I’ve been playing clawhammer banjo for close to two years and I’ve been working on learning new tunes and at the same time improving my technical skills. I find that some songs are much easier to remember than others, even though they are require a… Read More
I really like Dave Landreth’s banjo playing. He posted this original on the YouTube the other day and this tune simply makes me smile so I thought I’d share it here. It’s got a lot of stuff going on in it. If you like it,… Read More
This is me practicing Spotted Pony. Key of D, CC tuning capo 2nd fret.
I’m playing my Nechville Altas banjo in DD tuning.
Back in late September I posted a few versions of Soldier’s Joy on this blog. I was watching a bunch of performances of it because I was starting to learn this one on clawhammer banjo. Tonight I recorded a bit of a practice session, so… Read More
Chickens a-crowin on Sourwood Mountain – Oh diddle di di diddle di do (or Hi ho diddle I day…take your pick) So many pretty girls I can’t count-em – Oh di diddle dee Diddle di do Climbing up old Sourwood Mountain – Oh diddle di… Read More
It’s time for a Daily Dose of Old Time banjo music. Today, let’s listen to John Brown’s Dream. I’d like to start with a video featuring Guy Wolff. Listen to him take off…fantastic! Here’s a version with a bit of a different flavour featuring Riley… Read More
Old Joe Clark is a well-known old time tune from Kentucky. It is played in mixolydian mode in which the 7th note in the scale is lowered a half-tone, giving it what Aubrey Atwater refers to in the video below as that “Old Joe Clark-y”… Read More
I find the hardest thing about learning an instrument is keeping the songs I learn in my head. On button accordion, I’ve found I can keep the ones I play all the time in my little brain no problem, but if I stop playing one… Read More
Regular visitors to this joint know I’ve been trying to learn clawhammer banjo on my home-made oilcan banjos. Well, in a moment of madness I recently purchased an honest to god store-bought banjo. I bought it at the 12th Fret here in Toronto. I was… Read More
27th Street 