Footlight Favourite and other stuff

[Greg Adams]

Thank you for your positive feedback regarding Footlight Favourite. I haven't had the time lately to do a lot with my fingerstyle playing, but have been reignited by this new banjo.

What's interesting is that in recent years I've felt as though I was only technically getting through pieces and not really communicating the musical possibilities that individual pieces have to offer. What's so helpful about the banjo Chuck Devinne built for me is that I'm finding I can work with controlling the tension of both hands in ways I was never really doing before. I feel like I can actually explore these pieces in more musical/expressive ways (i.e., tension and release of my left hand with chord formations, shifting, and scales, while my right hand fingers are able to attack the strings more fluidly). I still have a ways to go, but, in other words, I'm starting to feel like I can explore the music with a greater flexibility. The real trick will be getting my playing to a level where I am more comfortable performing it before the public (which I only do in limited ways nowadays).

In terms of technique, I am still going back and forth between nails/no nails with my right hand. I am mostly settling into using only flesh with my thumb, but have yet to find a zone of consistency with my fingers. I'll keep you posted on my progress if I ever settle into one place.

I'm really glad that these social sites are available to share our interest in this form of banjo playing.

Best regards,

Greg

[thereallyniceman]

The debate on fingertips, calluses, nails, picks  rumbles on. My harsh tone is direct result of the calluses that I have developed by picking near the bridge and using heavy gauge strings.  Even away moving from the bridge and picking more gently still gives the stacatto sound that I put down to my "segs", but that is the sound I like. Your banjo playing sounds like a banjo should sound right now. Chuck Devinne certainly knows his stuff!

I have never been keen on the sugary melodic sound sometimes produced when the banjo is played.

Please do keep the videos coming ( Emile wrote plenty more !! ), and keep us up to date with what you find best for the fingers. Marc Smith was trying a bare finger experiment on his Clifford Essex Special and would be good to hear how he is getting on too.

Ian

[Mike Moss]

Hi Greg,

I really like the tone you get out of that Chuck Devinne -- I take it it's a 12" hoop, right? I used to dislike 12" hoop banjos, mainly because I can't stand the "plunky" sound some Clawhammer players go for, until I heard what a properly set-up 12" can do. Your playing sounds focused and powerful, yet effortless. It sounds amazing.

I'm finally starting to produce a tone I really like (calluses, close to the bridge, + high arm rest to keep a high wrist and flat hand) but my banjo (a "classicbanjoified" Masterclone sans resonator) is completely dead as a musical instrument and requires a lot of effort to produce a big sound, so I end up over-exerting my right hand fingers. My JE Dallas banjo, in comparison, produced a big, sharp sound with much less effort, but I've had problems with the vellum slipping and such and I don't play that one anymore.

Anyhow, going back to your point about controlling musical expression, I agree entirely with what you say. It's all a matter of controlling and commanding the instrument with confidence; a good, responsive instrument is easier to control than a dull one, and a good level of technique increases our confidence and ability to get the instrument to do what we want it to do.

I have never played any instrument with nails so I can't comment... you can't have nails when you play the balalaika (in fact, the steel first string tends to file the index finger nail for you if you don't cut it yourself!) and I really like the tone of bare fingers on the banjo...

Thanks for sharing

All the best

Mike