5 string banjoand partial capos

Subject: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 04:12 PM

anyone experimented with this with diferent banjo tunings

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:41 PM

Different to what?

Hoot

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:43 PM

different to dgbd.

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 06:01 PM

partial capos for 5-string banjo? Are there any?

And why would there be -- since you're retuning in general anyway? It would take a whole 'nother tuning vocabulary, I would think. (Which of course, there are plenty of, without throwing partial capos in the mix...) (on the other hand, some people don't mind the idea, for guitars...)

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 06:21 PM

I am not convinced by them

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: banjoman
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 07:14 AM

Can't see the need as there are so many tunings for the 5 string banjo. Its worth having a look at them as most only require adjustmant to one or two strings. Favourite is mountain minor tuning.

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: GUEST,Banjovey
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 09:42 AM

I use a capo with open D tuning f#DF#AD. Sometimes I'll put the 5th string = to the first. I'll use this kind of arrangement for song accompaniement.

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 12:18 PM

BANJOVEY ,Do you mean your short string tuned to d thus D d f#ad

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 03:48 PM

I have a metal rail running down beside the 5th string, along which slides a wire jobbie with a plastic sleeve to hold down the string as required. Works fine, just retune the others as normal and slide the 5th string capo to suit.

Andy

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 03:58 PM

To me, a "5th string capo" is a different animal than a "partial capo". 5th string capos have been discussed at length here at Mudcat (e.g. here). GSS has not yet detailed for us what he has in mind to discuss in this thread.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 06:26 PM

As I understand it, the idea of a partial capo on a guitar is to simulate open and other non-standard tunings while leaving the guitar in standard tuning. Well, since 5-string banjos are pretty much always tuned to various open tunings, what would a partial capo do that would be of any benefit?

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 07:31 PM

5 string banjo can be tuned dgbe or down a tone cfad the same as the top four strings of a guitar in standard tuning, someone using this tuning might possibly find it useful to use a partial capo, on 432 strings giving eac#e or down a tone dgbd.
if a player was used to a tenor banjo and had tuned his/her banjo in fifths lets say using light gauge tenor cgda strings but say..top 3 down a tone so cfcg partial capo on 321 strings would give cgda so player could pick out irish tunes with plectrum and play 5string tunings like this
gDGDE
    "Old G", "Sandy River Belle" tuning
    I read somewhere that in Kentucky this tuning has been called "Old G". It's the equivalent of fCFCD (see below). Like gEADE, it's a good way to get to G if your banjo is already tuned up to aEAC#E or aDADE, and many of the tunes often played in gEADE (e.g. Stoney Point; Cumberland Gap) are also played in gDGDE. But together with gEGDE (see below) it seems to have a particular association with the "Sandy River Belle"/"Last Chance" group, which also includes "Rambling Hobo", "Davenport", "Warfield", "Mulberry Gap", "Dead Man's Piece"... These are all closely related, and what I'd call "Ur-banjo" tunes; but I know little of their early relationship to the fiddle tradition. (BTW, I saw in liner notes for "Old Originals, Vol 1" that Oscar Wright knows the fiddle tune "Sandy River Belle" as "Stoney Ridge Stomp".)
    Gaither Carlton, Rambling Hobo ("High Atmosphere"). Doc Watson, Rambling Hobo ("Memories"). George Stoneman, Sandy River Belle ("Clawhammer Banjo").(The sleeve notes on this recording mistakenly, I believe, give the tuning as fCFAD.) Oscar Wright, Sandy River ( "Clawhammer Banjo"). Blanton Owen, Cumberland Gap ("Old Originals, vol 2"). Ron Mullennex, Dead Man's Piece ("Old Five String"). Bob Carlin, Walk Along John; Big Footed Man in the Sandy Lot; Little Boy, Little Boy ("Banging and Sawing"). Bob Carlin, Ain't Gonna Get No Supper Here Tonight ("Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo"). Bob Carlin, Ten Yards of Calico; Hosses in the Canebrake ("Banging & Sawing", CD reissue only). Bob Carlin, with John Hartford, Shortnin' Bread ("The Fun of Open Discussion"). Bill Mansfield, Wild Horse (Stoney Point) ("Root Hog or Die"). Gene Brown, Blackberry Blossom (Tab, BNL, Jan 1983).

dDGDE
    DGDE variant, lowered 5th string
    Chords: D/G/Bm. Bob Carlin, Ninety Degrees, capo 2, to eEAEF# ("Banging & Sawing").

    eDGDE
       DGDE variant
       Dirk Powell, Dirk's Escape (on Mark Simos, "Race the River Jordan").

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 08:46 PM

Check out this site for some interesting tunings:

http://zeppmusic.com/banjo/aktuning.htm

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 02:33 AM

Cap't Bob, that's the same as my link above ("plenty of") at 18 Feb 11 - 06:01 PM. :-)

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 05:06 AM

I am looking for the smallest capo to fit on my tenor banjo so that it gets in the way of the left hand as little as possible. Any suggestions?

L in C#

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: GUEST,GavDav
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 05:18 AM

I'm downtuned to eBEAD most of the time, and use a shubb partial capo on the top three strings at the second fret plus a fifth string capo to get an interesting drone tuning

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 06:13 AM

if a guitarist who was used to dadgad wanted to pick up 5 string banjo, if his banjo was tuned dgbe[ standard guitar tuning] but all down a tone,[cfad], with a partial capo, on 4 and 3 strings he would have top 4 strings of dadgad.short string would probably be retuned too

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 07:37 AM

I seem to remember that the German wartime Inigma code was first developed on tuning systems for pre-war banjos. Or maybe not.

In the meantime, any recomendations for small capos?

L in C#

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 09:50 AM

Les: With a Dunlop or elastic capo (made for guitars) there's less sticking out at the back. Although there's more sticking out at either side, you can basically put this extra bit so it's more on the upward side of the neck and out of your way. You could also make a custom elastic capo that would fit your neck more exactly.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 10:02 AM

Thanks Becky,

my tenor has quite a narrown kneck so most guitar capos stick out quite a bit. Many capos are designed for easy removal etc. I would sacrifice that for almost none existance

Les

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 10:15 AM

I've used a Dunlop on my banjos which have quite small necks. I'd suggest giving it a try -- it's cheap. Otherwise, sounds like you need to make something for yourself.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: GUEST,GavDav
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 06:06 AM

I just recorded a new tune (roughly) with a shubb partial capo. FWIW

http://www.gavindavenport.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/mhysteria42.mp3

Subject: RE: 5 string banjoand partial capos
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 12:13 PM

has anyone tried the spidercapo?