That's right, I'm the "official open-back banjo tester" for Elderly Instruments in Lansing Michigan (www.elderly.com). I don't actually work at Elderly full time, I just do this on the side. It's a pretty great gig b/c I get to spend time at the greatest instrument store on the planet and I play some really amazing banjos!
I thought it would be fun to put all these videos in one place and give the tune names and tunings I use - I've put them in reverse-chrological order. I love talking banjos and I'm more than willing to answer random questions you have about any of these instruments if you email me through the "contact" link above.
Note: Most of the time, these tunes are played one full step below where they "should" be (D tunes are played in C, A tunes are played in G, G tunes are played in F); for more on why, see the FAQ's (at the bottom of this page).
(....slowly getting all these on here...so this isn't yet complete!)
I thought it would be fun to put all these videos in one place and give the tune names and tunings I use - I've put them in reverse-chrological order. I love talking banjos and I'm more than willing to answer random questions you have about any of these instruments if you email me through the "contact" link above.
Note: Most of the time, these tunes are played one full step below where they "should" be (D tunes are played in C, A tunes are played in G, G tunes are played in F); for more on why, see the FAQ's (at the bottom of this page).
(....slowly getting all these on here...so this isn't yet complete!)
Gold Tone Bob Carlin BC-350 (posted March 2015)
Tunes Played:
1) John Riley the Shepherd - Normally played in gEADE, played here in fDGCD. I have a bit of debate about the key of this song: many think of this tune as being in A minor, but it sounds pretty great when chords suggesting C major (the relative major key of A minor) are played with it: click here for chords. Of course, to play along with me here you'd have to shift all those chords down a step (to B major). This tune comes from Art Stamper but Adam Hurt did a great version of it on his "Earth Tones" album (Much like "Brushy Fork of John's Creek" which was included alongside it as a medley).
2) Say Old Man, I Want Your Daughter - Normally in G major (played in "Sandy River Belle tuning:" gEADE); played here in F major (fDGCD). Inspired by Adam Hurt's version of this tune, I play it in the same tuning and do 3 (rather than the expected 4) B parts. Actually a pretty easy tune to play (at least the way I do it) but sounds pretty great!
3) Cold Frosty Morning - Normally in A dorian (tuning: aEADE); played here in G dorian (tuning: gDGCD). Definitely Irish-sounding if not actually Irish in origin - I've never met someone who doesn't love this tune!
1) John Riley the Shepherd - Normally played in gEADE, played here in fDGCD. I have a bit of debate about the key of this song: many think of this tune as being in A minor, but it sounds pretty great when chords suggesting C major (the relative major key of A minor) are played with it: click here for chords. Of course, to play along with me here you'd have to shift all those chords down a step (to B major). This tune comes from Art Stamper but Adam Hurt did a great version of it on his "Earth Tones" album (Much like "Brushy Fork of John's Creek" which was included alongside it as a medley).
2) Say Old Man, I Want Your Daughter - Normally in G major (played in "Sandy River Belle tuning:" gEADE); played here in F major (fDGCD). Inspired by Adam Hurt's version of this tune, I play it in the same tuning and do 3 (rather than the expected 4) B parts. Actually a pretty easy tune to play (at least the way I do it) but sounds pretty great!
3) Cold Frosty Morning - Normally in A dorian (tuning: aEADE); played here in G dorian (tuning: gDGCD). Definitely Irish-sounding if not actually Irish in origin - I've never met someone who doesn't love this tune!
11" Chuck Lee Dobson (Posted March 2015)
Tunes played:
1) Seneca Square Dance - Normally played in G major (I use "old G" tuning: gDGDE); played here in F major (fCFCD). This was a tune I learned from a fiddler I used to play with in VA. In addition to what I play here, I've figured out a high octave version of the A part, and a low octave version of the B part, which gives me a lot of variations for playing in a jam. I've always thought of it as a great slow tune, but a fiddler named Bill Richardson in Blacksburg used to surprise me by playing it quite fast.
