Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with banjo

Is it a grand gesture to anonymously give a woman I think is beautiful a banjo?

Archibald Edmund Binns — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:09:33 -0800

Is it a grand gesture to anonymously give a woman I think is beautiful a banjo? At the beginning of this semester, I briefly was in a relationship with a woman who I cared a great deal about. It didn’t end well, and really, it couldn’t have ended well. We have nothing in common. But as it is, I still think she is beautiful, and I’d like to do something truly grand, both to make this world a better (albeit stranger) place, and to give myself some closure. I have three reasons for doing this, but by all means, do not feel obligated to read them all. I’m just typing them out to see how they sound outside of my head. Skip to the end for the real question.
A few weeks ago, I had dinner with a different ex-girlfriend. We’d been together for a few months, and had some really happy moments. I was very sad when things ended, and when I went to dinner with her, I admit that I was curious to see what she thought about it. But she didn’t think about it. It was if it had never happened, she treated me the exact same way she had when we first met, with lots of care and good feelings, but absolutely nothing of the deeper connection we once had. It hurt that she didn’t seem sad that it was over, even though I honestly would never wish any sort of sadness on her. It’s seemed to me lately that all of my relationships are like this lately, sort of formal, with no real feeling on either party’s part. Someone told me years ago that they measured their life in terms of the effects they had on others, and I can’t get that thought out of my head. So, here it seems that I have the chance to affect someone that I sort of secretly love in a way that seems fantastically random and kind of wonderful.
I’ve been thinking about the word serendipity lately, how it’s supposed to be the hardest English word to translate and all that jazz. I love that word, what it means, and would like to craft a moment of serendipity for someone.
Finally, and most selfishly, I can think of nothing in this world more beautiful than this girl playing the banjo. I mean, Christ, just that mental image of her sitting under a tree in spring sunshine, picking a banjo. That is something I would keep until the worms picked it from my rotting brain.
So, I’ve got a little extra money around, and I just want to do something grand. Something magnanimous. I realize this all hinges on perfect anonymity, but I’m planning on calling musiciansfriend.com to make sure that none of my information is on the box. I’m sending it to her parent’s house, where I assume she’s spending Christmas, so I’m even less suspect (and, to clarify, I’m not stalking this girl. I have no interest in her except as an admirer, this is probably more about me than about her. I looked up her address in the phone book).
My question for you: Is this really a grand gesture, or is it creepy as hell? There is probably some chance that my e-mail or something ends up on the slip, and is it worth that risk?

Others like St. James Infirmary?

Baby_Balrog — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:53:25 -0800

My band does a great cover of St. James Infirmary Blues. What else should we do that's in the same vein? Here's a bozillion .mp3s of St. James so you can get a feel for it. It looks like it's been categorized under pre-war blues. It sounds great - we do it as a three-piece... guitar, banjo, fiddle with three-part vocal harmonies. It plays well on the fiddle - what other tunes capture this kind of dark, painful sound in a blues way that translates well to string band?

Lend me your dirty mind.

ctmf — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:35:07 -0800

Help me make 'Cripple Creek' more R-rated. So this song is fun.

I can't help thinking, though, that it could be better. I need YOU to help me write rated-R verses for it.

Premise: Cripple Creek is kind of far away and a pain in the ass to get to. There is one good reason to go there, though: the girls in Cripple Creek are, let's say, easy. When you go to Cripple Creek, you'll get some action. Tell me what YOU'RE going to do in Cripple Creek, or maybe about the last time you went, or about the girl you have there.

Or, maybe you're a girl from Cripple Creek, tell me about yourself.

Bonus points for subtle innuendo, but that's not required. Yes, it's sexist. You can reverse the genders if you like.

Help identify a music video from MTV Europe

ciocarlia — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:46:56 -0800

Help identify a music video I recently saw on MTV Europe...70s style video with a female lead singer and a banjo? I recently saw a music video on MTV Europe, but didn't get a chance to catch the artist name or song title. It was shot in a style that made it look like a 70s TV show (think American Bandstand). The lead singer was a female, with bangs, and the song featured a banjo throughout. Any ideas?

