2 'Dark' Appalachian Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo

[fralin1966]

is this a vega senator ?

[sberrett]

Whats the difference between the two songs? Cold Frosty Morn and West Virginia Gals sound the same when I look at other videos.

[sberrett]

Just picked up my first banjo, hearing this style is what sold me,

Great vid!

[McFlufff]

lovely playing, i've been playing clawhammer for 4 weeks so love it when people let you know the tuning!! thank you soo much

[DarthVulva]

Can somebody recommend any artists who make music like this please? i like the stuff with a kinda darker feel.

[spinzorelli]

@DarthVulva Try Tim Eriksen. He does a lot darker traditional material. His YouTube channel is called Batfancy

[DarthVulva]

@spinzorelli - Excellent recommendation. Very very good, exactly what I was looking for!! :D

[jabrwaky]

Damn. from TN & you sound "down home". Bravo!!

[sarafwolf]

What are these tunes called? I love that tuning too. Are you improvising a bunch or are the songs really that intricate?

[spinzorelli]

@sarafwolf Hi. Tunes are west virginia girls and frosty morn. Not really improvising. Just using drop and double thumbing. Thanks for comment.

[CahirMcK]

liam ur frickin unreal. cahir

[ghsr82]

great stuff! what song are you playing?

[LenaCS]

wow, it's so beautiful

[McAndy89]

Bro, you've got some talent!! I love the banjo. I'm a piper myself, but am a huge fan of Appalachian folk music. Keep up the good work bro!

Greetings from New Zealand.

[spinzorelli]

@McAndy89 Thanks for kind comments mate. Despite the music, I'm not in the US...I'm in NZ too! Chch here...where you at?

[McAndy89]

@spinzorelli Dunedin bro aka "Scarfie town" haha. I'm a uni student bro.

[spinzorelli]

@McAndy89 Ah! Dunedin/piper.....now it makes sense....Cheers Man!!

[yougooddog]

I really like your stuff. Tell me, what is the tuning when you have the capo on the second fret, and how is the 5th string tuned? I learned a "sawmill" tuning, but it's not capo'd. There must be variations. I just started with a Goodtime, and shortly after, got a Vega Senator. It's gonna be a long time before I sound as good. Thanks!

[spinzorelli]

@yougooddog Hi There. Sawmill tuning gDGCD with the capo on the 2nd fret becomes gEADE. (G modal to A modal). To keep the whole thing 'in tune' the fifth string need to be tuned up to A. You probably won't be able to tune the 5th string much higher than A without the risk of breaking it so be careful. Fiddlers often like to play in A modal in certain tunes so the banjo needs to capo up to be in tune with the fiddler. A 'spike' or 5th string capo is useful for quick changes from G to A.

[flossiekat]

That was so beautiful and haunting! May I ask the name of this lovely tune? Still trying to master the bum diddy technique. It's killing me!!!!! Anyhoo, thanks for sharing your wonderful talent.

[spinzorelli]

@flossiekat Hi. Thanks for kind comments. 2 tunes. First is West Virginia Girls, second is 'Frosty Morn' I think. Keep practicing. When you get that Bum Ditty, the rest is easy ;)

[boschbeachbum]

I love the Dark/Sad appalachian music you should or have someone sing the lyrics!

[seancreed]

excellent! think ill get a banjo and learn to play now!

[smdtmtl]

nice playing....

[scanbran]

It's a great tuning, and really does sound stark and desolate - great stuff!

[stovepoker72]

great job I love sawmill tuning my self I am learning clawhammer my self. Once i get the bum-ditty down think i'll learn songs in G modal myself

[migasaguiar]

great playing. is this a flush fret?

[LostOzarkRambler]

Great playing! Fun to listen to!

[cynicaloptimist999]

I feel like I'm back in the Appalachians when I listen to this...

[hillbilly1993g]

thats alsome playing im just starting claw hammer banjo so i hope i an get as good as you keep it up man

[artistfood]

Sounds great and great tune :)

[flonng]

you might practice with a metronome. Crucial for this type of playing is a dependable rhythm. Keep on playing!

[robbakersc]

fantastic! great inspiration for me, i'm just starting clawhammer and this is exactly the type of sound i'm aiming for. did you use a certain book to teach yourself, or did you learn from a teacher?

[spinzorelli]

Hi, Thanx for kind comment. After I'd mastered the basis 'bum-ditty' and got comfortable with using it in a few simple tunes I found 'Dan Levinson's book 'Buzzard Banjo Clawhammer Style' helpful for moving on to drop thumbing and double thumbing. Make sure you get comfortable with reading TAB. Its a great way to learn tunes. You MUST also listen to as many good players as you can too though and not rely only on TAB. I recommend Dwight Diller's playing....good luck!

[blgoard]

Nice! I am just starting with a Goodtime in the mail. Are you using your middle or index finger?

[spinzorelli]

Hi...thanks for comment. I use my index finger because the nail is harder! I started on a Goodtime special....very nice banjo for the price...should serve you well...I moved on to a Deering 'Vega' Senator which seemed like a logical progression. Post some clips of your playing sometime...its a great way to get tips and contact with other players. Thanks again.

[jpumba]

Great rhythmic feel, I really enjoyed it.

[olentangyjohn]

Sounds great! Something i could tell you is that if you tip the end of your thumb down towards the floor and resist the inclination to waggle it, even when your dropthumbing It'll make your your melody ring and the syncopation a little easier! Sounds great, again!

[spinzorelli]

Hey, thanks for the tip. I've been told before that my thumb wiggles too much. I'll certainly follow your advice.

Thanks Again

[girlswithguitars859]

Wonderful sounds hauntingly appalachian. I just started playing the Mountain Dulcimer. Check out my posted "Old Joe Clark" and give me suggestions. Thanks

[Poodlepups]

How long have you been playing?  I like that sawmill tuning.

[spinzorelli]

Thanks for Comment. Playing about 6 years. Sawmill is cool.

[RToes]

The first one sounds like "West Virginia Gals." I don't recognize the second one -- do you know the name?

[spinzorelli]

Yup....you are right with 'west Virginia Girls'...I believe the second one is called 'