What's the beef with banjo players?

[Bobby D. Jones]

I grew up in a family of Bluegrass musicians. Had no bass in band, They would only let me play rhythum guitar from when I was about 10 years old. Shortly after I returned from the U.S. Army, I went to a Steel Guitar. A Steel Guitar made me the black sheep of the family.

I have played with some good Banjo players, And enjoyed playing with them.

If you want to drive me NUTS, Put me with a Banjo player who has bad timed rolls on the strings. "Feet take me from this place as quickly as possible and do not return this way again."

[Dylan Ritter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo2UIQvMPiw

[Brooks Montgomery]

…….

[John Macy]

Delusions of banjer…

[Craig Stock]

Great song Dylan, Thanks for posting that, were you on steel?

[Dylan Ritter]

Great song Dylan, Thanks for posting that, were you on steel?

oh no, but one of the styles that keeps me motivated. lots of contemporary good stuff out there .

glad you liked this one.

[Thornton Lewis]

Ok, I put in my seat time today, had dinner with the family, did the dishes, kicked back with a glass of wine and read this whole thread.
I missed the post where someone mentioned that,while both instruments mainly involve finger picks and a lot of "roll" like right hand obsessions, the normal goals are completely different. Banjo players (I'm mainly talking bluegrass banjo here,) love speed, steel players not so much. Steel players love sustain, banjo players can't really. Same with bends, hard to squeeze a bend on a banjo. Banjos are acoustic sounding, pedal steels... no. Banjos have probably thousands of years of tradition behind them, steels maybe 130?
Both instruments have never been anything but marginal to popular music ever.
So you have two sets of musicians devoted to instruments with totally different musical tonal choices that share an obsessive right hand technique and wonder why there might be friction?
I started on banjo and will always love it. I wouldn't give up the banjo on For the Turnstiles for pedal steel (yes I'm a frailer.) The sound and purpose in music of the two instruments are just so hugely divergent it's not surprising there are some haters on both sides.
And why does Doug keep posting "Edited"? What is that supposed to mean?

[Dave Magram]

Here's that great bluegrass pedal steel player, Doug Jernigan, with one of the masters of the 5-string banjo...

"She's Gone, Gone, Gone - JD Crowe"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7k6nhM ... rt_radio=1

Doug also toured and recorded with Jim & Jesse and The Virginia Boys, a great bluegrass band.

- Dave

[Allen Kaatz]

[Fred Treece]

No beef. It’s a pretty boring day on the forum and I just wanted to be viewer number 1,347,190 of this thread.

[Gerald K. Robbins]

As vewier 1,347,191,

I would like to add that no matter what things may look like, or sound like, there is still "nothing new under the sun"

But, keep on tryin'


bkentr

[Lee Rider]

Delusions of banjer…

One of my favorite Bad Livers albums! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWXCCXr ... uS6Bq5ZU9t

[Lee Rider]

Some of my favorite pedal steel players are banjo pickers. Distinct advantage because of the banjo rolls utilized.

[Gary Lee Gimble]

Talk to me dirty and make me feel cheap...banjo jokes....proceed
https://youtu.be/hugtY1LKV2g

[Bob Carlucci]

meh,, music is music, its either good bad or somewhere in between.. bad banjo players make bad music, good ones make good music..same as steel players.

NOTHING!!!! in this world worse than a truly bad pedal steel player!.. i would take a lousy banjo player any day of the century over a bad steel player..I have played long term with excellent banjo guys and we made great music as a team that encompassed many style and textures. The best banjo guy I ever played with [for years] also played good fiddle, guitar, and was a great lead vocalist and strong songwriter, so I am biased. He also played a little steel, but never really got it together 100%, so he gave me his Maverick in exchange for a 4 wheel brake job on his car!... He played banjo even in heavy, loud original southern rock tunes he penned, a style he described as "mountain metal", and the outcome was pretty spectacular in my opinion.. bob

[Doug Beaumier]

[Richard Sinkler]

No real beef here. But several years ago, I used to take a dobro to a bluegrass jam. Me, two mandolins, and six (yes 6) banjos. All the benjo players played all at once and NEVER stopped, even to let others instruments play. It's not really the instrument, but some of the players that are what I don't like. It's different with good pro players.

[Gerald K. Robbins]

No real beef here. But several years ago, I used to take a dobro to a bluegrass jam. Me, two mandolins, and six (yes 6) banjos. All the benjo players played all at once and NEVER stopped, even to let others instruments play. It's not really the instrument, but some of the players that are what I don't like. It's different with good pro players.

As a confirmned banjo player I would like to agree with the above.
That's the very thing that drove me away from BG jams, and back to folk and gospel songs.

What finally made a lasting impression was the time playing with an accordian. Turned into a battle.

From my perspective it's an ego trip to be the "main character", and banjos have an advantage when being played in an offensive way.
They come with their own speaker, the drum head. Then add a resonator, finger picks, and an uncaring or self centered egomaniac.

There's the beef with banjos.

Any instrument, including a steel or pedal steel can be offensive if it is played that way. A banjo can make that job easy.

Not always, but many times jams and some bands can sound like a large group getting together and all playing by themselves.

Funny thing, that's not "the way Earl did it"

[Dave Magram]

Talk to me dirty and make me feel cheap...banjo jokes....proceed
https://youtu.be/hugtY1LKV2g

Gary, that is an impressive version of "Raisin' The Dickens"!!
- Dave

[Gary Lee Gimble]

Talk to me dirty and make me feel cheap...banjo jokes....proceed
https://youtu.be/hugtY1LKV2g

Gary, that is an impressive version of "Raisin' The Dickens"!!
- Dave

Dave, thank you for the positive reinforcement. I believe out of the 10k + viewers on this thread, many would suggest otherwise….

[Ian Rae]

I haven't commented before because I have no beef with banjo players, but although I admire skilled playing, the instrument itself annoys me. It could be because I play an instrument that strives for maximum sustain, whereas the banjo (which is basically a tuned snare drum) is designed to avoid it. So I don't listen to it much, but neither shall I join any political movement to abolish it.

[Dave Magram]

Talk to me dirty and make me feel cheap...banjo jokes....proceed
https://youtu.be/hugtY1LKV2g

Gary, that is an impressive version of "Raisin' The Dickens"!!
- Dave

Dave, thank you for the positive reinforcement. I believe out of the 10k + viewers on this thread, many would suggest otherwise….

Gary, you are welcome. I call them like I see them--and I've always enjoyed your excellent (if sometimes, a bit "whacky") steel guitar and banjo playing (and fashion choices).
I played banjo before I played pedal steel, and I am a proud member of Banjo Players Anonymous--it's a "12 Half-Step program".

- Dave