Thought you banjoists might like to see some of my fingerstyle Irish tenor playing by checking out You Tube. Look for Gordon Johnston. I've uploaded about 10 clips!
How do you approach fingerstyle tenor playing from a technical standpoint? are you a reformed 5-string player? do you use fingerpicks, nails, or bare fingers (my resolution is pretty poor)?
Your style is interesting to me because I'm a fairly proficient fingerstyle guitarist who recently took up the tenor banjo to better play tunes.
Lovely playing. Heard of, but never seen tenor-banjo playing with fingerpicks. Is this the "thumb-playing" style associated with Johnny Keenan among others or is that something else?
I'll echo what everyone else has said, lovely playing. Not just great banjo skills, but great Irish trad music. I mean the clips sound like great ITM played in a fingerstyle, rather than "excellent fingerstyle player plays ITM".
Um, reading my last post over, I didn't mean your banjo technique is not great, but that your approach captures ITM just as well as the standard plactrum approach to tenor banjo.
As opposed to e.g. a good bluegrass player playing irish music in a non-trad finegr style, which may sound technically good, but won't sound like ITM.
I think I'mmaking myself even less clear, so I'll give up now...
Nice clips, Gordon
Answers to some questions :
One thumb pick, two finger picks (each specially modified).
Am also 5-string Scrugg's-type player but technique totally different.
Johnny Kennan used the 'thimble' method which is a piece of pointed plastic tubing which fits over the finger.
The banjo is a hybrid - each bit from a different source.
Finally, why bother? After playing tenor in the conventional way for over 20 years I worked out this different method because it allows me to play what I hear in my head. I get all the triplets etc I want now with a minimum of effort ( whereas before it was hit-and-miss). I like it but I don't expect everyone will.
Lovely stuff! With my eyes closed, I'd have assumed you were playing with a pick - I'd just have wondered how you managed to get those little double stops to ring out so clearly. You must have very hard calluses or very strong nails to get the triplets sounding so crisp on steel strings.
How did you come to be playing tenor banjo fingerstyle? Did you drop your last plectrum down the back of the sofa one Saturday night and not have the patience to wait until Monday to buy some more?
It'd be good to hear you play a few slower tunes with that technique, a few bouncy hornpipes perhaps?
I'd be interested to know how you're executing the triplets, i.e. with thumb, thumb and finger(s),1 finger or 2 fingers?
Maybe this is the way forward for Irish tenor banjo? If it's speed someone's after, this method would probably be hard to better, but for articulation and overall sound I doubt this would be the best approach.
I haven't checked out this link yet, but I remember Gordon's Mighty Craic submission. Excellent playing. I think this is a cool approach to tenor banjo.
I have a friend who played flatpick guitar for decades, but recently switched to fingerpicks - thumb pick and one finger pick - for playing single line melodies. Once he got past the re-training, he could play cleaner, faster and with less effort. The only real down side I detect is a small loss of volume. This could be a slight problem with guitar, but with banjo who would notice?
I've just listened to some more of Gordon's cuts and I can detect a "fingerstyleness" to the sound. It's a slightly lighter touch with a little more dynamic variation than most plectrum players produce, along with some more subtle things that I can't easily verbalize.
Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Thought you banjoists might like to see some of my fingerstyle Irish tenor playing by checking out You Tube. Look for Gordon Johnston. I've uploaded about 10 clips!
# Posted on January 25th 2007 by jambo123
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Fantastic! Great tone and feel...
How do you approach fingerstyle tenor playing from a technical standpoint? are you a reformed 5-string player? do you use fingerpicks, nails, or bare fingers (my resolution is pretty poor)?
Your style is interesting to me because I'm a fairly proficient fingerstyle guitarist who recently took up the tenor banjo to better play tunes.
# Posted on January 25th 2007 by Alan B
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Lovely playing. Heard of, but never seen tenor-banjo playing with fingerpicks. Is this the "thumb-playing" style associated with Johnny Keenan among others or is that something else?
# Posted on January 25th 2007 by TradLad
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Amazing stuff Gordan http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dillardry
# Posted on January 25th 2007 by Backer
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
i watched one of these recently!
enjoyed it hugely.
# Posted on January 25th 2007 by DubChieftain
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
NICE! Repeat Alan B's questions, plus are you using thumb & two fingers? What banjo is that?
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by oldstrings
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Hi Gordon,
I'll echo what everyone else has said, lovely playing. Not just great banjo skills, but great Irish trad music. I mean the clips sound like great ITM played in a fingerstyle, rather than "excellent fingerstyle player plays ITM".
- Cheers - Chris
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Hello Again,
Um, reading my last post over, I didn't mean your banjo technique is not great, but that your approach captures ITM just as well as the standard plactrum approach to tenor banjo.
As opposed to e.g. a good bluegrass player playing irish music in a non-trad finegr style, which may sound technically good, but won't sound like ITM.
I think I'mmaking myself even less clear, so I'll give up now...
Nice clips, Gordon
- Chris
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
"Captures ITM as well as standard plectrum approach" so why bother with the fingerstyle approach? 1 pick seems more straight forward than 3!!
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by Newty
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Answers to some questions :
One thumb pick, two finger picks (each specially modified).
Am also 5-string Scrugg's-type player but technique totally different.
Johnny Kennan used the 'thimble' method which is a piece of pointed plastic tubing which fits over the finger.
The banjo is a hybrid - each bit from a different source.
Finally, why bother? After playing tenor in the conventional way for over 20 years I worked out this different method because it allows me to play what I hear in my head. I get all the triplets etc I want now with a minimum of effort ( whereas before it was hit-and-miss). I like it but I don't expect everyone will.
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by jambo123
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Well I think it sounds wonderful
Good for you for following your own path!
Avi
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by improziv
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
I like the sound too but it seems no different than a good player with a pick. If you learn to play with your feet then i might give some credit !!
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by Newty
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Nice clips Gordon. BTW are you still getting a tune with Bev now and again?
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by On Sabbatical
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Lovely stuff! With my eyes closed, I'd have assumed you were playing with a pick - I'd just have wondered how you managed to get those little double stops to ring out so clearly. You must have very hard calluses or very strong nails to get the triplets sounding so crisp on steel strings.
How did you come to be playing tenor banjo fingerstyle? Did you drop your last plectrum down the back of the sofa one Saturday night and not have the patience to wait until Monday to buy some more?
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
Very Good!
It'd be good to hear you play a few slower tunes with that technique, a few bouncy hornpipes perhaps?
I'd be interested to know how you're executing the triplets, i.e. with thumb, thumb and finger(s),1 finger or 2 fingers?
Maybe this is the way forward for Irish tenor banjo? If it's speed someone's after, this method would probably be hard to better, but for articulation and overall sound I doubt this would be the best approach.
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
I haven't checked out this link yet, but I remember Gordon's Mighty Craic submission. Excellent playing. I think this is a cool approach to tenor banjo.
I have a friend who played flatpick guitar for decades, but recently switched to fingerpicks - thumb pick and one finger pick - for playing single line melodies. Once he got past the re-training, he could play cleaner, faster and with less effort. The only real down side I detect is a small loss of volume. This could be a slight problem with guitar, but with banjo who would notice?
# Posted on January 26th 2007 by Bob himself
Re: Demontration of fingerstyle tenor playing
I've just listened to some more of Gordon's cuts and I can detect a "fingerstyleness" to the sound. It's a slightly lighter touch with a little more dynamic variation than most plectrum players produce, along with some more subtle things that I can't easily verbalize.
I like it a lot!
# Posted on January 28th 2007 by Bob himself