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Do you like Banjo?


danuniversal

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Once upon a time, I saw an eposode of the Simpsons. Homer's made a band, called "The Be Sharps", a parody of The Beatles. The complete history is a parody of The Beatles.

 

At the end, the made a Roof Concert...playing a song called "Baby on board"...

 

And they are using a Banjo...

 

Now I now I like Banjo...

 

Does the Banjo really sounds like that?

 

How do you play the fifth string?

 

Is there a Banjo with a "guitar" string configuration?

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What kind of Banjo (or banjo tuning) will give me a sound like that of the simpsons episode?

 

 

From:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo

 

Many tunings are used for the five-string banjo. Probably the most common, particularly in bluegrass, is the open G tuning (gDGBd). In earlier times, the tuning gCGBd was commonly used instead. Other tunings common in old-time music include double C (gCGcd), sawmill or mountain minor (gDGcd) also called Modal or Mountain Modal, old-time D (aDAde) a step up from double C, often played with a violin accompaniment, and open D (f#DF#Ad). These tunings are often taken up a tone, either by tuning up or using a capo.

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I love good banjo playing! There's a several different styles of playing - 'clawhammer', 'Scruggs style', 'Reno style', etc. There are even Banjo-ukeleles.

 

It sounds, from a YouTube clip of that episode, like they're just doing a simple strumming thing - I think your basic banjo would work fine.

 

Deering makes some guitar-tuned models, like this one (pretty expensive, tho):

http://www.deeringbanjos.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DBCS&Product_Code=B-6&Category_Code=SixTwelveString

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Banjo can be cool, in the right setting - although I have heard some Led Zeppelin songs that may not have been the right choice.

I say if your going to go banjo, get one of these. That way you can piss off the real banjo players AND the guitarists because you're getting more attention than either one.

 

 

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Aintree? This river don't go to Aintree. Y'all must be lost. :p

 

Yeah, I like banjo well enough. But I'd never attempt to complicate my life by trying to learn to play one. Geetar alone is enough of a challenge. But I have been tempted by a cheapo 6-string version that MF (or one of them) carries.

 

Back in '67 when Bonnie and Clyde was released, hearing "Foggy Mountain Breakdow" around the age of 10 or shortly thereafter, imprinted me with an appreciation for the instrument.

 

Basically a guitar with a built in amp. But I'd be more like to buy a resonator guitar first.

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What kind of Banjo (or banjo tuning) will give me a sound like that of the simpsons episode?

 

 

If I'm remembering right, that was a tenor banjo. Tenor banjos are typical of jazz, along with things like Dixieland or barbershop music, Western Swing, nowadays in a lot of Celtic music, etc.

 

As Vantango correctly said, there are various types of banjo.

 

The tenor has 4 strings. The original standard tuning for the tenor (or "tango") banjo was CGDA. These days, it'[s more common for tenors to be tuned GDAE (just as a mandolin, particularly in Celtic stuff) or DGBE like the four highest strings of a guitar.

 

There are, also, banjo-ukuleles and banjo-mandolins. I've owned both.

 

The 5-string banjo is more associated with bluegrass and postwar country music, though there were 5-string players in the very early days of recording (1890-1910) who played marches, ragtime, reels, etc. on the 5-string...Fred Van Eps and Vess Ossman were early 5-string heroes.

 

Several companies make 6-string banjos tuned like a guitar. The best is probably Deering. Very pricey, but excellent instruments.

 

Deering, in fact, even makes a 12-string banjo.

 

I used to play 5-string but all I have now is a tenor banjo (4 string.) It's a 1933 Gibson and is worth more than every other piece of music gear I won put together and then some. It was a gift, so I feel like I have to hang onto it, even though I'd love to swap it for an old Fender Tele and a good tube amp.

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The reason I bought a regular banjo instead of the guitar ones is because sometimes I like a break from guitar. If I can't think of anything to play on guitar, I can pick up my banjo and have a whole different instrument to mess around with

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