Irish banjo tune "the Masons Apron

[BeardedBugs]

I like cleaner picking in my banjo music, but you're a good player nonetheless. The song could've done without the terrible backing track though.

[DeclanTKatt]

I thought this was a joke when I saw the cheezy graphics -- and, well -- the look of the guy. But this is no joke at well. Great pickin'

[phantomhelm]

Oh I like that,

[ExplorerBrock]

Wow dude, quick fingers are you...........yeehaa! :D:P Keep it up, fantastic!

[64moog]

excellent



[MichaelAndyDodds]

This needs more views.

[gorillabagpipes010]

this guy has mad skills

[zinnoy]

@banjoist17 Thanks.

[ourowndesign]

This is awful. Sounds like the popeye theme tune. Listen to Matt Molloy's version for what the tune should sound like in an Irish style.

[sharkeynick1]

Great use of the plectrum G banjo. This man could do as billiantlyl on guitar if he dropped the e-string to D.

[cpag34]

WHAT THE HECK IS WITH THE BACK ROUND!??!?!?!!

[zinnoy]

hi guys, i actually like banjo music, but have no clue of what i should listen to. could you give some suggestions?

[lablondes]

@zinnoy Hi Zinnoy, if your into banjo music we have CD's covering Irish tradtional tunes and also some American bluegrass music. Have a look at our chanel page for the track listings.. regards Ashley & Lana

[Rock4Life1000]

@zinnoy Ralph Stenley

[Rock4Life1000]

@zinnoy Ralph Stenley

[NatureLover987]

Holy crud. Awesome. Nuff said!!

[zTCompetitive]

sounds a bit too "picky" if you know what I mean?

[fairyloila]

come on 3 out of 12 what a load of shit

I can pay all of it and keep them dancing

[wannabritish]

u should team up with Barnie from the Dubliners... He is a great irish Banjo player!!!

Would b awesome!!!

[Marfordel]

Amazing skill !! Really fantastic playing ...

I know you are not playing traditional, but the spirit of traditional is humble, and earthy, and magical.

When you change it with a few twangs, and slides, it's like trying to improve a 3 month old baby, by putting makeup on him/her. This is really what people are getting at. Mixing the energy of one kind of music with another results in less magic...

But thank you for taking the time to play. You skill is exceptional.

[HARLEYBOY33]

Great music ..........

[angelf1re]

Ok, not a traditional rendition, but still a wonderful piece of banjo playing. Would like to hear him and Barney with Eamonn playing a "duet" together.

Phil*

[LongLasta]

this never gets old!! ^-^



[evsynator]

Great stuff to watch and listen to . I could say the same on all your things on you tube . Really enjoy it ! .

[rainharper62]

cool!-well done!

[strj05]

Wow I can't believe you are playing that on a plectrum CGBD. I play plectrum. It's amazing! Terriffic.

[0minstrel0]

)) yeah. He is really superb!

[dublinseanm]

Fantastic picking!!!!!!!! Breathtaking.

[broadwaysteve2]

That's wicked man

[fredthebluetakman]

Im irish and i say i loved it!

A nice little twist on irish music, and twists are always good, they breathe new life into things!

=) =) =)

[emerkelly3]

u are good but tat isnt reli irish traditional music i mean tat is good bt gano.....no disrespect or anything

[Dunnooooo123]

please do not play traditional music on a 5 string banjo >.>, it takes away from the traditional side of the music.

[lablondes]

@Dunnooooo123 Well hi there, i see your channel is not available so have you gone? If you would have looked closer you would have seen i am only have four strings tuned to plectrum CGBD tuning. .There is plenty of traditionists out there,so i leave that in their capable hands to carry on the traditions. Thanks for your views

[vandaylen]

@lablondes always better to be playing the tunes then not, I say

[quiraingview]

@Dunnooooo123 He does what he does well, in fact well, can you do better?. nah! did'nt think so.

[Dunnooooo123]

@quiraingview I cant do better, but I know what traditional music is about and I have an understanding of the culture and style behind it. He replied to my post, he dosnt play traditional music, he plays a variation, I dont mind aslong as it isnt regarded as traditional music.

[RWJ11]

@Dunnooooo123 Not really sure what you think traditional music is, many Bluegrass tunes have their roots in Irish folk, and vice versa. Now playing 'Smoke on the Water', *that* takes away from the traditional side, but when played with this amount of skill and energy, I think the original writers in Ye Olde Days would like to hear what this guy's doing. Music shouldn't be a history lesson, but bringing the joy originally found writing the tunes to a modern audience.

