
Fiddle and banjo players
soak up a lot of what they know just from being around others who play the same
instruments in the same way. Ancillary instruments
at old-time jams may include guitar, mandolin, dulcimer and upright bass.
One instrument that you don’t see much in old-time circles is the 4-string
tenor banjo, which is what I play. I don’t re-tune to
suit the mode or key, but instead use the GDAE tuning for everything. Depending on how narrowly you define old-time music, it may be fundamentally impossible to play this music (characterized by open-tuned fiddle and clawhammer banjo) on a 4-string banjo tuned in 5ths.
Frankly, I don't bother too much with semantics and questions of what is or isn't old-time. It's the repertoire - the simple melodies and sparse structures - and the act of playing these tunes for personal enjoyment and in the company of others that I’m most concerned with. Because there is no history or precedent for tenor banjo, there is no one particular style to emulate, however the process of learning a tune remains basically the same: you get the bones of the melody from the playing of others and it's up to you to add your own skin.
Frankly, I don't bother too much with semantics and questions of what is or isn't old-time. It's the repertoire - the simple melodies and sparse structures - and the act of playing these tunes for personal enjoyment and in the company of others that I’m most concerned with. Because there is no history or precedent for tenor banjo, there is no one particular style to emulate, however the process of learning a tune remains basically the same: you get the bones of the melody from the playing of others and it's up to you to add your own skin.
Enjoyed this post. What gauge strings to you use for the GDAE tuning? I'm new to the tenor banjo not I enjoy old-time music. Thanks. - Matt
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