…if it’s only ever played with a banjo and a guitar (as far as I’ve heard it)? I’m guessing that either a)it used to be played with two banjos b)what I’m really hearing is a guitar and two banjos or c)its title is really all about two banjo players who clobbered each other with their banjos. Anyone know the background of this piece?
No cite but I am quite certain it was written for two banjos.
Why exactly does it need to be two banjos?
Because it’s called “dueling banjos” and not “dueling turnips”.
For the same reason the lyrics to “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” fall flat when sung as a solo part.
It was first written for two fiddles, and was called Feudin’ Fiddles.
It was transposed for two banjo’s and recorded for the soundtrack to the movie Deliverance on guitar and banjo.
Next on Fox:
When pop culture marginalizes already marginal pop culture.
The HeeHaw version you are thinking of was not the original two banjo version. God help me, but I can picture them playing it in my mind’s eye. I must go now…
Feudin’ Fiddles? The song was written by Don Reno, a banjo legend, and called Feudin’ Banjos. Someone (I think it was Eric Weissberg?) took the tune, which he thought was a public domain folk melody, and put it in the movie Deliverance. After the movie, Don Reno got a sum of money awarded for royalties.
I would refer you to Martin Mull’s legendary * Dueling Tubas *
There was a previous discussion of this a few months ago. After some back-and-forth (duelin’ cites?) it looks like the sole author of the song was Arthur Smith, and it was first performed in 1955 as a duet with the aforementioned Don Reno.
They were scared in Deliverance that if both musicians were playing banjos that it would look kinda, you know, incestuous.
Thanks for the previous thread link, it was helpful. I do think the piece sounds great with a guitar and I can’t really imagine it any other way…Also, the “dueling tuba” thing sounds hilarious…
Dueling Tubas IS hilarious…but it’s really a tuba and a trombone…
So why do they call it Dueling Tubas???
Since this is about a song, I’ll move this thread to Cafe Society.
Dueling Moderators!
Besides, Dueling Banjo and Guitar (or tuba and trombone) doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way.
When I get my other PC working again I’ll have to see how my Duelling Banjos sounds with brass instruments.
Nuts, didn’t catch that until it was too late. I was referring to a Duelling Banjos MIDI.