[Dunnooooo123]

@RWJ11 I wrote the 5 string view in a hurry, I should've elaborated. I mean that I believe playing the tune at that speed/tempo and basically dragging any sense of roll to the tune out of it, ruins the traditional side of where the music came from. I don't want to be too elitist on the matter but seeing as there is a Patrick's day sign and Guinness all over the shop, playing the music this way makes the tradition of this type of music just as commercial as Patrick's day itself.

[RWJ11]

@Dunnooooo123 No problem, I can see what you mean. I hardly recognised the tune, and prefer to play it traditionally (GDAE flatpicked) myself, but you have to admit he does play extremely well. Even if it's a bit 'American' sounding for my tastes, I admire him for the skill and flair he plays with.

You weren't a million miles away with the 5 string. That's a converted Clifford Essex XX 'special' right? What happened to the resonator and 5th string? I'll bet that monster was difficult to fit.

[Dunnooooo123]

@RWJ11 The resonator is on the banjo but I dont know why he would have a banjo with a neck wide enough for the fifth string and it not actually be there.

[RWJ11]

@Dunnooooo123 I doubt that resonator is original, it is rather large. I've only ever actually seen one XX special before, and that had lost it's reso, so correct me if I'm wrong. You can actually convert them, strange as it sounds. I suspect someone had tried to add a 5th string to my Paramount many years ago, and given up when they realised they had to alter the fretboard. I guess he (or whoever, it's an old instrument) wanted to make it a plectrum Banjo with a distinctive sound. With success.

[Dunnooooo123]

@RWJ11 maybe he used the bass banjo resonator, I havnt seen many but they do exist.

[RWJ11]

@Dunnooooo123 perhaps, but I suspect something a little more in the 'normal' side, like a 14" reso on a 13" head . But the question is, why?

Bass Banjo's are cool. Pointless, but cool. Possibly the reason they are so rare.

[Dunnooooo123]

@RWJ11 I think they can be used in Classical/contemporary accompaniments for some odd pieces of music, a spaghetti western backing would come to mind, but I dont think they have anything like that in those spaghetti western soundtracks.

[mirtjeuh]

this it art.

[78theram]

that is savage stuff. well done fella!!

[blackhillsdulcimers]

Bravo!

[123spow]

at 3.10 and 3.11 it sounds funny

[123spow]

thanks for geting back to me. this guy is fantastic. love to see him live. cheers 123spow

[123spow]

anyone know where this guy is from. he is very very good. 5 xxxxx

[shaneyboyz]

utter shite. listen to the related vidz

[UberDeathTurtle]

WOW! Awesome playing

[Kornmang]

I'm considering picking up the banjo. Any advice or like should I not even try at my age? (15) I have heard the banjo is quite difficult to learn.

[MRmattconnell]

@Kornmang oh course you should start now! the younger you start the better. find out about the banjo first, if you want a tenor or a 5 string, and get to it! the only hard part is finding out how to play songs, try to find some other banjo players in your area to get started.

[TheLizardFish]

you're 15, not 50.

[deldred69]

This is fantastic music. But i can't listen to it because I haven't my headphones on. But it looks great! Well done! A remarkable piece of fingership there!

[lablondes]

Try and find your headphones and then say what you really think of it!

[deldred69]

It's fantastic, really and the bits thrown in for good measure, are fantastic as well. All in all good ole pickin stuff.... I wish I had the time to play my Old 5 string banjo! But I sold it and the proceedes got me travelling!

[sojjelly93]

@deldred69 your a retard

[123spow]

your a genius on the banjo. very well done. cheers  paddy spow jnr

[Mandolin1944]

So amazing -- just amazing! My favorite was the little piece of Going to Marie's Wedding and the Sailor's Hornpipe -- that reminds me of Mason's Apron kind of. Too bad I can't give you 25 stars!!!

[11chickenlord11]

wat is the tune at 2:15 called?

[lablondes]

Hi Chickenlord ,its a bit from Mozarts "Eine Kline Nacht Musik" (a little piece of night music)

[TheHeartwood]

trip to sligo !

[lablondes]

vortex Says:

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 @4:34:07 PM

Just totally great,your variations of the Masons Apron and the Fermoy Lasses give the banjo a total different dimenion that I never get tired of listening to! THANKS !