2) Shoes and Stockings - Normally played in G major (I use "old G" tuning: gDGDE); played here in F major (fCFCD). This is a Henry Reed tune so it certainly got played in Southwest VA, though I've heard it come up around MI as well. Some people do an interesting chromatic note in the B part and I may do this tune that way in a future video.
3) Sandy Boys - Normally played in A mixolydian (tuning: aEADE); played here in G mixolydian (tuning: gDGCD). This tune comes up everywhere though I've noticed 2 big variations out there. My version is pretty close to what Edden Hammonds played on a CD I have, but theres another version out there with a fairly-different B part (...and theres also plenty of A part/B part switching to be found in this tune as well).
1) Seneca Square Dance - Normally played in G major (I use "old G" tuning: gDGDE); played here in F major (fCFCD). This was a tune I learned from a fiddler I used to play with in VA. In addition to what I play here, I've figured out a high octave version of the A part, and a low octave version of the B part, which gives me a lot of variations for playing in a jam. I've always thought of it as a great slow tune, but a fiddler named Bill Richardson in Blacksburg used to surprise me by playing it quite fast.
2) Shoes and Stockings - Normally played in G major (I use "old G" tuning: gDGDE); played here in F major (fCFCD). This is a Henry Reed tune so it certainly got played in Southwest VA, though I've heard it come up around MI as well. Some people do an interesting chromatic note in the B part and I may do this tune that way in a future video.
3) Sandy Boys - Normally played in A mixolydian (tuning: aEADE); played here in G mixolydian (tuning: gDGCD). This tune comes up everywhere though I've noticed 2 big variations out there. My version is pretty close to what Edden Hammonds played on a CD I have, but theres another version out there with a fairly-different B part (...and theres also plenty of A part/B part switching to be found in this tune as well).
12" Pisgah Possum (posted Feb 2015)
Tunes played:
1) Coleman's March - Normally in D major (tuning: aDADE), played here in C major (tuning: gCGCD). This has always been one of my favorite fiddle tunes. Also, my friend Emily played it on fiddle during my wedding ceremony and I won 3rd place at the 2013 Henry Reed competition playing it on banjo. It definitely sounds best slow!
2) Spotted Pony - Normally in D major (tuning: aDADE), played here in C major (tuning: gCGCD). I always suggest this as a great "first fiddle tune" for banjo players for a couple of reasons: first it starts with the first 4 notes of a major scale, second the whole thing can be played in one "left hand position" (Click here for a blog post on hand positions), and third, I just think its great to start students in something other than open G tuning.
3) Brushy Fork of John's Creek - Normally in A Mixolydian (tuning: aEADE), played here in G Mixolydian (tuning: gDGCD). This is an Art Stamper tune that started coming up in all the Southwest VA jams in ~2011-2012. Adam Hurt played it as a medley with "John Riley the Shepherd" on his Earth tones album and its hard not to love that version!
1) Coleman's March - Normally in D major (tuning: aDADE), played here in C major (tuning: gCGCD). This has always been one of my favorite fiddle tunes. Also, my friend Emily played it on fiddle during my wedding ceremony and I won 3rd place at the 2013 Henry Reed competition playing it on banjo. It definitely sounds best slow!
2) Spotted Pony - Normally in D major (tuning: aDADE), played here in C major (tuning: gCGCD). I always suggest this as a great "first fiddle tune" for banjo players for a couple of reasons: first it starts with the first 4 notes of a major scale, second the whole thing can be played in one "left hand position" (Click here for a blog post on hand positions), and third, I just think its great to start students in something other than open G tuning.
3) Brushy Fork of John's Creek - Normally in A Mixolydian (tuning: aEADE), played here in G Mixolydian (tuning: gDGCD). This is an Art Stamper tune that started coming up in all the Southwest VA jams in ~2011-2012. Adam Hurt played it as a medley with "John Riley the Shepherd" on his Earth tones album and its hard not to love that version!
