Chair dancing

Only marginally banjo-related, but hey, there’s a banjo playing.

Minneapolis Eagle’s Club #34; caller is Ann Carter. Unfortunately, I don’t know who the band is.

New tunes from DYAD

Those Canadian winters are long and dark, which might explain why Vancouver-based trio DYAD explores the shadows in old-time music with such dedication and creativity. They’ve just posted some new tunes, with my favorite being “Cripple.” Check out their MySpace page for more from their new formation and a couple of their classic tunes.

From their band site:

DYAD came together to play traditional American Old Time music after delving into everything from indie-rock and punk to classical and traditional music of various cultures. The Vancouver-based trio of Kori Miyanishi (vocals, banjo, fiddle), Leah Abramson (vocals, guitar) and Mark Beaty (cello, vocals), digs deep into song and instrumental traditions of the Appalachian mountain region of the USA, while incorporating these varied influences and expanding traditional themes into modern arrangements of original, traditional and contemporary song.

Consumerism and orthodoxy in old-time?

In the mood for a rant? I am!

If you’re familiar with my feelings about tab, you won’t be surprised that the following paragraph caught my eye in a book about the American Balkan scene:

Consumerism and a museum mentality are definitely evident in the Balkan music and dance scene. “There is a lot of that collecting mentality. Oh, that tune, I want it,” Jane explained. One can collect tunes, step patterns, and musical instruments, just as one can collect folk costumes or records. There is a strong desire to possess the “objects” of one’s fascination….Whether or not this collecting appetite is utilitarian, it is often insatiable.

While it may pander to consumer cravings, the Balkan scene continues to be a living tradition, according to the author, Mirjana Laušević. How does it compare to the old-time scene in that respect?

The Balkan scene distinguishes itself from a number of American folk scenes that seem to have shifted rather decisively from “tradition” to “orthodoxy”….”A traditional society has been transformed into an orthodox one when what was a matter of course (what was once absorbed and habitual) has become subject to rules, formal teaching, and scrupulous attention to textual authority.”

Old-time rules

Maybe I’m just cranky because I hurt my wrist and can’t play for awhile. But I’m familiar with both the Balkan and the old-time scenes, and the old-time scene has far more rules — rules that I think can limit our development as musicians. A few rules I’ve learned:

Phillip Roebuck plays “Little Bo Peep”

Pesky WordPress doesn’t let me embed Vimeo videos. So you’ll have to click here for intense (non-clawhammer) banjo playing by Phillip Roebuck and superb analog cinematography by Brandon Trost.

From Phillip Roebuck’s site:

Nicknamed “The BANJO NINJA” by fans, PHILLIP ROEBUCK is a bare-bones one-man band, conceived in the subways of New York City.

To accompany his $22, scrap-part banjo, Phillip made his first drum apparatus out of a suitcase and a luggage cart. Using this setup, both live in the Times Square Subway Station and in his apartment in Brooklyn, he made the album ONE-MAN BAND RECORDINGS, later released as INERTIA (Volume I), which comes across like a collection of modern-day field recordings. In 2002, Phillip revamped the setup into the current backpack-harness outfit, used on the albums INERTIA (Volume II), ONE-MAN BAND, and FEVER PITCH.

In 2003, the New York Press voted Phillip the city’s Best Subway Musician, and he has since recorded three albums and has been touring steadily.

How to get into an odd-meter groove

Having trouble “feeling” odd rhythms like 9 and 11? Here are some suggestions I posted on this Banjo Hangout thread. Since it’s hard to communicate the beats in text, I’ll add “Intro to Odd Rhythms” to my video to-do list.

It’s all 2s and 3s

The main thing is to be able to hear and play the “quick” (2) and the “slow” (3). Everything is built on that.

For example, the 9 of Rampi Rampi could be felt as 2+2+2+3 and counted out as “1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2-3″ with each number getting the same time value and with no pause between the clumps (chant robotically “1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 3″). You could also think of it as “quicka quicka quicka slow-and-a,” with each syllable getting the same emphasis and no punctuation at the end of the phrase.

Start with the big muscles

The way I got into odd rhythms was by dancing. So I started by moving mostly big muscle groups, which got the rhythm into my entire body. Then I progressed down to smaller muscles like those needed to play banjo.

So I usually recommend that you find some music in the rhythms that you like and to do something approaching dance, even if it’s just walking across the room by taking a step on each major beat. This will teach your body the difference between the 2 and 3.

Strum your banjo for an instant banjo uke!

Here are a couple of lessons showing how you can strum your five-string banjo ukulele style. You can quickly switch to high-energy strumming when you want to kick some energy into a dance or just as a break from regular clawhammer.

Here’s an introduction to the strum I use most often:

I use my index finger for both frailing and strumming, but I recommend you use a different finger for each approach. The strumming wears your nail down fast. I’m switching my strumming to my middle finger but I’m not there yet, so I use the index in the video.

For happy strumming, you need to know what chords to play. So here’s a quick look at how to figure out the basic chords of a D tune:

Links

• Jim Bottorff’s site of American popular songs for strumming fun
• Find any chord in any tuning at ChordFind.com
• Many more Illinois tunes at Dear Old Illinois
• Tab and a solo banjo MP3 for the tune you hear in the videos

Other uses for the strum

If you’re at a big, noisy jam and the players have wandered apart rhythmically, you can (politely) switch to the uke strum to bring them back together. The banjo uke sound cuts through everything and gives a steady beat for people to latch onto.

Welcome, Gold Tone friends

I’m very honored to be Gold Tone’s Artist of the Month for November, and I’d like to welcome the people who are coming here from Gold Tone’s page.

Here you’ll find clawhammer tab and MP3s for European dance tunes, plus some fun Illinois tunes. You’ll also find a few video lessons on rhythm and musicality for intermediate players.

In most of the MP3s, I play straight and plain, to make it easier for you to learn the tune. All my tab is informal and the videos are even more so.

In the videos, you’ll see two Gold Tone banjos: the big CEB-5 cello banjo and the OT-800 tubaphone. Both have helped expand my style—the cello with its dark, low voice and the OT-800 with its wide dynamic range.

Feel free to explore by clicking a category or tag on the right. You can also check the index for a list of all tunes, or read the About page for more information. And if you have anything to say, leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Which notes to leave out?

At the risk of turning this into a “real” blog with text, I’ll post a comment I just left on the Banjo Hangout discussion about leaving notes out, and then rant a bit. The question was, basically, “I want to be less notey. Which notes do I take out, and what do I replace them with?”

In case it’s helpful, here’s what I cut:

Trâgnala Rumjana in the Hoosier National Forest

Here’s a Bulgarian song played over the scoop on my Gold Tone OT-800 banjo.

In case you were wondering, that was “Yellow Rose of Texas” in the middle of the tune.

Informal tab

Säkkijärven Polkka: the video

Here’s a video version of a Finnish polka that I posted earlier as an MP3. This time I’m playing it on my Gold Tone OT-800. The banjo is tuned gEGBE.

Download MP3 (different banjo) | Tab | PDF of tab