Arranging music for the banjo

[Richard William Ineson]

 All I  can say is that I'm glad that I'm a poor country boy who never knew that playing the banjo might involve 'a non eurocentric point of view', 'antiphony', 'call and response' etc. and I must make it clear that I am not an 'ethnomusicologist' or at least I don't think so, but I've been playing the banjo without any knowledge of these things for a long time without a lot of complaints coming in. I've got two approaches to arranging music for the banjo, number one is a simple arrangement of the tune with as much harmony as possible in the lead part so that it can be played solo if necessary (this came about from my days on the streets busking) ; number two is a more complicated arrangement style borrowing from the classic banjo repertoire, I use this when arranging tunes such as 'The Ragtimee Dance', 'Tell Me Pretty Maiden', 'Indian Summer' etc. Here is my arrangement of what were once 'popular songs' and which were often played on the banjo in days gone by. The intro is lifted from Grimshaw's ' A Footlight Favourite'.

[Joel Hooks]

I saw my ethnomusicologist when I had a case of antiphony, he prescribed a cream that cleared it right up.

[Richard William Ineson]

I sympathise, I had a bad case of cultural appropriation a few years ago which baffled a lot of people.

Joel Hooks said:

I saw my ethnomusicologist when I had a case of antiphony, he prescribed a cream that cleared it right up.

[Jody Stecher]

Last year I had what I thought was a case of antiphony but when I opened it there was a saxophony inside it.  Of course I've always been anti-phony myself, preferring honest folk.

Joel Hooks said:

I saw my ethnomusicologist when I had a case of antiphony, he prescribed a cream that cleared it right up.

[Joel Hooks]

But sometimes it is a good thing to-be-phone(y).

[Jody Stecher]

I have a Vega to-be-phone banjo... (Tu-ba-phone). Is that what you mean?

Joel Hooks said:

But sometimes it is a good thing to-be-phone(y).

[Richard William Ineson]

Here is another one of my easy arrangements of a well known tune which will be played today, in the UK. It's very effective on the banjo when accompanied by someone playing the bass part (not included here).