What's the beef with banjo players?

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 26 Apr 2009 8:05 am

The musical phrases he played were derivative of steel guitar expressions. Example: there is one place where he duplicates the steel expression where you play your B to C# change using strings 4,5 and 9 and pedaling in and out every three frets....Get the song man you as a professional teacher and player would love it....Peter

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Apr 2009 8:22 am

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 26 Apr 2009 8:32 am

Richland Woman, Kweskins Jugband version available on Amazon. Just checked....Peter

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 26 Apr 2009 8:33 am

Doug, Sonny Osborne w/The Osborne Brothers, has recorded many tunes using steel licks. You'll just have to purchase their entire inventory of recorded material to find out which one. That means of course, plenty of listening appreciating, to some fine banjo picken. I believe Hal Rugg and Jernigan may be on a few of their cuts, so you shouldn't succumb to banjo asphyxiation too soon. hahah I believe one tune, not an entire solo mind you, has the lick that Peter described, its called Making Plans....

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 26 Apr 2009 8:46 am

The song I am referring to, Richland Woman, is an acoustic song. The banjo is acoustic, it has a mute on it which blunts the inherent nature of the instrument. On the Kweskin Jug band version of Richland Woman Bill Keith plays phrases which are reminicent and derivative of a steel guitar on the banjo. There is no steel guitar on this cut....If you are really interested spend the money and go check it out for a 1.00 on Amazon. Peter

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Apr 2009 9:27 am

Dave Magram · Post by **Dave Magram** » 26 Apr 2009 11:02 am

I agree with Gary. I love all of Hal Rugg's many wonderful contributions to the Osborne Brothers' songs when they were on Decca, but being such a huge fan of Buddy Emmons, I particularly enjoy the album From Rocky Top to Muddy Bottom, 20 songs written by the great song-writing team of Felice & Boudeleaux Bryant. Buddy makes it sound like banjos and pedal steels are perfect complements to each other.

Although he doesn't play any solos on the album, Buddy plays beautiful intros on songs such as Take Me As I Am and We Could. His backup on the slow songs is classic Emmons, and his fills on the fast songs such as Rocky Top and Georgia Pineywoods are outstanding. His uptempo outros on All I Have to Do is Dream and Love Hurts are worth the price of the CD--which is currently available on Amazon.com for $7.99.

I once asked Sonny Osborne about which pedal steel players influenced his playing, and the first name he mentioned was "Buddy Emmons".
- Dave

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 29 Apr 2009 9:40 am

What Pete B said...

And of course...

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 29 Apr 2009 3:07 pm

I have no beef with banjo players, but the only player I can take for any amount of time is Jerry Garcia. I really love the Old And In The Way stuff. Oh yeah, a joke, old but good: What is the difference between a 16" pizza and a Banjo Player...?

The pizza can feed a family of four. Sorry $:\$

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 29 Apr 2009 4:55 pm

When steel guitarists go to heaven they get the best steel guitar ever made and an eternity to play it to an appreciative audience.

When they go to hell they're handed a banjo.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 29 Apr 2009 11:30 pm

Why do steel players enjoy banjo jokes? 'Cause those jokes are very short and easy to understand....

Ulric Utsi-Åhlin · Post by **Ulric Utsi-Åhlin** » 29 Apr 2009 11:35 pm

Great stuff...it´s been said before,but here goes...
the 5-String Banjo is THE musical instrument the
rest of the world associate w/ Americans,forever...
but Americans have a complicated relationship to it ;
lotsa great jokes,BTW...McUtsi

David Bolin · Post by **David Bolin** » 1 May 2009 6:37 pm

Bobby Thompson played some really great banjo with Lloyd Green on Lloyd's album "Lloyd Green and his Steel Guitar." Steel and banjo sounded great together on that album.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 1 May 2009 7:54 pm

Gary Lee Gimble wrote:Why do steel players enjoy banjo jokes? 'Cause those jokes are very short and easy to understand....

Btw, Brad (as Bill Monroe called him, because "there wasn't room for two Bill's in his band") Keith did some great PSG work on PSG with the Kweskin troop as well! As I recall, he played a black S-10 Emmons....with a Zig-Zag guy sticker on the front.

Ray Shakeshaft · Post by **Ray Shakeshaft** » 2 May 2009 4:51 am

I played banjo for twenty years and I don't think that it is right to slag off other instruments and players ......but drummers are weird aren't they?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 May 2009 9:32 am

Ray Shakeshaft wrote:......but drummers are weird aren't they?

..not to mention Sousaphone players. Can you imagine what twist of the brain it takes to be content to play umpa-umpa-umpa all day long.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 2 May 2009 10:41 am

The problem that usually occurs when playing with banjo players, is that they, like mandolin and harmonica players, insist on playing annoying rhythm licks which get in the way of vocals or the other instruments playing fills.

If they'd just not play when they are not being featured, they would be better tolerated.

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 2 May 2009 11:03 am

Alan Kendall wrote:Why do so many steel players detest banjo players?

My Bad

This was waaaay too much Fun

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 8 Dec 2012 5:09 pm

Since there have been no posts on this subject for over three years, are we to take it that the anamosity towards banjoists has subsided?

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 14 Sep 2013 7:05 pm

Since I play banjo, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and pedal steel do I get to detest myself thrice ?

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 15 Sep 2013 3:27 am

About 4 years ago, I enjoyed a heated exchanged with Sonny Osborne on a banjo web site, The Banjo Hangout. Unfortunately, that thread/exchange, at least through my limited skills, was not obtainable for accurate paraphrasing. I recall Sonny had made a very brief comment using the name, "The Big E." Of course I knew he was referring to Earl, but I felt compelled to share with him, that there was yet another Big E. Sonny lost it, big time. He said there was only one Big E who had no outside influence with the three finger roll development and everything else that came with it. He added that as a teen, he'd hang with Emmons, but then he continued to basically reprimand me by noting there was only one E and wouldn't acknowledge one iota regarding any accomplishments Emmons had contributed to pedal steel, nahdah. Then I backed him in a corner with some facts. I pointed out a few recorded Osborne brother tunes where he played some Emmons licks on banjo. He conceded as I offered specific details of said licks but his arrogance did not subside. My overall impression with this particular thread and other comments/threads, his love for pedal steel is just about equal to the same perceived beef with banjo players....All of this of course, is just my fiddy cents worff....

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 15 Sep 2013 7:28 am

Dave Magram wrote:I once asked Sonny Osborne about which pedal steel players influenced his playing, and the first name he mentioned was "Buddy Emmons".
- Dave

Are you sure he didn't say "The Big E"?

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 15 Sep 2013 8:06 am

I wonder what Buck Trent would have to say on the same topic.

Sam White R.I.P. · Post by **Sam White R.I.P.** » 17 Sep 2013 5:02 pm

I was sitting in Playing my Dobro and the one thing that blew me away was those plunkity, plunkity Damn banjo's They come in and start the Plunkity plunk and drown all the other players out. I can not stand those rattle"y out of tune junk boxes.
Sam White

The Steel Guitar Forum

What's the beef with banjo players?

He Did

Its On Amazon For $1.00

Let Me Clarify

Osborne Brothers and Buddy Emmons

Re: What's the beef with banjo players?

Re: Osborne Brothers and Buddy Emmons