Sweet Sunny South - old time banjo

[jcwindsound]

This is my favorite among your many great videos.

[fralin1966]

tuned to a or g?

do you find the short scale hard to tune to g?



[fralin1966]

I agree this is the best rendition of this song you will ever find !!

[sfdgardner]

FrostyMorn would it be possible for you to slow down and teach us how to play the two finger version? I can't make heads or tails of the picking pattern and would love to be able to learn it.

[manwithabanjo]

I think I am going to claim "this is the nicest presentation of old time I have heard yet" if I could mold my playing after anyone it would be the above banjoist.

Speed is excellent, timing is also, I will forever keep this on my play list..

Thank you

[manwithabanjo]

excellent

[hostilerosstyle]

excellent. wonderful song

[asburysmith]

tab pleaseeeeeeeeee pleaseeeeeeeee

:) 

[NooGods]

Fantastic... sweet tune... love the change from 2-finger to clawhammer and the wonderful tone of that short-scale Reiter! Thanks!

[cathypknitting]

Love this more every time I watch it. Tab for two finger? Please?

[Kornpoke]

What's your head material?

[FrostyMorn]

@Kornpoke Plastic frosted head.

[disdanic]

So good.

[kevinboue1]

Great playing and great sounding banjo as well! Thank you for posting this video, I spent the last hour trying to learn this tune from you!

[Monkeymanjustin]

Just like Jerry.

[jojo5256]

the bart reiter's got great tone. Such a wonderful tonal difference, too, in the thumb lead and the clawhammer style. kewl.

[jasonwhiton]

beautiful tone! i'm interested in a darker banjo tone like this. do you think it's that short scale model, your approach, or some combination? thanks for posting.

-jason

[FrostyMorn]

@jasonwhiton Hi Jason. I would say that the tone of this banjo is a combination of factors: the tightness of the head, the weight of the bridge, the stuffing behind the dowel stick and the hands of the player.

[bluegrassgirl44]

Sweet Sunny South is a great song, and I love your playing. There's something very pure and real about the claw-hammer style, and you play this style very well and cleanly. Awesome job, I'm subscribing so I see your other video offerings.

[strollby]

really lovely to listen to, thanks

[fralin1966]

great sound

[TheGratefulDread14]

I think that the clawhammer sounds so much beter, i really like the open plunky tone, versus the quick punchy tone of fingerpicking. (just my opinion)

[hyderbanjo94]

one of the best clawers I've seen on the internet man thanks for the posts!

[fugitivebakesale]

sublime.

[Robin18us]

You have earned and deserve every compliment you get. You're picking is so clean and so unlike most frailers I've heard. You're my favorite. Can you give us a frailing lesson sometime and explain how you get your notes so clean?

[HillbillyWayne88]

I love the wa you play...Great Job! 

[48ford8n]

HOw do you get such a great sound out of that banjo? Great playing!!!

[bigjimbanjo]

I realy like this tune, especially the 2 playing styles. Where can I find a tab for it? or is it a case of play-by-ear.

[lammmy]

I too would love a tab as none of the ones I can find sound as good.

[sjeter61]

Fantastic!!! banjo master

[bcatgrappler]

Awesome version, I am trying to learn this song right now, cant get past the A part though

[raisethehatchet]

Wonderful, great transition to clawhammer!

[w0tn0t]

splendid

[oldtones]

GOOD PLAYING ON THIS OLD SONG

[VanDeFields]

Great playing and nice video.

Like the background with daylight flowing in through the windows.

Voted 5*

[dickmilesmusic]

brilliant, I love the thumb lead style.Dick Miles

[Robin18us]

Banjo can't get better than this. Wonderful playing.

[dickmilesmusic]

lovely playing,both styles are excellent.Dick Miles

[TERIPOTTER]

very nice. music such as yours, sir, makes my heart sing (and hope to learn half as well, so I can sound twice as good as I do now...)

[oldtimerspal]

I really enjoy your music! Thanks so much!