While my banjo mandolin gently weeps

Kerasia — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:03:24 -0800

I have just been gifted a beloved and much missed late relative's 8-string banjo mandolin. The relative bought the instrument (used) in the early-mid 1970s and died soon after. Despite googling the universe I cannot find out anything about the instrument or maker. On the head it says "Wayne" in a horizontal scroll and then vertically underneath, "Dixie". I'd love to know more about the instrument. Anyone heard of Wayne Dixie banjo mandolins?

Banjo in China

dawson — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:06:13 -0800

A bid of a wild side multi-layered question. Learning the banjo. And doing so in Shanghai. Most people who travel (younger free-spirited types, work with me here) sling a guitar over their shoulder. I never could much play one, and want to pass some free time picking some traditional instrument...something I could drunkely 'jam' with other amateurs and maybe use in a classroom situation.
I took maybe 7 years of piano as a kid and can't play a lick. I love guitar but just ain't interested in learning it. Whatever I might 'learn' will be quite non-professional and rudimentary, so why not something a bit different?
I love the banjo, the happy sound, Pete Seeger and it's place in American folk music...
I guess, to cut to the chase...
is it as easy to learn as the guitar? would it not be cheaper to buy one here and take with? (I plan to make at least 2 more r/t's this year)
What's the best style/brand/model for a raw beginner?
Or should I just get a decent harmonica?
Or stick with the ipod...

How to transpose from guitar to banjo?

shesaysgo — Sun, 17 May 2009 07:08:31 -0800

How do I transpose guitar sheet music, not tabs, into banjo sheet music?

Make me sound good

creasy boy — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:32:38 -0800

Need help on frailing banjo shit What's this guy doing?

I've gotten a basic frailing pattern down of: pick a note; rest; strum the string; thumb the high string, as well as: pick a note; hammer-on/pull-of/slide/whathaveyou; strum the strings; thumb the high string. But what the guy in the video is doing is much different. He seems to have two basic patterns, one slower at the beginning and one starting around 1:10, and he seems to be drumming with his thumb and playing runs of quarter-notes, and my mind is much too slow to break down what he's doing and copy it. If anyone could tell me exactly what his right hand does in what order -- just the general patterns, I don't need the whole song transcribed -- I'd be very grateful.

I'm not so much interested in the notes -- I can figure out the left-hand stuff. I just want to practice his right-hand patterns and I'm absolutely baffled.

Yeah, I'm not a natural musician.

Linus Van Pelt and the answer to life

bondcliff — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:02:03 -0800

Help me find the Peanuts cartoon in which Linus says "The way I see it, as soon as a baby is born he should be issued a banjo!" I've actually found it here (the post from JohnGP on 10/29/2008) but it's very poor quality.

There's another strip posted in that thread, with Charlie Brown saying a similar line. That's not the one I'm looking for, but I'll take that if you can find it.

I have all the books, from 1950 up until the currently released one (1971), but for some reason it's eluded me so far.

All the strips are on-line here but a search of "banjo" turns up nothing.

A google book search of "issued a banjo linus" turns up some references to it, but not the strip itself.

According to the thread I linked to, the strip was reprinted in a Pete Seeger book from 1962, so I can only assume it appeared in newspapers before that date. If you can find me the date the strip was published I can then go back to my Peanuts books to dig it up.

I've been learning the banjo recently and when people ask me why I wanted to learn the banjo, that Peanuts strip I read as a kid is the reason. Ever since reading it I've seen the banjo as an instrument that promotes happiness. I'd love to find a copy.

Given AskMe's history of "Help me find..." threads I expect there will be an answer in about six seconds. So thanks in advance, hive mind.

What conditions do banjos dislike?

homelystar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:33:38 -0800

How can I store my banjo long-term to preserve the best possible sound? I have a hard case (not a soft "gig bag") and the instrument is in a dark closet. We keep the humidity between 40-55% whenever possible... I have a new-ish job, a toddler, a marathon to train for, and an online class starting next week. All good things, but combined they mean my 3-year-old, open-back Deering Goodtime banjo gets very little attention. Short of loaning it to someone who will play it regularly (I am trying to find someone), how can I store it to minimize if not avoid warping or other damage?

I bought mine tuned.

tmcw — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:29:29 -0800

Would it be way too expensive to get some minor work (installing railroad spikes) done on my banjo... in Washington, DC? (vs. 'the suburbs' ?) If not, any recommendations of general instrument guru shop guys? (also, if you want to convince me to go for a sliding capo or just the Key of G all the time, go ahead)

Looking to buy a mid-range banjo!

