learning bluegrass banjo

Subject: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Banjoman_CO
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 05:15 PM

I have been a 'frailer' ever since I started Banjo. I have tried to learn 3 finger style. I went out and bought a Scruggs book. This didn't work because it got too involved too quickly for me. My question is this: Is there a book that teaches 3 finger style without getting overly technical using simple songs and techniques? This may be a "out of the question" question. But I need a book for 'dummies". Is there such a book. Fred

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 06:59 PM

Fred,

There is no such book. You already have the best, just go at it S-L-OW-L-Y. (no one can play as fast as Earl for at least 5-6 years after they have started). the excercises lead to the first tune that you learn in the book, " Cripple Creek" everyone knows how it sounds and it has most of the elements,( roll,s hammer ons ,pull offs etc) and all of those "involved" things that go to make up Scruggs 5 string banjo style.

Buy and use a mute or you'll drive your family mad :-)>

Regards Ted

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 12:48 AM

I've never attained much speed in three finger picking, but I am comfortable doing it: I don't have to think of making a sensible rhythm out of /1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2/ or /t-i-m-t-i-m-t-m/--it came to me as a revelation one day: you still accent the first, third, fifth, and seventh notes in an eight-note measure: /T-i-M-t-I-m-T-m/. (at least until you've done it so much it becomes second nature. I was even playing each pair of notes as triplets: an eighth and a sixteenth in 2/4 time.

I'll never be a bluegrass picker because I hate to wear fingerpicks: I like the feeling of flesh against string (I have an idea for a design for fingerpicks which would not only give that feel, but would allow frailing with them without turning them around. The thumb pick might be more difficult to design--I hate thumbpicks even more than fingerpicks. The only time I wear either is when I'm playing autoharp). --seed

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 03:38 AM

BSeed, Like you it "Came to me" (but only after so much practise that i did not have to think ofabout it any more) Unfortunatly(some would say fortunatly) I have not had enough time to develop my 5 string playing (the 12 gets in the way). and only pull out the old Fender Leo on odd ( some would say VERY odd occasions).
Frailing - A complete mystery to me. Turn the picks around???? :-)>

Regards Ted

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 09:31 AM

Banjoman,

Go to www.murphymethod.com. This is how I learned to pick Scruggs style. It is a simple, concise method of learning the rolls needed to play Bluegrass. My uncle is a fine self taught bluegrass five string player and he suggested Murphy Henry to me years ago as the easiest way to learn the "proper" method. Murphy Henry is a very highly regarded player and a wonderful teacher. She has expanded her library to include fiddle, guitar, bass etc.

Please let me know what you think.

Steve

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Jon W.
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 11:16 AM

I find myself in complete agreement with BSeed (is this a first?) about finger picks--I hate 'em. But I started out with a valiant effort to learn 3-finger picking through a community ed class and made satisfactory progress before concluding that I'd never have the practice time to get really good. So I switched to a somewhat simpler method. But to answer Fred's original question, there are some books that are simpler than Earl Scruggs, Mike Bailey's is one if I remember right. I think it was his version of "Oh Susanna" that I learned and it's the only bluegrass arrangement I ever got up to a decent speed. Poke around at this site (Janet Davis Music) for some books.

Another one I think was okay was Peter Wernick. But Ted's advice is also good - the Scruggs book works if you go at it slowly and work on it for five or six years...

One trick is to figure out which of the many notes you are playing are the melody notes and emphasize those - they are usually less than half the notes - maybe only one in every four. When you can hear the tune as you play it, your audience will probably be able to hear it also. For me, that was one of the hardest parts.

Jon W.

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 12:37 PM

Ted, frailing is similar to up-picking: pick up on a string on one, brush down across all the strings with your fingernails on two, and play the fifth string with your thumb at "and" for a boom-tiddy, boom-tiddy rhythm. In frailing, you pick down with your fingernail on one, with the other parts of the stroke being the same as with up picking. The advantage is that in frailing, the action is initiated at the elbow and shoulder rather than at the finger so it is possible to generate a more driving rhythm.

In up-picking, double thumbing is accomplished by a pinching motion: pick up at one, thumb the 2nd, 3rd, or fourth string at and; strum at 2, thumb the fifth string at and: boomdy tiddy, boomdy tiddy. In frailing (double thumb frailing is called "clawhammer"), the thumb has to move into position on a string just as the fingernail hits a string, and the thumb pluck comes as you raise your hand for the brush (or another single string) stroke.

As for the reversed picks, your fingernails can be abraded away by hard frailing and many players use fingerpicks turned backwards: some metal picks are made especially light for frailers to use--and to match the volume of the frailed strings, many players also use thumb picks.

I hope my explanation makes sense. --seed

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 12:51 PM

Ted, this is a message Î posted to a thread "What is Clawhammer Banjo?" almost a year ago:

bodacious blue clicky thang

--seed

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 07:22 AM

Thanx BSeed I'll give it a try (Time, I've got to get organised) So much Music, so much Mudcat , so little time.

Regards Ted

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Banjoman_CO
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 11:32 AM

This is to Steve Latimer: Thanks for the tip on the web sight. However, I tried it and could not connect. I will keep trying. Thanks again.

Fred Allen

Subject: RE: learning bluegrass banjo
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 02:18 PM

Fred,

I hope you didn't try clicking on the site address in my posting as I don't know how to do the blue clicky thing. I just typed it into the address section of Internet Explorer and it came right up. If you are in the U.S.A you can call for a catalogue at [phone].