[NiteBlogger]

Such a pleasure to listen to your playing...

Thank you...

[xXxLovexOrxDiexXx]

great job...loved it

[SabMei1]

I can´t keep my knee still with your playing.

Thanks for posting *****

Sabine

[1581351]

I have no words. That is great!

[wizzjones]

Beautiful playing Michael!

[FrostyMorn]

I am honored by your kinds words, Wizz. Thank you!

[glynnbeard]

i hope i can play like this some day

[brainstewX]

How are your strings tuned? The top string sounds like an A# instead of a G.

[FrostyMorn]

a E A C# E or something pretty close to that! Since I'm not playing with a fiddler here I might have let the tuning slip a bit one way or another.

[brainstewX]

Thank you. I think it sounds better a little sharp. I put a capo on the 3rd fret of my guitar and tuned the strings to F A# F A# D F so I could play it. I have no banjo and don't know much about its tunings so that was a big help.

[shal0mnurh0me]

@FrostyMorn Great playing, does that tuning have a certain name?

[TennesseeShine]

Outstanding! On of my favorites. I like both styles but especially like the drop-thumb.

[brainstewX]

10/10

[Clawhammuh]

Keep it coming. Love your clawhammer rhythm. For what reasons do you like/play the short neck?

[FrostyMorn]

Good question - I don't have a succinct answer for you though.  Certainly is a comfortable banjo.

[mrgabest]

As always, the clawhammer version sounds so much more authoritative.

[RobertIngersoll]

Beautiful and haunting. Thanks for this.

[dirtyfeetforever]

man, you are a killer on that thing. i really enjoy that you switched the style without stopping. i hope to someday be versed in both styles. i am, however having a hard time finding any good learning tools for two finger playing. do you know of any good resources?

[FrostyMorn]

If you have the opportunity, attend a folk festival or music camp where old-time music is being featured. You will certainly find banjo players in that crowd and a few of them may play in the two finger style. Once you find them - ask them a few questions and if they might show you something. I know I would be glad to pass along what I know and I believe most other players of this music would do the same. It's the old-time way!

[CoolSpuds]

That was very enjoyable. Thank s for posting.

[mathematics0]

I listen to this ... and I hear Doc Boggs singing ...

[GuyAwoke]

Played so well loved it!

[willgeorgeanderson]

Frostymorn: Thanks so much for all your postings. I'm learning clawhammer and used your Kitchen Girl post to learn my first - keep 'em coming - wonderful stuff.

[Bufalocarlos]

This is wonderful.....Classical music to me...

[rgnlbn]

damn but you are GOOD! I wonder how long it took to develop your ecclectic style?

I could listen all day.

[dilon42]

any banjo tabs for this song to share!?

[FrostyMorn]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. It is very gratifying to know that others enjoy the music I play.  I do not have any tabs, sorry. The arrangement is not that difficult and I think could be learned by ear with a little patience.

[GSRJosh33]

Sweet to the soul! Reminds me of some of the best days of my life. Good show.

[123ummy123]

Some nice two finger picking there-Seeger style.

[rmstudio]

Such a sweet tune.. I come back often just to listen to it once again. Its in my personal juke box as a favorite.. I even saved it to my ipod and listen while driving through the mountains were I live.. We all owe you a bit of thanks for such a great performance.

[Tuggad]

sound like ff7 when u comes 2 reds home town but in contry style xD

[turkamine]

You are a fantastic musician!! Thanks for posting your vids . . I enjoy em lots. I thought I saw an ol' Black & Tan Coonhound go blasting by the window in the back ground but when I watched it again, I guess it was just the feeling of the 5-string. Keep up the great music.

[circlecityrabbit2004]

You are a great musician, that song is great and you did a really good job on it, keep the banjo alive! -DEO VINDICE

[Blainesenior]

you are an exceptional musician. I frail and clawhammer, but I would be thrilled if you might consider doing a video explaining the basics of the 2 finger pick style. thank you for the videos you've produced, you are keeping alive great music.