Lockeownzj00 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:37:48 -0800

Looking to buy a banjo. This thread was fairly helpful, but still not too informative.

I'm looking for a mid-level banjo that will last me. I'm an amateur musician and I don't want to pay through the nose, but I also want to buy a banjo that is a good investment and will not require replacement once I realise I'm "serious" (I'm a quick learner).

The Deering in the link is touted, but...to be frank it's rather ugly. Sounds superficial, but I also want to feel good holding the damn thing. I was looking around zzounds and found some interesting looking things but since I'm completely ignorant as to the technical niceties of musical hardware I really have no idea what I'm doing.

Other things: I would like it to possibly have the ability to hook up to an amp, though it's not necessarily required. Though it would give me the possibility to do all sorts of funky ass shit with it, which would definitely be a plus.

Thanks!

What can I eat with no teeth to speak of?

mediocre — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:40:59 -0800

Dentures dentures dentures! In stage one of getting dentures, what should I expect in the weeks to come? Due to a degenerative bone problem in my jaw, my dentist says that I have no option other then to get full dentures. I am 27, so you can imagine the humiliation involved.. and to make matters worse, I play the banjo.. Today, a matter of minutes ago.. I got home from having 20 teeth extracted, basically all of the back ones. Now my mouth is full of gauze, pain, and blood. When this is healed, I go back and get a second surgery where implants are placed for the lowers for retention and we install the uppers. In the mean time, what can I eat? I know nothing the suction limits, but does this include things like smoking "tobacco" pipes where there is no vacuum suction.. even if you are sucking on the pipe.. No straws, no solid foods to speak of.. all I have are my front teeth for cosmetic purposes and they are almost useless for chewing.. Should I get on a strict soup and juice regiment, or can I eat things as soft as cottage cheese? Any help is appreciated..

I wish I could shimmy like anybody at all

Ollie — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:18:45 -0800

Is a banjo-uke tuned like a banjo or tuned like a uke? Dilemma: I am learning to play the clawhammer banjo and the guitar. (Advanced beginner at both.) This is loads of fun, BUT: in addition to folk, old-time, and country music, I like swing and ragtime. Swing and ragtime guitar is never going to be something I can play (don't argue with me here; it's just too fast and the chord shapes are too hard). So I was thinking, perhaps I should learn plectrum banjo or tenor banjo; however, those are tuned totally differently from a clawhammer banjo and so would be like learning a THIRD instrument when I'm already struggling with two. So I was thinking maybe the banjo-uke, if it could be tuned like a clawhammer banjo. Any thoughts on this? Anyone here play clawhammer and banjo-uke?

Bonus points: anyone know the chords for "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate?"

What's the difference between a banjo and a chainsaw?

tmcw — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:39:49 -0800

Practicing & Playing Music in Washington DC: Learning the banjo without getting murdered So... I'm doing a (great) internship in Washington, DC this summer, and I'm currently buying a banjo. I know that opinions on the banjo vary, but I like the sound and the tonal possibilities, and I'm interested in learning another stringed instrument with different techniques than guitar & ukulele.

It's a Deering Goodtime w/ a resonator. I'm almost certainly removing the resonator to reduce the volume that much, but beyond that, what can I do as far as mutes? And how loud do these things really end up being? I'll be living in a subletted room or apt.

Bonus points for ideas on what to do with a banjo and some general knowledge (or a guitar and some advanced knowledge, and a ukulele and some novice knowledge) in the 'big city.'? Up till this point, it's been all dorm rooms, college shows, and once-in-a-blue-moon fantastic jam sessions. Are jams possible? Open mics stupid? Lessons expensive? Places to play nowhere?

Thanks for any information! I'm psyched to learn one of the most interesting/loved/hated/misunderstood instruments on the planet.

WANTED: 1 (one) banjo bear

Koko — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:23:13 -0800

BanjoBearFilter: Where online can I order a teddy bear (or other plush animal) holding a banjo? I would like to send a teddy bear with banjo to cheer up a relative who used to play the banjo in a trad jazz band. Google has failed me. Does such a thing only exist in my fevered imagination?

Banjo without the Inbreeding

Kappi — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:12:53 -0800

I'm a sucker for the "dying but smiling" feeling I get from the sound of a banjo. What modern/recent songs have banjo in them? I'm looking for things that don't fall neatly under the category of bluegrass - a pop/rock/alternative song that just happens to have a banjo rather than Bela Fleck/String Cheese Incident/Cherryholmes type stuff.

