Clifton Hicks

Q&A: Neck Angle on Mountain Banjos & "Nylons on a Goodtime?"

Justin asks me all about the concept of "neck angle" as it pertains to traditional banjo building and Will asks about converting his Goodtime to nylon strings: Pros vs. Cons and Considerations!

https://www.patreon.com/cliftonhicks

2018-03-11 22:08:49 +0000 UTC View Post

John Haywood | Artist & Banjo Picker from Knott County

Here's another nice short film; this one's all about John Haywood.

"Video Portrait of John Haywood by Derek Poore shot on location at the Confluence of Little Doubles, Big Doubles, and Buffalo Creeks in Knott County in Southeast Kentucky." 

George Gibson & John Haywood | Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship

Good morning everybody:

George R. Gibson and John Haywood talk about banjo playing etc. for the Kentucky Arts Council. George shows us a simple demonstration of Morphine and later breaks out (what I would call) his "extra-fancy square dance shuffle" on a pretty hot rendition of Hook & Line. 

Watch closely: in th...

Q&A: Finding New Songs & Avoiding "Typewriter Banjo"

Nathan sent us a great multi-component question that I found quite challenging--especially the last part!

Digital Library of Appalachia: http://dla.acaweb.org/

Lomax Kentucky Recordings: http://lom...

A Note on Banjo Songs

A well-known banjo virtuoso and alleged folklorist (who seldom sings) once told me something along the lines of: 

"I don't sing because most of those old songs are just random verses people sang as a way of remembering the tune. They cared more about the tune than the words." 

I now realize that the above asser...

Conversation with Art Rosenbaum

"My interest has always been in the older layers of the tradition, and not solely because they are interesting  links with the past. Whenever they’re performed in the voices and with  the hands of gifted singers and musicians, they are not just artefacts of the past – they are a living, ongoing art form…and a ver...

Q&A: Banjo Blueprints & Learning to Sing

CJ is building his own banjo at home and asks about where to find blue prints and what parts to order vs. make yourself. Jonas is learning to sing with his banjo and asks for a bit more guidance on that issue.

https://www.patreon.com/cliftonhicks

Q&A | "Right" and "Wrong" Banjo Music?

Curtis asks for some insight on how to learn a new song by ear: "do I think in terms of musical notation or what?" And what's with all this "Right" and "Wrong" that many so-called banjo experts are obsessed with?

Bill Cornett's "Morphine" & Other Lost Recordings

I possess copies of two home tape recordings made by Banjo Bill Cornett in which he and others sing, talk and play the banjo.

The tapes that I was given appear to contain most of the tracks released on "The Lost Recordings of Banjo Bill Cornett" (Field Recorders' Collective 2005) AND several tracks which, for unknown reasons, ...

"Cumberland Gap" Performance

I figured out this way of playing Cumberland Gap after listening to Lee Sexton's album "Whoa Mule!" (June Appal Recordings 1988) and his uncle Morgan Sexton's 1992 "Shady Grove."

According to his album's liner notes, Morgan tuned to dCGDF when he recorded his version. I use Lee's more typical fDGCD tuning instead, here tuned 3...

Rick Ward | Luthier & Double-Knock Picker

Let's take a few minutes to honor Watauga County, NC folk musician and instrument builder Rick Ward. Rick's distinct "double knock" style of playing goes hand-in-hand with the unique instrument building tradition he inherited from his grandfather Tab Ward. His album of traditional banjo songs and ballads "Keeping the Tradition" ...

Let's Talk About Wood!

In this video I talk about walnut, maple, cherry, oak and poplar--several commonly available hardwoods that are suitable for banjo building. 

I find that certain woods are better-suited to different parts of the banjo for both structural and auditory reasons. And I'll talk about some of the more interesting qualities of R...

Banjo Building Basics

I built my first banjo at the age of 16 with the help of my father and the book Foxfire 3: Animal Care, Banjos and Dulcimers, Hide Tanning &c. If you're interested in gourd banjos, those are covered in Foxfire 6.

We'll go over how that first banjo of ours went vs. the instruments Robyn and I are building ...

Banjo History | Important New Book

Soon to be published by University of Illinois Press:

"Inspired by Dena Epstein, this is the first book to  use a holistic approach in exploring the history of the banjo; it is an  excellent compilation of articles for those interested in the music of  Africa and the Americas."--Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje, author...

