How to play credible banjo section :-)

Ask general music theory or songwriting questions, get feedback!

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

Post Reply
Overhill
Established Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:46 pm

How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by Overhill »

Ok, after the brass problem, solved of course, I've an other question: how to play a credible banjo section on a keyboard?
I know that the standard 4+1 strings banjo is tuned with a open G chord, normally, (there are many other tuning method, I've seen). When I listen to a banjo part I've noted many situation with a half tone interval between two notes in the arpeggio.
Well, my actual question is: is there particular scale to use playing banjo?

Tanks a lot :)
User avatar
qharley
Established Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:59 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by qharley »

The definition of a gentleman, is a man that knows how to play the banjo, but refrains from doing so :wink:

Banjo, like ukulele, is best played on the instrument itself, because of the duality of the sound quality.
I know this is not of much help to you...

See if you can find a real banjo player on an on-line forum and do a collaboration.
Overhill
Established Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by Overhill »

Qharley, I'm absolutely agree with you :)

But you must consider that in Italy a good banjo player (a bad too) is really hard to find :)
And I need this sound only for a song or two, not more, and I prefer to understand how to do this on a keyboard :-)
It's for my personal skill, you know ;)

Anyway, other suggestion (but call Steve Martin, the actor, that is a really good banjo player)?
StudioDave
Established Member
Posts: 753
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:12 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by StudioDave »

Overhill wrote:... how to play a credible banjo section on a keyboard?... Well, my actual question is: is there particular scale to use playing banjo?
The playing technique of a banjo is truly weird. The tuning is re-entrant, and the picking is rather different from finger-picking a guitar.

My favorite solution: Tune the banjo like a 5-string guitar, then play it "as usual". Alas, this remedy is no help if you can't play guitar. :(

You might try loading a favorite banjo recording into Audacity and then use the Change Tempo tool to analyze and study the playing technique. It'd give you some basis for an imitation of real performance technique.

HTH,

dp
Overhill
Established Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by Overhill »

I'm a guitar player too (and drums: to be fourty has some privileges if you like music :) ), and googling on the Net I've seen the guitar standard last five string tuning for Banjo, but I think that this kind of tuning make no possible (or at least more difficult) some tricks.

Your idea of loading a midi partiture is really good :)
I can find the "dueling banjos" midi file and study it: tanks! :D
StudioDave
Established Member
Posts: 753
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:12 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by StudioDave »

Overhill wrote:I'm a guitar player too (and drums: to be fourty has some privileges if you like music :) )
Ah, you're a youngster. I'm sneaking up on 60. :)
... and googling on the Net I've seen the guitar standard last five string tuning for Banjo, but I think that this kind of tuning make no possible (or at least more difficult) some tricks.
Indeed, it will rule out idiomatic techniques, but at least you get the sound of a real banjo being played. Btw, this trick is an old one recommended by studio guitarist Tommy Tedesco.
Your idea of loading a midi partiture is really good :)
I can find the "dueling banjos" midi file and study it: tanks! :D
Actually I recommended using a WAV or MP3 in Audacity, but a MIDI file in a sequencer's piano roll view should do just as well. Dueling Banjos is a good candidate. Have fun !

Best,

dp
Overhill
Established Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by Overhill »

60? A boy!! :D
muchan
Established Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:02 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by muchan »

There are some site for banjo players offering free tablatures. like:
http://www.banjohangout.org/w/links/browse/m/byid/v/15
http://www.jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm

I havened played banjo, nor I didn't use tablatures, but the idea is simple, that
number tells what fret the left hand finger should hold, and rythmic notation is
same as normal music notation on 5 line stuff. So, you need to get the pictch
for open strings, and adding semitones of numbers on tablature, you get actual
pitch. Looking some samples, you may deduce the typical arpeggio pattern for
simple chords, then you can emulate it on midi.

muchan
Overhill
Established Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: How to play credible banjo section :-)

Post by Overhill »

Uh, really interesting sites! Tank you, Muchan! :)

I've found "duelling banjos" midi and tablature in one of them, and now I can study it :)

Bye
Post Reply