Following someone's suggestion I have now placed some examples of my fingerstyle tenor playing (+ a nice photo) on the 'mightycraic' website.
cheers
Gordon
Very nice ! This works much better than I would have expected. I don't think the sound is all that different from the standard plectrum approach. At least I wouldn't have heard the tracks and thought "hey that's finger style banjo". I would have thought "that's pretty good banjo,playing" though
I take it you still use one of the normal tenor tunings ? I would imagine open tunings to be more limiting as far as session playing goes due to all the key changes.
Thanks all for your kind remarks.
I use regular Irish tuning - it never makes sense to have any other if you want to take part in a session! (Although I occasionally raise the G string up to A). I use heavy duty, straightened-out plastic fingerpicks and a 'Speed-pick' thumb pick. A wider-than-average string spacing allows me to execute triplets by picking any string with the thumb and two fingers. Took a lot of practice to get this bit!
Gordon
Thought you banjoists might like to see fingerstyle tenor playing by checking out You Tube - look for Gordon Johnston.
I've uploaded about 10 clips!
cheers
Fingerstyle Irish tenor
Fingerstyle Irish tenor
Following someone's suggestion I have now placed some examples of my fingerstyle tenor playing (+ a nice photo) on the 'mightycraic' website.
cheers
Gordon
# Posted on November 8th 2005 by jambo123
Re: Fingerstyle Irish tenor
Very nice ! This works much better than I would have expected. I don't think the sound is all that different from the standard plectrum approach. At least I wouldn't have heard the tracks and thought "hey that's finger style banjo". I would have thought "that's pretty good banjo,playing" though
I take it you still use one of the normal tenor tunings ? I would imagine open tunings to be more limiting as far as session playing goes due to all the key changes.
Cheers - Chris
# Posted on November 8th 2005 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Fingerstyle Irish tenor
I could listen to that all day.
# Posted on November 8th 2005 by halfirish
Re: Fingerstyle Irish tenor
That's very tasty banjo work Gordon .. what exactly do you have in/on your fingers to create this ?
# Posted on November 8th 2005 by Red Robin
Re: Fingerstyle Irish tenor
And how's you get them triplets with fingerstyle?? Very nice. I'll look forward to "Playing Irish Fingerstyle Banjo" book and CD from you
# Posted on November 9th 2005 by TaoCat
Re: Fingerstyle Irish tenor
Thanks all for your kind remarks.
I use regular Irish tuning - it never makes sense to have any other if you want to take part in a session! (Although I occasionally raise the G string up to A). I use heavy duty, straightened-out plastic fingerpicks and a 'Speed-pick' thumb pick. A wider-than-average string spacing allows me to execute triplets by picking any string with the thumb and two fingers. Took a lot of practice to get this bit!
Gordon
# Posted on November 10th 2005 by jambo123
Re: Fingerstyle Irish tenor
Thought you banjoists might like to see fingerstyle tenor playing by checking out You Tube - look for Gordon Johnston.
I've uploaded about 10 clips!
cheers
# Posted on January 25th 2007 by jambo123