Gold Tone Irish Tenor Banjo "Farewell to Ireland"

[Donalob]

Fucking love the way this man looks at the camera

[xxEdwardTeachxx]

Is that a two finger picking style your using?

[IrishDeadmau5]

Absolutely amazing song and you perfected it! I'm currently learning the banjo and really want to learn this tune! I use a flat pick so will this effect how I learn this song! Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Great vids!

[1339LARS]

Love it ! But what about the funny beret ?

[mycremona1]

You say that you are using nylon strings with "metal-wound nylon on 3rd and 4th (.035 and .045)." What brand and model? I like the sound and would buy the Goldtone IT250, if I could duplicate your sound. Steel strings sound so tinny.

[mycremona1]

Also, it sounds like you are using two treble steel strings. Are they the factory strings, or what brand model, size etc. Enjoyed the tune and the banjo. I'm thinking of getting one, but I want to sound like your banjo.

[Fiedlerfreiburg]

Nice, this mellow nylon string tone! Fits to your way of playing.

I´ll try that too.

[strumstering]

@Fiedlerfreiburg

Thanks, I hope you do give it a try with nylon strings. Please let me know how it goes.

PauL banjocrazydotcom

[TheOldirishladdie]

Very well played

[LakeHighiii]

Thanks for the great song...Nice haT.

[flamy951]

@strumstering I'm picking up the Irish Tenor myself (because it's so great) and I was wondering if you know anywhere I can find tablature.. Many thanks.

[strumstering]

@flamy951 Well, of course any mandolin tab works; your just playing an octave lower. Also, learning how to read standard notation isn't that difficult. That would put you way ahead of the game for sight-reading fiddle tunes. Check out "the sessions dot org."

PauL

banjocrazydotcom

[strumstering]

@elfcrisis

Yes, metal-wound nylon on 3rd and 4th (.035 and .045). I find it improves the tone and adjusts the intonation especially on the 4th which otherwise frets sharp.

PauL

banjocrazydotcom

[wwwyzzzerddd311]

i dig your style dude

[strumstering]

@wwwyzzzerddd311

Why thank you.

PauL

banjocrazydotcom

[ukulelemike]

Outstanding! Thanks for that. Also, is that a charango behind you? I have one of those, too, though I tune and play it like an eight-string ukulele.

[strumstering]

@ukulelemike

Thanks you Mike. Yes it's a charango. I'll check out your channel - looks like you have some music: )

Cheers,

PauL

[candaianrifleman]

my irish blood runs hard everytime i hear this song... i miss back home

[strumstering]

@candaianrifleman It's an incredibly powerful tune. Irish music *makes us all Irish* regardless of what part of the globe we come from -- certainly one of the finest musical forms in the world. Of course I'm not Irish -- and Irish people may not like the way I play their music -- but I love to play it and listen to it. It feels good to me. It's one of several musical forms that really appeal to me.

PauL at banjocrazydotcom

[TheFunkyShaman]

Bloody good playing.

[strumstering]

@TheFunkyShaman Thank you FunkyShaman! Considering your good taste in music I consider that quite a compliment.

Regards,

PauL at banjocrazydotcome

[TheFunkyShaman]

Nice hat.

[banjochrille]

Awesome! BANJOPOWER!

Very nice to see, in my opinion, the international joy and power of a cosmopolitan and banjomaniac!

Kind regards, Christian

[strumstering]

@banjochrille "International Joy." Nicely put; I've never heard of it referred to in that way before. And, "banjomaniac,"

I have to admit that's an apt moniker. It's an acute condition but healthy, in the long run, I think: )

PauL at banjocrazydotcom

[mujarik]

what does make shiva in the background ?

[strumstering]

@mujarik For those who didn't get the questioner's reference to Shiva, that's the statue behind the charango on my left. It's something I bought in India when I was studying sitar there many years ago. I'm not sure I understand the question, though.

PauL at banjocrazydotcom

[wheelnutt]

That banjo has a nice tone, sounds as good as many expensive ones Ive heared. Unusual to see your fingerpicking too, most guys flatpick. Very good.

[strumstering]

@wheelnutt Thanks. Yeah, I enjoy finger picking. It's actually easier for me to play and I like the sound.

PauL

[Marfordel]

Hi, I like your playing, your an excellent player.

But the song 'farewell to Ireland' is a sad song, probably written about having to leave because of the famine.

The song to me is like a conversation between two loved ones, a man and his wife. Therefore the song is not meant to be 'happy' and rhythmic- that would be weird considering the circumstances about ho the song was written- sadness.

You could arrange the song how you like, and call it something different ??

[NardolTheElf]

The strings from Gold Tone for this model are .010, .020, .030w and .040w the wound strings are definitely steel core, not nylon. The G string tends to buzz with the standard set, if you set it up for a very low action, so .015, .025 .035w & .045w sounds like a good idea. I find it's a real pain to find an .020 plain BTW.

[fearghailM]

yup outta that!

[RusnakBanjo]

Great stuff!...The 17fret tenor is my choice too. The Gold TOne sounds wonderful...Are you using two or three fingers? Can't quite see your middle finger in action...

[strumstering]

@RusnakBanjo I'm just using two: thumb and 1st.

PauL

banjo crazy dot com

[Banjojon69]

Lovely music! I'm a trad player and I play the tune.. love your interpretation of it! :-) John.

[strumstering]

@Banjojon69 I'm glad you liked it. I know that moving a note a half step, here or there, doesn't always sit well with everyone, but it's how I *hear* it.

PauL

banjo crazy dot com

[strumstering]

Strings: I'm using classical guitar strings for the 4th and 3rd. A friend of mine just set one up with all classical strings and I think his sounds great. Thank you for listening and for your kind words.

Best regards,

PauL

[DeafFret]

Sir, the look you gave at 0:32 made me laugh. :P

[ClueLou]

how and where was the banjo made?

[strumstering]

@ClueLou It's a Gold Tone IT-250 made in China.

PauL

banjo crazy dot com

[lavalooker]

feckin great .....

[legacyabq]

This is great, sounds great... Everyones a critic however, and you are putting major notes where minor should be here and there.. However, if thats your interpretation than thats great!

[Tenz0r]

What kind of strings do u use for ur 17 frets?

I've got a GoldTone IT250R, and I can't seem to get the right tone from it. I think my strings are causing it.

[strumstering]

@Tenz0r I think it's something like 15/25/35/45 with the 3rd and 4th being wound nylon.

PauL

banjo crazy dot com

[Daddyzero]

what a showman

[mingonuts]

Cheeky.....

[FallenKain]

Honestly, I prefer your version to the standardized version. I think it plays considerably smoother, and is much more rhythmic. Whereas I can appreciate it, I don't always subscribe to "speed" banjo in bluegrass or celtic, much as I don't necesarrily believe that metal guitar has to be extremely fast to be effective. I especially love your facial expression! Like, "Damn, I can't belive I'm pulling this off!" Ha. Keep it up man. And I'll keep tuning in.

[JosephEaorle]

Dillardry (see Related videos) plays a Tenor with fingerpicks, it's amazing!

[lindabaker2007]

It sounds really good and is a cool instrument. I was glad I could hear you play it the other day.

Zachary Baker

Dolores, CO

[formbyblue]

Excellent playing and not an easy tune to play. Question do you play around the chords?

[Tagert112]

Very nice :)

[banjobilly32]

Great sounding banjo. Well played Paul!