Any interest for tenor banjo tunes on TradLessons.com?

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:53 am

I'm curious, would there be any interest for me adding tenor banjo tunes to my tune demo site?

While hiding out in my air conditioned office during the 109 degree heat wave in San Diego last weekend, I rediscovered my tenor banjo, which I used to play a lot many years ago. I'm having a good time with it, got to thinking I might add the instrument to the site.

Cheers,

Michael
http://www.tradlessons.com

Thomaston · Post by **Thomaston** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:36 pm

Well, I just bought a tenor last week, so my answer is a resounding yes.

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:57 pm

Sounds like a good idea to me!

-Brett

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:07 am

Cool, I'll start posting banjo tunes next week.

Cheers,

Michael

Jay · Post by **Jay** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:13 am

That would be great Michael. I also just bought a tenor banjo last week.

Also, please post more flute tunes. I like those too.

Best,
Jay

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:35 pm

OK, first three tenor banjo tunes are posted on the site:

The Mills are Grinding
The Sporting Pitchfork
The Plains of Boyle

http://www.tradlessons.com

Click on the "Tenor Banjo" link.

The instrument in the videos is a custom 21" scale Sully's Session King (resonator removed). I use a grey Dunlop nylon .60mm pick.

MusicalADD · Post by **MusicalADD** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:45 pm

I would be very interested in seeing tenor banjo videos that show ornamentation. Is it even possible do do rolls and crans, or something like them, on a tenor banjo?

The only ornamentation I've ever noticed on a banjo was fast triplets (if that would even count as ornamentation).

My interest is actually mandolin, but, I figure that any ornamentation that can be done on a banjo, with a flatpick, could also be done on mando.

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:06 pm

Yes, you can do most of those sorts of things, either with variations of triplets or hammer-on/pull-off sorts of techniques, but mostly the ornamentation I do is variations of triplets and slides.

I often do a simulated cran (I also play the Uilleann pipes) on stringed instruments by playing a DF#ED on the D string with the F#ED as a picked triplet. Doesn't have the full number of notes as a full cran on the pipes, so its technically a half-cran-like ornament, but definitely provides a reasonable facsimile of the piping technique.

For the next set of tunes I'll make sure to focus on some of these sorts of ornaments, at least the ones I'm able to play properly.

ImNotIrish · Post by **ImNotIrish** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:35 pm

Nice job Michael. I will be sure to make use of the site!
Really like that last banjo tune (the mills are grinding?). For some reason I think I know it by another name, but I don't recall...

Arbo

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:08 am

Also called "Tuttle's"

ImNotIrish · Post by **ImNotIrish** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:35 am

eskin wrote:Also called "Tuttle's"

Ah. Thanks. I just now learned it off of your site and am presently working out some variations.
Arbo

Domhnall · Post by **Domhnall** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:23 pm

I actually just bought a tenor yesterday, so another yes.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 1:46 pm

According to the Session, it is also known as "Flowers of Limerick" and is very much like "Paddy on the Turnpike" and "the Bunch of Keys" ... I do recognize it, and the only one of those titles that matches a tune that I'm sure we play is "Paddy on the Turnpike".

I don't have a tenor, but I do have a sweet old shorter necked 5-string that I hope to learn to play some on. I currently frail a few, or at least I did before the head went splitsville, - I have the material for a new one, and it's on my 'to do when I finish all the promised work' list. You'll have a couple of dozen tunes up for it before I'm back to study.

Thanks for more good stuff to learn with.

jpmcneely · Post by **jpmcneely** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:42 pm

Thanks for the videos! Those are excellent. I just returned to the banjo myself, but tenor instead of 5-string, as I had been playing.

Absolutely great of you to share your knowledge. Thanks!

danflyfish · Post by **danflyfish** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:37 pm

Thanks as well, Michael.