[TheHeartwood]

Genius, pure genius. More please !

[dodghes]

nice dude.

[HellzNord]

u rule :D

[damiencoughlan]

its very dualing banjos. check out the fureys and davey arthur playing this irish legends

[oo6dartsoo6]

brill and nice tee shirt ?

[123spow]

very very good thanks for posting .cheers 123spow

[JimmyDeLocke]

awesome juxtaposition of smoke on the water and mozart at 2:11-2:22! wonderful improvs -- you're great

[Tagert112]

marvellous ! loved all the variations :D

suddenly my fast playing of drunken sailor on banjo pales in comparison haha :D

[Briandilori]

Hey there from the south coast of Ireland fellow Banjo lovers anybody know the name of the very first tune he plays? I only know it as the ice-cream van song here!!

[lablondes]

Hi there, the first tune is the masons apron, approximately. Thanks for watching , AshLan

[sierragti]

Who's this guy???

[RUTIGKILLE]

awsome (:

[mngler]

Thats so awesome!

anyone know of a banjo tab?

[lablondes]

hi, sorry no tab for this , its a improv developed over the years, thanks for watching AshLan

[Skajetan]

Ive watched this video 30 times at least by now and you're really great. Now I'm thinking about learning the banjo myself. Well done!

[Bluarggag]

Awesome!

[Prettynessy69]

swweeeetttt! But y the pick?

[jjtbfour]

That's great man. Well Done! Your truely one of the great. Just one question, how do you tune your banjo? And what's the make?

Cheers

[lablondes]

Hi there, Thanks for watching and your comments, your pretty good yourself. I see you are coming over here for the Brighton festival , can you tell us the date and venue , as we live only 25 miles down the coast and may be able to catch a gig. The banjo in the Masons Apron vid is a Clifford Essex Special XX 5 string, circa 1915,tuned CGBD, no fifth string. regards AshLan

[jjtbfour]

We're playing at the Joogleberry on the 4th of may. Would love to see you there. Where do you live? As we're there for round about 2 weeks, might see if we can schedule a jamsession (if you are up for that, offcourse).

All the best,

Sjoerd

[biztubevideo]

I'd hardly call it a "cheap performance" clearly this dude has spent many, many, many hours on this, and he clearly says at the beginning "with variations", he didn't put him self out as Gerry O'c. As a traditional Irish banjo player myself... I'd say thanks bigman for breathing a little life and generating interest! go on yarself!

[punkodave]

I find it a bit strange that this slightly cheap performance (although pretty technical) has 66% more views than the incredible virtuoso Barney mcKenna, from The Dubliners.If anybody enjoyed THIS at all, then I strongly recommend you view some of Barney`s reels, he`s in a completely different dimension...

[maggot112]

Awesome playing.

Loved the Mary's Wedding and I believe was Sailors hornpipe added in.

[254002]

fare paly

[Iberanarca]

Bravooooooooooo!

[kmryan182]

^^ awesome.

[geushky75]

outstanding!!! i'm just beginning to learn to the tenor banjo. hope i can do something good like that oneday!

[Kanylneger]

AWESOME! The main "riff" you play there is groovy as hell and I wish I invented it! Great suit as as well, mate!

5/5

[lunigal]

nice tune for sure love it Luna

[threelegsoman]

That was truly awsome. Thank you.

[DiceyRileyProduction]

oh dear god,that was unbelivable

do you have the tab u used on that or did u make the variations up

[lablondes]

thanks for watching, sorry no tabs ,it was a one take improv.

[madfortrad5958]

i love all ur videos..as i love this tune and am trying to play it proper on me tenor banjo..this version is out of this world brilliant..my friend barney mckenna would be proud of ye..please keep them coming my friend

[oldbanjoman]

That audible 'clunk' you might've heard was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor. Absolutely brilliant, mate.

[lablondes]

thanks for your jaw drop, cheers !

[andymcshakti]

The technical term for one's jaw hitting the floor due to great Irish music is "diddly idle dumbstruck".

[Honzua]

unbeliveable...

[AlbortX]

great

[PorscheJochen]

very nice stuff

[xxblonndixx]

holy shit

[elvissmoo]

As usual, a great tune brilliantly played. Any chance you could do the Chinese Breakdown or Ragtime Annie?

[lablondes]

hi kev,thanks for watching, will look into those tunes.

[picopanpipe9]

ha nice banjo playing, man.