Hi all

I have been watching a number of classic banjo videos and, of late, have looked at how the 5th string is used. My initial thought is that it is not used that much.

The use of / need for the 5th string in clawhammer is pretty obvious. I know we are talking apples and pears here but what is the main use of the 5th string in Classic Banjo?

Thanks

Eric

   

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Capt. Obvious: "to play a 'g' note" ;-)

Sorry, the devil made me do that.

The 5th string was treated differently by different composers. Some used it a lot, some used it to give the banjo its characteristic 'twang' and some avoided it like the plague.

Because it is almost always used as an "open" string, it was often avoided as it cannot be easily damped (to make it hold a particular rhythmic value). This is usually the case for more formal pieces. For "characteristic" pieces, it is often emphasized or used a lot (along with other banjoistic tricks, etc.).

In many cases, the 5th string provides a break in a sequence of notes that allows one to quickly shift positions with the L/H. I use that a lot, even if the arranger hasn't actually notated it in particular.

 

For those who are not familiar with the way that the 5th or octave string is notated in Classic Banjo, have a look at the scales below.

The note with the red dot, that has an upwards stem and a downwards stem, is the "octave" string. The upwards tail has a single or double flag and indicates the note as being played on the open 5th string, and the downwards stem and tail denote the note duration as normal.

Playing the scale you will see that the octave string G helps in the rapid transition of the hand up or down the fingerboard.  Use the fingering EXACTLY as shown as this is the correct alternate fingering that allows a smooth flow across the strings and up the fretboard. Using alternate fingering helps with flow and speed, and using scales for practice help it to become "automatic" when playing.

The  5th string can also help with rapidly repeating Gs that quite often occur:

In the first set of triplets, Gs are played in a sequence with G on open 5th string, then G is played on the second string fretted with the 4th finger at the 8th fret, then the G played on the 1st string with the 1st finger at the 5th fret.  !!!

Practice soon makes these rapid runs of notes play easily with the use of the 5th string.

Although the 5th string is normally played "open" it can be fretted and the note is the same note that sounds on the 1st string when fretted at the same fret position, so repeating notes other than Gs can be played too.

Grace notes can be played on the 5th and the main note on the first 1st string

 

Confused?...  you won't be.

;-)

Ian brings up two of my least favorite techniques. That g-triplet sequence using the open 5th, the 2nd string 8th and 1st string 5th is no fun at all for my LH fingers. My picking fingers love it though.

Using the 5th for a grace note just doesn't sound right to me. I can do it...but my ears want to hear a slur or snap (hammer-on or pull-off). That is simply my BG training coming thru.

Also, it is yet another technique unsupported by my Tablature program. I finally got them to support alternate string appoggiatura...but only one string away from the target note, no 5th string.

Marc, just a suggestion, but try working past your grounding in American banjo styles.  As you likely know, in the UK, the 5th string grace note preceding the main note on the first string is a standard, yet potent CB technique, or "hook", typically used to catch the listener's ear at the beginning or ending of a phrase. It adds a bit of sparkle to the piece and is actually fun to play.

Morley used it effectively in pieces such as A Banjo Frolic, Senegambian Revels, Camptown Carnival and Blackbird, to name a few.  Tarant Bailey Jr. used it for comedic effect moving down the neck in Jazzbo's Holiday

Sorry Shawn, appreciated but not going to happen.

  1. I've been playing banjo 37yrs. I know what I like and what my capabilities are.
  2. I can perform the technique. I don't like how it sounds. If I need it, I do it or work around it (I should learn "Jazzbo's Holiday", it is a hoot).
  3. I'm not a UK player and have no aspirations to sound like one. I generally sound like me, oddly enough. ;-)

 

I am from the UK and one day I would just like to sound like a banjo player!

Perhaps it is your grounding in hand-bell that is holding you back. ;-)

 

Sorry, that was evil of me. Too much drama here at home, it is leaking out!
 
thereallyniceman said:

I am from the UK and one day I would just like to sound like a banjo player!

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