I fear

What, you ask? I fear I've slipped down another rabbit hole. I was just strolling through the forest when I tripped over a banjo. It was the kind that transports you back to the dawn of steel strings. Or a century before that.

Anyway, it is an El Cheapo and it had a cracked headstock which I repaired quite nicely. Anyway, there will be some clawhammer in my future. Do you have to tune these things? From listening to them, I'm not quite sure. And how can you tell if you're getting good? Will the dogs stay in the same room?

One thing is troubling me. I was walking through the house and the yellow pages were opened to attorneys. The left hand page was open to wills and trusts, the right was divorce. There was a bookmark on the gunsmith page. Should I worry?

Be afraid. Very, very afraid.

I, too, own a banjo. I’ve even played it in public a couple of times.

But, I don’t play it at home except when my wife’s out of the house...

Beware the clues...

Shoot, if she’d been born in earlier times and happened to marry Earl Scruggs, he’d have been the best darn finger style guitarist you’ve ever heard. She truly detests the instrument that much. But, I secretly love it, and, of all the instruments I attempt to play, other than mandolin, of course, it’s the one I wish I were really good at...

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Originally Posted by Br1ck

What, you ask? I fear I've slipped down another rabbit hole. I was just strolling through the forest when I tripped over a banjo. It was the kind that transports you back to the dawn of steel strings. Or a century before that.

Anyway, it is an El Cheapo and it had a cracked headstock which I repaired quite nicely. Anyway, there will be some clawhammer in my future. Do you have to tune these things? From listening to them, I'm not quite sure. And how can you tell if you're getting good? Will the dogs stay in the same room?

One thing is troubling me. I was walking through the house and the yellow pages were opened to attorneys. The left hand page was open to wills and trusts, the right was divorce. There was a bookmark on the gunsmith page. Should I worry?

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Hmmm, lots of very important questions here.

I'll start from the end and move upward:

1) Do you have somewhere else you can live?
2) Banjos can be tuned, but most experienced players don't try.
3) You may get good, but you won't know it. No one will tell you.
4) You mention clawhammer in your future. Is that Freudian for sledgehammer?
5) Regarding fixing the broken headstock, too bad you wasted your time, it would have sounded just about as good broken.
6) Was the hole really a rabbit hole? Was there a flushing mechanism to activate?

Seriously, speaking as someone who is mostly known for banjo playing, it can be lots of fun. There are lots of tunings, but to get you started, the most common is gDGBd; you may not personally need to tune it, but your loved ones will thank you for doing so.

As someone who has played banjo for about 50 years now, I can truly say that people seem to respect me more now that I play the bass. :mandosmiley:

Tom Collins is excellent, lots of info on youtube, and for $5 a month thru patreon, you get everything he offers-lots and lots of instruction there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHovpY60W4Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHovpY60W4Y

I've owned a few banjos over the years but haven't had one for awhile. I always played 3 finger Scruggs style, but I've had a hankering to try clawhammer style. I finally broke down recently and bought an open back Pisgah banjo. Clawhammer is (for me at least) significantly quieter than picking with metal picks, so that's a good thing for playing at home. It's also easy with an open back banjo to stuff some cloth inside for further muting if so desired. I wish I hadn't waited so long to get another banjo.

Attachment 179897 Attachment 179898

How old are you? If you are over 6, you'll never get clawhammer down right. But nobody will know.

And if you happen to drop a thumb, just bend over and pick it up. Always good for a laugh.

Seriously, look up Josh Turknett and his Brainjo lessons. He's pretty good. Here: https://clawhammerbanjo.net/

Hilarie Burhan has a bunch of YouTube videos teaching clawhammer tunes. She doesn't provide tabs but just goes through the tune slowly explaining each section piece by piece. It's almost like having a friend teach you a tune.

Recognizing you have a problem is the first step. I remind you of the words of the social philosopher who taught us that: "A gentleman is someone who can play the banjo, but choses not to." Was it Ambrose Bierce? I've forgotten.

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Originally Posted by Br1ck

I was just strolling through the forest when I tripped over a banjo . . . Do you have to tune these things? From listening to them, I'm not quite sure.

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Yes, there is a proper way to tune a banjo . . . however - when the inventor never told anybody how to do it, and when he died the secret went with him to his grave.

I have found that if you simply tighten each string until it breaks, that is how they sound best.

I had no idea when after the repair, I couldn't get the outside strings to stay in their slots, so I ran down to Griffin. Frank Ford was there and asked what I had. I replayed, either a banjo or firewood. He guessed it was a kit banjo, and just needed the bridge slots cut deeper. Asked what I wanted to do with it, I replied, make bad music on it. He said he could easily make that happen. Sent me on my way gratis. I had a devil of a time before the new strings settled in. I still have a devil of a time. But I do have the attitude down. Fire up the still boys.

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Originally Posted by Joe Dodson

Recognizing you have a problem is the first step. I remind you of the words of the social philosopher who taught us that: "A gentleman is someone who can play the banjo, but choses not to." Was it Ambrose Bierce? I've forgotten.

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I thought it was Mark Twain.

Ryk

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Originally Posted by Ryk Loske

I thought it was Mark Twain.

Ryk

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That's what I was gonna say, but my internet was too slow.

gDGBd, 1,2,3,4,5, yep 5 strings worth.

Still no clawhammer photos in this thread?

I went down to my local hardware store and they didn't know what a claw hammer was, but when I said it was for banjo, they showed me a sledgehammer.

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Originally Posted by John Van Zandt

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Still no clawhammer photos in this thread?

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Attachment 179924

This is a Belknap Blue Grass Claw Hammer with a ripper claw. Very effective for banjo tuning and head maintenance.