FAQ's about Elderly videos: (things people have asked me in the past...mostly at Banjo Camp and other banjo-centric gatherings)
How did you get the "official open-back banjo tester" gig?
I noticed that while Elderly (my favorite music store) had great demo videos for the great guitars and other instruments they offer, there were relatively few open-back banjo videos on the site. I emailed the store and soon afterwards, I met with Stan Werbin, the owner of Elderly Instruments, talked banjos, and did a brief playing audition (on a rare original White Ladye banjo that happened to be lying around in his office!). Luckily, I played well enough to get the gig in the end!
Why are these songs in the wrong keys?
I normally play banjos without a capo and "tune up" to open A (aEAC#E), A modal (aEADE), and double D (aDADE). I also normally use Sandy river belle tuning (gEADE) and "Old G" (gDGDE) to play in G, and open C (gCGCE) to play in C (though I have very few C tunes...). All of these tunings end up putting higher tension on the neck than the open G and double C tunings banjos and their strings are designed for. The downside of playing like this is that it puts a lot of stress on a banjo neck, which I combat by using light strings and/or adjusting my truss rod on my own banjos (I also tend to gravitate towards banjos with shorter scale lengths).
While any of the banjos I play at Elderly could likely handle "tuning up" with the right set of strings, I hesitate to do this to these fine banjos, unless I end up buying one of them : ). So I don't have to change my playing, I end up using my standard tunings tuned a step low - as a result, A tunes end up in G, and D tunes end up in C in these videos. Since I use unconventional G tunings rather than "open G" (gDGBD), which is favored by most banjo players, my G tunes end up in the rather odd key of F as well. Since my C tuning only has one "high tension" string (the high E), I can usually manage to do C tunes in their appropriate key.
How do you film these videos?
There is a room deep in the basement of Elderly Instruments where the videos are filmed. Michael Erlewine, who works at Elderly (and is a heck of an old-time mandolin player!) films, directs, and edits these videos. He is quite patient with how much I stumble through the "speaking parts" of these videos : )
How did you get the "official open-back banjo tester" gig?
I noticed that while Elderly (my favorite music store) had great demo videos for the great guitars and other instruments they offer, there were relatively few open-back banjo videos on the site. I emailed the store and soon afterwards, I met with Stan Werbin, the owner of Elderly Instruments, talked banjos, and did a brief playing audition (on a rare original White Ladye banjo that happened to be lying around in his office!). Luckily, I played well enough to get the gig in the end!
Why are these songs in the wrong keys?
I normally play banjos without a capo and "tune up" to open A (aEAC#E), A modal (aEADE), and double D (aDADE). I also normally use Sandy river belle tuning (gEADE) and "Old G" (gDGDE) to play in G, and open C (gCGCE) to play in C (though I have very few C tunes...). All of these tunings end up putting higher tension on the neck than the open G and double C tunings banjos and their strings are designed for. The downside of playing like this is that it puts a lot of stress on a banjo neck, which I combat by using light strings and/or adjusting my truss rod on my own banjos (I also tend to gravitate towards banjos with shorter scale lengths).
While any of the banjos I play at Elderly could likely handle "tuning up" with the right set of strings, I hesitate to do this to these fine banjos, unless I end up buying one of them : ). So I don't have to change my playing, I end up using my standard tunings tuned a step low - as a result, A tunes end up in G, and D tunes end up in C in these videos. Since I use unconventional G tunings rather than "open G" (gDGBD), which is favored by most banjo players, my G tunes end up in the rather odd key of F as well. Since my C tuning only has one "high tension" string (the high E), I can usually manage to do C tunes in their appropriate key.
How do you film these videos?
There is a room deep in the basement of Elderly Instruments where the videos are filmed. Michael Erlewine, who works at Elderly (and is a heck of an old-time mandolin player!) films, directs, and edits these videos. He is quite patient with how much I stumble through the "speaking parts" of these videos : )