ITM and clawhammer banjo?

For all instruments -- please read F.A.Q. before posting.
Post Reply
User avatar
Thomaston
Posts: 1285
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:43 am
antispam: No
Location: Auburn, AL

ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by Thomaston »

Ok everyone, I've been mulling an idea and wanting to run it by people here to see if it sounds like a good or bad one.
I played Old Time music clawhammer/frailing style on 5-string banjo prior to getting my first whistle and switching over primarily to Irish music. Since then I've taught myself a good bit of mandolin/tenor banjo/bouzouki and attempted flute and fiddle (off and on). These days I've settled into the combo of whistle/mandolin, and GDAD bouzouki at sessions.
Frankly I love doing accompaniment every bit as much as melody playing when I'm at the weekly session.
Lately I'm getting back into frailing again, and it has struck me that it can make for a nice accompaniment, at least for reels and hornpipes (6/8 jig signatures are a bit tricky). It's certainly not a unique concept, but most people tend to put more of an American Old Time spin on it.
I think it could be interesting to use it as a counterpoint style of accompaniment (aka Donal Lunney) with traditional melody instrumentation.
Now I'd never presume to try to use this in sessions as a guitar/bouzouki substitute, but it might make for an interesting set of recordings.
My crazy idea is to do exactly that. I have access to recording studios. I'm seriously tempted to make an album of ITM duets of various instruments with 5-string banjo accompaniment. I don't consider myself good enough at melody instruments to record myself, but I certainly have access to some fabulous players. It would very likely take a long while to put this together, including working up tasteful accompaniment that doesn't transform the tune into an Old-Time "fusion" type of sound. And, of course, making sure the tunes used are open source! But I have a fire in me to at least TRY it.
My question is, would people be open to it? Does it sound like something you might like?
Here's a couple of videos of Irish tunes on a 5-string to give a rough idea of what I'm talking about.

https://youtu.be/aLWwISrOY84

https://youtu.be/Z2S6TbvWxBU
brianholton
Posts: 329
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 2:31 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
Location: Melrose

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by brianholton »

is this of interest?
6/8 clawhammer technique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUvrRjBYnZE
User avatar
Mr.Gumby
Posts: 6603
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:31 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Location: the Back of Beyond

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by Mr.Gumby »

You may want to look up players like Lena Ullman, Tom Hanway and Dave Harper, who are doing things like that. There are one or two others I have seen/heard but can't think of the name(s), right now.
My brain hurts

Image
User avatar
An Draighean
Posts: 889
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:18 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
Location: Parker County, Texas, USA

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by An Draighean »

Thomaston wrote:My question is, would people be open to it? Does it sound like something you might like?
My first (gut) reaction was negative, but...

Thomaston wrote:Here's a couple of videos of Irish tunes on a 5-string to give a rough idea of what I'm talking about.

https://youtu.be/aLWwISrOY84

https://youtu.be/Z2S6TbvWxBU
After hearing those performances, I liked them much better than I thought I would! I was impressed.

I have always liked 5-string banjo (played Scruggs-style bluegrass for 40 years, and admired clawhammer), but didn't think they would be well suited for ITM. Possibly my prejudice stems from the time in 1976 or '77 that I found a 5-string banjo with a resonator in a music shop in Belfast (Matchetts?). Had an impromptu session of sorts in the store, but I had only just been introduced to ITM shortly before, and had a hard time figuring out how to transfer my whistle tunes to the 5-string.

At any rate, press on I say, if you can do anything like the folks in the videos.
Deartháir don phaidir an port.
User avatar
Thomaston
Posts: 1285
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:43 am
antispam: No
Location: Auburn, AL

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by Thomaston »

brianholton wrote:is this of interest?
6/8 clawhammer technique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUvrRjBYnZE
I haven't seen that video before, thanks! He's right that 6/8 is doable, it's just so unnatural feeling in this playing style. His heavy use of hammer-ons and pull-offs make it sound good, though.

Mr. Gumby, thanks, I'll look into those players.
musicaddict99
Posts: 46
Joined: Mon May 04, 2015 5:41 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I am interested in Irish music. I mostly play tin whistle but also dabble in other folk instruments.
Location: U.S.A.

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by musicaddict99 »

Didn't Tommy Makem play a 5 string banjo?
kenny
Posts: 1633
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:50 am
Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by kenny »

Yes he did, so did Luke Kelly of the Dubliners, but they both predominately used them for song accompaniment, not for playing the melodies of Irish dance music. I'm not aware of any recordings of either playing reels, jigs or hornpipes, but am willing to be proved wrong.
"There's fast music and there's lively music. People don't always know the difference"
User avatar
oleorezinator
Posts: 1625
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 1:21 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I love uilleann pipes I love tin whistles I love flutes I love irish music I love concertinas I love bodhrans
Location: Behind the anthracite and shale curtain.

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by oleorezinator »

A 5 string can sound very good for what
you're talking about. A friend of mine
would do that from time to time, Scruggs
style and claw hammer as well. He'd also
play tunes on it using all of the ornaments
that you'd hear on tenor banjo.He said that
the picking style for that kind of playing was
like what Don Reno used to do.
Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love.
Love is not music. Music is the best.
- Frank Zappa
dunnp
Posts: 1391
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:52 am
antispam: No
Location: Glasgow

Re: ITM and clawhammer banjo?

Post by dunnp »

Two recordings I've heard nice clawhammer "backing" on:
Piper in the Holler, Timothy Cummings,
Frankie Lane, Irish Dobro
And as already mentioned Buffalo in the Castle.
Post Reply