[Oldpiper73]

Masterful playing! I've got to find the tab for that tune. Just starting clawhammer and really enjoy your style.

[dropthumb2]

I found the LP I was telling you about. I still have it. It's called Folk Banjo Styles. Eric Weissberg, Tom Paley, Art Rosenbaum and Marshall Brickman play the various tunes.

The one by Tom Paley that I was reminded of by your playing of Sweet Sunny South in three finger and clawhammer combination is Marching Through Georgia. I haven't been able to listen to the album yet since I relocated it because I don't have a record player. I'll record the album on a CD some day!

[FrostyMorn]

You know, I think I have that old vinyl around somewhere, too. I'll have to dig it out and give a listen. Thanks, dropthumb2!

[dropthumb2]

Sounds great, and it sparked a memory. I used to have a Various Artists record album of banjo players. Unless my memory is mixing things up on me Tom Paley played that tune on the album just in that way...I mean he combined the three finger and clawhammer versions. Except I think he started the tune off with clawhammer and then completed it with the three finger version. Any chance you've based your tune on Paley's playing? That is, if I'm even remembering correctly.

[topflight90]

I love your playing. I play three finger and am just learning clawhammer.

[austinjohnson]

Wow, you're great. I'm learning three finger now, but hopefully in a few years I'll be able to clawhammer half as good as you! :)

[banjodan99]

Forget three finger! Clawhammer is easier, more fun, and sounds better. I messed around with three finger picking for two years, but recently discovered clawhammer. Check out Banjo Frailing Lessons 1 and 2 from Dobro 33H.

[zkafel]

is that standard open G tuning? i like your arrangements man

[FrostyMorn]

Yes, more or less, gDGBD. Thanks for listening!

[melsquirrel]

I love this song, thanks for playing it so well.

[jimmymccombs]

i like this jimmy good job you rock man

[rmstudio]

I envy you frostman.. There was a little boy once that was mexican and italian.. When he was little he wanted to play a banjo so bad. He loved bluegrass and country.. He father wasnt a good man and took those things away from him and made him feel ashame for liking them.. That kid was me... So thank you for letting me enjoy this with you. :)

[Clawhammerinfool]

It's never too late! I never touched a banjo or any other instrument till I was 50 years old. Now I can play many many tunes on my banjo. Sweet Sunny South is one of them. I may not play it a good as Frostymorn but it's close and it give me great pleasure when I play it and that's really all that matters...

[rmstudio]

Thank you for the words of encouragement. If your comment was direct at me. Your are right as long as that music brings you pleasure. And this kind of music most surely does. :)

[jimmymccombs]

nice song jimmy in kansas.

[FrostyMorn]

A duck wearing clogs... I like that!

[VE7RJ]

When you switch to the upper fret area it sounds like a duck wearing clogs! I just can't get enough of that sound. Thank you VERY MUCH for a fine demonstration and excellent playing!

[MangaFreak4eva]

KWL!!!

[jessyquedens]

I've been meaning to ask: some reason you switch from playing over the head to playing over the neck when you switch to clawhammer?

[FrostyMorn]

There is a difference in tone. Closer to the bridge produces a brighter, crisper tone and farther away from the bridge produces a more round, warmer tone. I prefer one for fingerpicking and the other for clawhammer. Keen observation and good question!

[kenberner]

What banjo are you playing this on; fine work!

[FrostyMorn]

Thanks very much. This is a short scale banjo made by Bart Reiter circa 1988.

[switzforge]

That was fantastic

[munkee73]

love that change over to clawhammer, sounded brill, can we have more banjo from you please?

[Wishuey]

Beautifully done.

[gailg64]

Very, very cool.

[jessyquedens]

Nice!

[zkafel]

Take me back to the place where I first saw the light

To the sweet sunny south take me home

Where the mockingbirds sing me to rest every night

Oh, why was I tempted to roam?

[banjoden]

Nicely done....let's see and hear more...