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Permalink Reply by Jason Hitesman on November 17, 2010 at 10:16am

Funny you bring this up as I've been thinking along the same lines lately. When my daughter was born back in May my parents visited and my dad was amazed at how much I'd figured out to do with just 3 strings on my CBG (thanks in no small part to your CD and others here on the nation!) In fact he was impressed enough that he offered me one of his banjos...which I initially declined - but upon learning that he had sold the banjo I remember him owning when I was growing up and the one he was offering me wasn't that one but a new barely played GoldTone I ended up accepting his offer.

So for the past month or two I've been working on learning Banjo - and was immediately struck by the similarities between the Banjo and my 3 string CBG since they're both open tuning! There are some differences stylistically between how they're played - but overall there's a lot more in common between them than there is different I've found.

I also found that I could fairly easily adapt a lot of what I've been doing on the 3 string to work on the Banjo. While most of that stuff may make bluegrass fans cringe It's quite a bit of fun for me to be able to take what I've learned on the 3 string CBG and hear it on a "real" instrument.

Bottom line is when I first accepted the Banjo I was worried about it causing me confusion in trying to learn two different instruments - but thanks to the similarities it's actually proven to be very helpful for both. My CBG experience is making the banjo a lot easier to learn and the things I'm learning on the Banjo are improving my CBG playing. Plus I finally picked up some finger picks and love what they've done for my CBG sound and volume ;)

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Permalink Reply by HERMIT on November 17, 2010 at 12:19pm

I would like to thank you for the ADF# tuning. its opened new doors for me in playing style and a wider range of music.....
kind regards
hermit

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Permalink Reply by Ben on November 17, 2010 at 12:22pm

Hey Keni Lee,
I know that we tend to comment on the same "How do you chord..." posts and we tend to talk about open tunings and I usually follow a logic towards 5-string banjo tunings. I'm curious about your tenor banjo/guitar comment though. These tenor instruments are not traditionally tuned to open chords but instead in 5ths (CGDA like a viola). The other option I'm aware of is the "Chicago" style tuning for 6-string players who want to play a tenor guitar (DGBe like the top 4 strings of a 6er). Did you find another traditional way of tuning the tenors? (I admit I haven't watched the video...yet). Please note that I'm not picking a fight, just wondering how I didn't know of a traditional open tenor tuning before.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on November 17, 2010 at 4:40pm

Thank you Ben for your comment. I believe you are totally correct in regards to traditonal tenor tuning. Notice the traditional is only in front of the word "banjo". My approach of tuning a tenor banjo / guitar to open G Dgbd comes from appying my knowledge to the instrument. My point is simply that it is not necessary to learn all new fingerings to play a wide variety of instruments. If you restring an instrument, and retune it to a tuning that you have a working knowledge of, you can get the unique tone the instrument offers. A ukulele can be open tuned too. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on November 17, 2010 at 4:45pm

Thank you Hermit for your comment. In addition to the Key of C chords, I will be posting lessons for the keys of D, G , A, and E. Also 7th and m7th chords. I think the whole series will provide a good foundation for finding any chord you need in three different positions. Enjoy your practice and thanks again for your interest.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on November 17, 2010 at 5:00pm

Thank you Jason for your comment. Yes, you are exactly on the right track in my mind. Certainly, due to the unique high open drone string found on a banjo, the picking patterns are different than on a guitar that has bass strings, but the chords are definitely the same. I play banjo too, but certainly not like a Bluegrass player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRmhVsd2404
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsWcvh10w1Y
The point is like I stated, there are direct simularities between tunings. If you can see them, you can take advantage of your already exsisting knowledge. You don't need, like you clearly understand, a whole new set of fingerings and chords.
Did you see my blog?
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/triads-exploring-the-b...
Enjoy your practice and thanks again for your interest.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on November 18, 2010 at 12:06am

Gotcha. Let's not discount the unique sound that chord voicings play though. (But yes...the world is balanced again...we share the same outlook on things...)


Keni Lee Burgess said:

Thank you Ben for your comment. I believe you are totally correct in regards to traditonal tenor tuning. Notice the traditional is only in front of the word "banjo". My approach of tuning a tenor banjo / guitar to open G Dgbd comes from appying my knowledge to the instrument. My point is simply that it is not necessary to learn all new fingerings to play a wide variety of instruments. If you restring an instrument, and retune it to a tuning that you have a working knowledge of, you can get the unique tone the instrument offers. A ukulele can be open tuned too. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on November 18, 2010 at 1:33am

Great help Keni, hits home for me as I felt I had kind of "hit a wall" from trying to play to many various intruments. Now if you can just tutor me on improving my claw hammer technique.... LOL! I have wanted for so long to become better at a "blues style" banjo technique and you have me headed back on the right track I believe. Bless you sir!

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on November 18, 2010 at 1:44am

Thank you Ben for responding. Yes, definitely each tuning offers it own unique voice too. Currently, I am working with a system of movable chords based on a 513 interval, but there are five other possibilities too, that can be used as a basis for building a moveable chord system: 531, 315, 351, 135, 153. Talk about options! Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on November 18, 2010 at 1:57am

Thank you Mark for your response. I play around with clawhammer technique from time to time, but mainly wearing fingerpicks, I am conditioned to upstroking with my fingers. LOL I play banjo from time to time too, but nothing related in style to traditional Bluegrass banjo. Certainly the picking patterns are different on banjo than they are on the guitar due to that high drone 5th string, but the gDgbd tuning is very similar to the guitar DGDgbd in Open G. So, this is why I am very fond of the banjitar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F89Gr_OyTwo
There are so many options, but certainly applying a similar approach to different instruments is a great way to have a variety of sound, but not a lot of confusion.
Enjoy your practice.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on November 18, 2010 at 6:50am

Right after I left that comment and shut down to get to work, I had an epiphany.
My aha moment was the realization that I could set up a four stringer just like my banjo tuning for practice, and at the same time "fix" another problem.
Anyone who has tried to learn an instrument knows how annoying a household can become while practicing the same lick, phrase or technique again, and again...... Well its three times as bad with certain instruments. Fiddle and Banjo certainly come to mind. Yes, I can remove the resonator, and even stuff a towel inside, but I dont even like to change tunings, just want to pick it up and play you know?
So I have just what I needed! Another motivation to build yet another project! (Like I needed an excuse. really!)
But I can just throw together an acoustic four stringer and I might even purposely build it to be muted......... Just for practice.
Now Keni throws these additional tuning ideas at me and I want to build one of each............. LOL!
Oh and the banjitar video is good too, thanks for the link!

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on November 18, 2010 at 9:27am

Thank you Mark for your response. Yes, the possibilities are endless. Necessity...The mother of invention. There is an early 3 string banjo from Africa that might interest you. Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY56zfyJsPw

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