Corcovado Breakdown

Acari — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:21:20 -0800

What if Getz and Gilberto were, you know, cousins? Would they still have made beautiful music together? So I want to learn to play Bossa Nova tunes, but I want to play them on the banjo. The banjo is my first stringed instrument ever, and I'm still pretty retarded at it, except for my right [pickin'] hand [which has always been my favourite].

I looked around, and I found some nice youtube videos of one girl who does banjo bossa nova, but it doesn't really solve some basic issues for me.

Issues like:

-Is this going to be ridiculously hard?
-What, precisely, gives songs that bossa nova sound?
-What tuning is most reasonable? [my 5 string banjo has never been tuned to anything but open G]
-How can I make the end product sound bluegrassy?
-Why aren't these bossa nova chords in my banjo chordbook?

I can hear in my head what I want to do, but I just don't know how to get there on the banjo.

Assume as much ignorance of theory as you can bear without giving up on me. I don't mind if I have to look up every single musical term in your answer if it will help me in the end.

Banjo tracks?

Cosine — Sun, 13 May 2007 12:22:18 -0800

Banjo Filter: Looking for great foot-stompin', lightnin-pickin' songs, a la Phillip Roebuck's "Pocket Knife", etc. Suggestions?
Phillip Roebuck

What would you give someone who just got a banjo?

ORthey — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 09:07:30 -0800

Friend just got a banjo and I want to get her a banjo-related gift. Li'l help? A co-worker, who is leaving the office and the state soon, was just given a banjo as a surprise going away gift. She LOVES it and is learning some chords from a very simple book with accompanying CD, and spending all her time learning. She's a complete beginner. She loves bluegrass and other banjo-including music.

I'd like to get her a gift, and I'd like it to be banjo-related, but I just don't have any bright ideas. Fun accessories? A great book? Something else?

Toe Tappin' Porch Music

phrontist — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 18:50:23 -0800

I'm looking for artists/songs that sound like the slide-guitar/banjo intro to KMFDM's WWIII. I'm not really very familiar with bluegrass (is that even the right genre?) outside Bill Monroe, and none of his stuff sounds much like this.

banjo 101 for guitarists

signal — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 09:36:28 -0800

I have recently been turned on to bluegrass, and am especially in awe of banjo players. I play guitar and would love to add banjoesque picking techniques to my arsenal, and assume other players have already done so. Are there any guitarists who employ banjo picking patterns? Online instruction, tabs, &c.?

Help me install my banjo neck

smartyboots — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 17:40:08 -0800

I recently purchased a new neck for my banjo and am now filled with anxiety about installing it - that's major surgery! I'm especially confused about the truss rod. If I have a friend who builds electric guitars professionally put the new neck on my banjo will he know what he's doing? Is the truss rod what actually holds the neck on? My banjo was apparently cobbled together from random parts, so I don't really know what's standard.
Also, what about switching from a truss rod to a wooden dowel like in an open-backed banjo? It would involve drilling a bigger hole in the pot to accomodate the dowel - thoughts on how it would affect the sound. I mostly play through an amp anyway, so it's not that big of a deal but I want it to still sound like, you know, a banjo.

How easy is it to learn the banjo?

A189Nut — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:48:16 -0800

How easy is it to learn to pay the banjo? I have always desired to play an instrument - gave up piano lessons as a child and regret it. Someone told me the banjo is a good instrument to learn and easier than the guitar. True? Are banjos expensive? Would I need lessons?

How do I keep my fingers agile in cold weather?

Zero Gravitas — Sat, 20 May 2006 11:50:14 -0800

How do I get rid of stiffness from my fingers? I'm a guitarist who just started learning the banjo, and since I live in a rather cold climate, I'm experiencing problems keeping my fingers agile.

This is mainly a problem while playing the banjo and fingerstyle acoustic guitar, since the fingers on my right hand needs to be moving fairly fast.

When I spend any extended amount of time outside, the stiffness tends to last for hours after, and I therefore cannot play as well as I otherwise would. My fingers hurt and feel generally sluggish compared to normal.

Maybe fingerstyle and bluegrass simply aren't meant for Icelandic climes.

Any exercises or other remedies?