Fanning Up the Neck | Slowed Down & Up Close

(Tuning is fCFBbC, two frets below gDGCD)

Here's another look at how we "fan up the neck" as a way of adding another layer of rhythmic and visual character to our banjo playing.

I'll start by playing the first part of the tune, then transitioning back-and-forth between fanning and up-picking a few times. Towar...

Fanning Up the Neck

fCFB♭C (relative gDGCD) up-picking/up-stroke 

The last time yall saw me I was playing "Gospel Plow/Hold On" in which I used this showy rhythmic technique. Fanning up the neck is one way that early banjo players added more variety to their performances, which were often solo.

George Gibson, Leroy Troy, John Haywood...

Gospel Plow/Hold On | Right Hand

fCFB♭C (relative gDGCD) up-picking/up-stroke

Here's the basic right hand work for Gospel Plow/Hold On.

Gospel Plow/Hold On | Left Hand

  fCFB♭C (relative gDGCD) up-picking/up-stroke 

Here's a slowed down close up view of the left hand playing Hold On!
 

Banjo Instrumental by Dee Hicks

Sounds like up-picking with lots drop-thumbs and brushing to fill in as he notes high up the neck on this beautiful piece of music. Lots of other great recordings (and plenty of photos and good writing) to be found on this website: www.sandrockrecordings.com 

Sounds like I need to revisit our up-picking session with a vid...

"Gospel Plow/Hold On!" Basic Melody, Lyrics & Tab

fCFB♭C (relative gDGCD) up-picking/up-stroke 

In response to one or two requests here is what I call Hold On! played out of gDGCD. The part where I "walk the fingerboard" is merely rhythmic filler--my own personal expression of the song. I encourage you to play it this way if you like, or come up with your own ve...

Pretty Polly | Instrumental Run (right hand)

Here's the right hand playing that same gDGCD instrumental run as shown previously. This string of notes could probably be inserted into a number of other similar-sounding songs.

(Filmed by Robyn M. Latham)

Pretty Polly | Instrumental Run (left hand)

Here's another view of the left hand playing the notes for Pretty Polly (gDGCD). After playing the basic melody of the song to orient us I go into this simple "bluesy" run which involves noting the 1st + 2nd strings at the fifth fret with some repeated drop-thumbing (look out for the right hand close up soon).

Basic Up-Picking/"Seeger Style"

(relative gCGCD)

Here's the basics of old school, traditional up-picking. This archaic style was most recently popularized by Pete Seeger in his 1950s banjo tutors. Other great up-stroke banjo players are Matt Kinman, Roscoe Holcomb and (my personal favorite) Creed Birchfield of Roan Mountain, Tennessee. 

Tell me wh...

Singing: In-Depth Discussion

Let's keep talking about "Singing!" Many of yall's comments and interactions on this subject have been thought-provoking to say the least. In this clip I talk over some of my deeper thoughts and memories concerning the ancient art of song.7

This is another whopper of a subject that I look forward to hearing about from YOU.

Questions from Andrew about "Singing!"

 Andrew asks about how I've worked to develop my singing voice over the years and who some of my influences might be.

I will revisit this subject in a longer, more in-dept video SOON.

"Poor Benny" Performance & Discussion

(Banjo is tuned one full step below gCGCD)

Our recent discourse on the rhythmic possibilities of two-finger picking brought my mind back to this wonderful old song. The "waltz" picking pattern I use here is a mixture of both thumb-lead and index-lead (with the latter being mainly a plain guitar-style strum).  2018-02-25 18:39:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Two-Finger Waltz Picking?

(banjo is tuned to gCGCD, relative)

David recently asked if there are any other rhythmic possibilities with a two-finger, thumb-lead playing style besides the typical "bum-ditty" pattern.  A three-count waltz-like rhythm is one example that comes to mind. I yall want to, we can look at a number of different examples of th...

Questions from Sideshow, Kit & Ian

 Kit asks about how to fix up a set of old friction tuners and Ian asks me all about lyrics and songs (i.e. what's the deal with "migrating" lyrics and when should or shouldn't we incorporate our own original verses/arrangements?).

Pretty Polly | Left Hand

Here's a look at the basic left hand work on "Pretty Polly" gDGCD, close to how I learned it from George Gibson of Knott County, Kentucky, more than 20 years ago.

"Pretty Polly" Slowed Down & Up Close (right hand)

Here's the next part of our "Pretty Polly" series. Tuning is relative gDGCD, thumb-lead, two-finger picking style.