I’m a longtime guitar player. When I took up dobro a few years ago, I learned that the fingerpicking in bluegrass dobro was modeled after Earl Scruggs’ “three-finger” banjo technique. Some of the instructional materials I read had songs with banjo and dobro alternating breaks. This led me to start playing some banjo parts on the dobro and then later on the guitar.
I found that I really enjoy the sound of the banjo. So recently, I broke down and ordered one. I also bought Earl Scruggs’ book, which contains a lot of written music and audio examples of techniques.
But I realized that I don’t have much banjo music in my music library (banjo doesn’t play a big role in blues, which has my main interest on guitar).
I would like to hear from some fans of banjo music with recommendations of favorite songs and artists. Although bluegrass will be most accessible to me, I am interested in all styles. I’m already familiar with some of the classics (I can play “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and “Jesse James” on my guitar) and I have “The Essential Flatt and Scruggs”. TIA.
Not that his style will automatically assist you in getting that Bluegrass thing going, but you owe it to yourself at least to have heard Bela Fleck. His playing spans genres from jazz through light classical to country and bluegrass. He’s a consummate student of the instrument and has recorded with many genre breaking artists.
His group The Flecktones will have the most records available, but look for Bela spotlighted by himself.
More info about Kevin’s (Keb is a nick) love of the banjo. I have to admit that I do not know how much the banjo is featured on his CDs, but I have hung out with him and he will play banjo exclusively in a private setting.
I can’t agree with this enough. Bela is probably in my top 3 musicians of any stripe. He’s done so much on the banjo, and everything at such impossibly high levels of quality.
Incidentally, he was the one who played the theme in the Beverly Hillbillies movie.
I’m in a rush, but I’ll come back later with specific recommendations if you’re interested.
Find yourself a CD called “The Banjos That Destroyed The World”. It contains some of the most ass kicking banjo playing ever recorded. I’d provide a link, but they’re all sales sites. Just Google it.
Oh yeah, and check out Leela Grace, who plays a mean banjo in a duo with her sister Ellie. There are more CDs with her banjo stuff on the family page (Paul & Win Grace). I like “Banjo Pickin’ Girl” on the last CD on Paul & Win’s discography. (There’s no sound sample, natch.)
