsessed with?
Comments
Right on. Thanks for these thoughtful comments, Tony.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-08 01:45:59 +0000 UTCI am also very strong on people finding other banjo players and even if you cannot afford or find lessons, getting other banjoists to give you advice and tips. I have to say after 20 years of it and 58 years on the guitar, I still find banjo players of all kinds more encouraging and friendly to anyone who wants to play the banjo even someone as stupid and wrong headed as I was when I first came around. Find other banjo players you can sit down and pick with
Tony Thomas
2018-03-08 01:42:16 +0000 UTCWell said. Tablature and musical notation are pretty irrelevant to our banjo tradition, yet as you say, knowledge is generally a net positive.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-08 01:41:16 +0000 UTCI also believe someone who wants to learn old time banjo should not be shy about learning their own way of doing things as long as the proper approach and technique is respected. Somewhere there is a great piece on this by George Gibson where he talks about how like many things, he grew up in the world where a person was required to figure out their own way to play the banjo, as George writes, not by imitation but emulation. That does not mean skipping over learning the basics, and in banjo the basic strokes and picking patterns are what you will be practicing and refinng as long as you play. But it does mean give your own little persoinal ear to things and do not be afraid of being a player that you can be that is you. Clifton is a great example of that., He puts something of his own in a tune even if he is respecting players like Bill Cornett or Doick Boggs that is what to aim to be
Tony Thomas
2018-03-08 01:39:52 +0000 UTCI have aways felt that old time banjo playing was an aural and oral, and visual tradition of playing best transmitted by a person listening to or best watching another play the banjo and perhaps being shown how to play the banjo, rather than one like classical music transmitted by written music or even by tab. Knowing those things can help and no form of musical knowledge hurts anyone.
Tony Thomas
2018-03-08 01:35:18 +0000 UTCPraise the Lord! I feel like I’m not alone regarding knowledge of what key it is in and reading music!!! I picked up the banjo many years ago trying on my own to play bluegrass. I switched to clawhammer and unfortunately a divorce and working 2 jobs and raising 2 kids forced me to set it aside. I’m back with time for me and like many here I’m very very drawn to the old time music and old time ways. Clifton I have loved listening and watching you on YouTube. You are blazing a trail so a lot of people, music and talent are not forgotten. You are a blessing. I always questioned if I’m doing things correctly. Thanks to you and this site I feel like we are a little community and do not have to be afraid to ask questions, and can continue to learn and maybe carry on these traditions with other people. OK enough babbling... 😀
Deb Woller
2018-03-07 19:36:53 +0000 UTCI'm not Clifton, but I could provide some tips. You don't have to sing the words if you don't want to, the point is to have the melody in your head and being able to hum it before you start playing. If you want to be able to sing and play at some point, I could tell you how I did it. The way I started singing and playing at the same time was on the guitar, what I did was play just one chord per measure, sing the line, and then move on to the next chord/line. After I was comfortable with that, I tried playing the chord 4 times in a measure, and after that try to work in a simple strumming pattern and so on. This whole process took me at least a year to get really comfortable, so be patient. On the banjo the process was pretty much the same, I started with simple Carter family songs which are all mostly based on G, C and D. Started with one chord per measure, and then tried to play them with a very straight-forward and simple bum-ditty rhytm, after that, work in some hammer-ons and slides and so on. Basically, start very simple and build up the complexity over time. Hope this helps.
Vetle A
2018-03-07 15:26:38 +0000 UTCHey Clifton, you speak about singing the song first before figuring out how to play it. English language is not my mother tongue and also singing is not really my best approach to music, what I'm trying to work on the best I can. I'm very much fascinated by learning an new song on the banjo, but the transition to the point where I can actually sing while playing is quite difficult for me. Do you remember how you brought playing the banjo and singing together? Would you first start to tap the foot in the rhythm while playing (what can also be difficult sometimes)? Thank you very much for the great videos, they keep me on track with my practice!
Jonas Nottbeck
2018-03-07 13:26:49 +0000 UTCYou've got it figured out.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-07 12:06:35 +0000 UTCI like your closing about right and wrong. Coming from a guitar background there were definite right and wrongs when it came to techniques and songs. You could get by being unique but by and large you should be doing things the same as everyone else and letting your own style come out mostly just for improv and songwriting. With this music there are common ways to do things, but by and large there’s no wrongs but a lot of rights. There’s a hundred ways to play most old time songs and they’re all the right way. Even the way you may have just made up.
Keshava Zerr
2018-03-07 04:34:56 +0000 UTCFascinating and super helpful. Many thanks, Clifton. My favorite video to date. Great comment as well, Michael.
Curtis
2018-03-07 01:00:33 +0000 UTCI tend to think every instrument has a voice, and you have to learn to talk with it. It isn't that different from talking (or singing) with your own voice. You use muscle memory to reproduce sounds more or less spontaneously, faster than your brain can work it out.
Micheál Mac Labhrás
2018-03-06 22:53:20 +0000 UTC
