[Dixielandjazz] Question about Banjos for Trad Jazz

[Barb Jordan]

Thanks Ginny.
 
As I mentioned in my reply to Phil, I am seeking information and advice for my friend Jeff.  I bought him a 4 string tenor banjo for Christmas.  He is really keen to learn and now that I am reading all this great information, I am also thinking maybe I could try to learn as well.
 
I agree wholeheartedly with using YouTube as a resource.  I do this for my singing and Jeff does also for his avid interest in the music and the times.  His Dad was a friend of a guy named ( last name is Skully - I think) who was a Duke Ellington`s manager for a while.  
 
Jeff remembers as a kid a bunch of guys that would gather in his house from time to time and ( Skully and others ) and I he listened to lots of music his Dad played.
 
We were at The Bix festival in Davenport Iowa this past August and when Jeff heard a band play Barnacle Bill - he almost fell over as he hadn`t heard that since his Dad had sung it to him as a kid.
 
I just love hearing from you and others!
 
Thanks again and have a good holiday season.
 
Barbara 
 



From: Gluetje1 at aol.com
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:58:03 -0500
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Question about Banjos for Trad Jazz
To: jordan_barb at hotmail.com; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com



Hi Barb,
I know this in not the question you asked, but I want to throw in that if I were doing it all over again, I would first listen to LOTS of jazz banjo players which one can do these days via YouTube.  I would decide who I really liked to listen to and whom I thought did a good job for the band.  Next I would ask them if they teach and what tuning they teach.  (There are a number of fine jazz banjoists giving lessons via Skype or some such these days and that process works very well.)  Ask for their recommendations if they don't teach.
 
You know way more than I originially did already by knowing you would like to play trad jazz.  I played tenor for maybe 5 years before switching to standard plectrum tuning, trying to keep going with both for awhile.  When I switched to plectrum I did it because I like to listen to myself doing hours of practice more on the plectrum than the tenor, not because I had a goal of playing trad jazz.  When I finally realized how interested I was in doing some trad jazz  the challenge then became how I could learn and adapt on the tuning I preferred so that other band members gave me affirmation once in awhile.
 
Ginny
 
 

In a message dated 12/25/2011 1:41:03 P.M. Central Standard Time, jordan_barb at hotmail.com writes:
Hi listmates,

I know someone can answer this question:

What is the best type of banjo to get to learn how to play trad jazz music?  17 or 19 fret Tenor or Plectrum?


Thanks,

Barbara Jordan
Burlington, Ontario Canada