Let's talk about the history and music of the American Heartland

Visit our Sister Sites
CreekDontRise.com Home Page Visit our sister site, School of the Rock
Visit our Classic Train Songs Page
A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
 

It is currently Tue Nov 05, 2024 6:25 pm


To ask any question about the content on this site please use our Site Contact Page.

To sign up for this discussion forum, please use our Forum Signup Page.

Either way, we'll be very glad to hear from you - Paul Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for this discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:04 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 3:39 pm
Posts: 1004
A reader writes:

Since your article on making the best choice toward purchasing a six string banjo, two additional Deering Goodtime, steel string, open back, six string banjos are being offered, in addition to the Solana nylon string. I am sending this message to you to ask for your advice on the Deering Goodtime six string Jumbo banjo, with the Kovanjo pickup factory installed. I am 68 years old, and have played steel string guitar since I was 14 years old. I want to add a six string banjo to my instrument arsenal, and to use in my country - bluegrass band, since we do not have a banjo player. My guitar arsenal includes the following: Martin; 1922 0-21, 1992 D-45, 1998 HD-28 Custom, 2002 HPD-41, and my 2003 Andy Griffith Signature Edition D-18. I also own a 1964 Guild F-212, and a 1967 Gibson Heritage Brazilian Rosewood Dreadnought. Thank you very much.
current_instrument_a: acoustic_guitar5

----------------------------------------

Thanks for reminding me to add the Deering Goodtimes. The last time I visited that article, there weren't actually any in the store yet.

In a Bluegrass band, banjo typically adds a sort of sparkle in a high range, not many low notes. A Six string banjo lacks the high G note that plays ALL THE TIME and adds some of what people call the "ring" of the banjo, but a bigger issue is that it goes almost two octaves lower than a 5-string.

When six-strings were used for jazz a century ago, they were used to play the bass line as often as not, which meant that there was never more than one of the lower strings played at the same time. If you are in an ensemble of any kind and you play chords on your six string, the lower strings just muddy up the overall sound. If you flatpick individual notes on the low strings, though, they have a great growl, like the low strings of a Dobro. When I'm doing a solo gig with a six-string I usually either fingerpick it or do a flatpicking pattern that only plays the low strings one at a time. Think Mother Maybelle . . .

If you want to use the six-string to add the general impression of a banjo in a Bluegrass band, you need to think about playing mostly the top four strings, and playing them one at a time in say, arpeggios, whether you use a flatpick to play individual strings or fingerpick (wearing fingerpicks if you wish).

Now, personally, I love the whole range of the six-string, but you mentioned Bluegrass specifically, so that's my "caveat." For some people, a 4-string banjo tuned like the highest four strings of a guitar is a lot "safer" for ensemble playing than a 6-string.

Regarding the larger head, that will give more "guts" to the lower notes and make the top notes a little less bright. Again, I LOVE the gutsy low notes, and if I was in a "Stomp" band or pre-Bluegrass traditional band I wouldn't think twice about incorporating it. But that's not a traditional Bluegrass sound, if that makes any sense.

Not that I'm trying to talk you out of a six-string. It's become more acceptable in Country circles because of Keith Urban and other players, so you're less likely to get booed off most stages than you would have been a few years ago, unless you're in a "Real" Bluegrass jamboree or some such. Now if your band is mostly Bluegrass-influenced (NewGrass, Stomp, or some such), and you can figure out how to make it supplement and improve the overall sound, you'll enjoy the bejeebers out of it. As a Folk singer I have fewer fans who insist I sound just like Earl or some such, so I can get away with stuff you might not be able to in some of the more legalistic circles.

Hope that makes sense. Please let me know how things work out.

Paul Race
CreekDontRise.com
RiverboatMusic.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:34 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 3:39 pm
Posts: 1004
The reader responded later:

I see that you updated your exceptionally informative Banjo article to include the Deering Goodtime Six steel string. Since my last email exchange with you, I have purchased (to my very pleasant astonishment and delight) a Deering Goodtime Six Jumbo Banjo. I also ordered a Deering hardshell case, plus an upgraded "Smile Bridge" made with the rock maple & Ebony, both of which should arrive within a couple of weeks.

I guess that my first experience with playing my six string banjo with the group that I meet with on Sundays should not have been a surprise for my getting mixed reviews! To summarize, one band member made the comment that my Deering Goodtime Six jumbo sounded sort of like a "real" Banjo. This band member, and another, too, (both guitarist) clumsily tried to play my Goodtime six jumbo, and failed to achieve very good results! As for me, I'm enjoying it so much, I do not want to put it down!

Thank you for your advice!

----------------------------------------

Glad you're enjoying it.

Now that you've had it a few more weeks, are you still as pleased as you were at first?

Paul


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron




To ask any question about the content on this site please use our Site Contact Page.

To sign up for this discussion forum, please use our Forum Signup Page.


Paul Race playing a banjo. Click to go to Paul's music home page.Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you enjoy your music and figure out how to make enjoyable music for those around you as well.

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for the Creek Don't Rise discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel.



All material, illustrations, and content of this web site is copyrighted © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.

Note: Creek Don't Rise (tm) is Paul Race's name for his resources supporting the history and
music of the North American Heartland as well as additional kinds of acoustic and traditional music.

Creek Dont' Rise(tm) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.



Visit related pages and affiliated sites:
- Music -
Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
Visit musings about music on our sister site, School of the Rock With a few tools and an hour or two of work, you can make your guitar, banjo, or mandolin much more responsive.  Instruments with movable bridges can have better-than-new intonation as well. The Independent Christian Musician. Check out our article on finding good used guitars.
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs. X and Y-generation Christians take Contemporary Christian music, including worship, for granted, but the first generation of Contemporary Christian musicians faced strong, and often bitter resistance. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos.  Just trying to steer you in the right direction. New, used, or vintage - tips for whatever your needs and preferences. Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson.  Download them all for a 'period' album. Explains the various kinds of acoustic guitar and what to look for in each.
Look to Riverboat Music buyers' guide for descriptions of musical instruments by people who play musical instruments. Learn 5-string banjo at your own speed, with many examples and user-friendly explanations. Explains the various kinds of banjos and what each is good for. Learn more about our newsletter for roots-based and acoustic music. Folks with Bb or Eb instruments can contribute to worship services, but the WAY they do depends on the way the worship leader approaches the music. A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
- Trains and Hobbies -
Free building projects for your vintage railroad or Christmas village.
Visit Lionel Trains. Click to see Thomas Kinkaded-inspired Holiday Trains and Villages. Big Christmas Train Primer: Choosing and using model trains with holiday themes Building temporary and permanent railroads with big model trains Click to see HO scale trains with your favorite team's colors.
- Christmas Memories and Collectibles -
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site. Visit Howard Lamey's glitterhouse gallery, with free project plans, graphics, and instructions. Click to return to the Old Christmas Tree Lights Table of Contents Page Click to sign up for Maria Cudequest's craft and collectibles blog.
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.
Visit the largest and most complete cardboard Christmas 'Putz' house resource on the Internet.
- Family Activities and Crafts -
Click to see reviews of our favorite family-friendly Christmas movies. Free, Family-Friendly Christmas Stories Decorate your tree the old-fashioned way with these kid-friendly projects. Free plans and instructions for starting a hobby building vintage-style cardboard Christmas houses. Click to find free, family-friendly Christmas poems and - in some cases - their stories. Traditional Home-Made Ornaments



Click to trains that commemorate your team!

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group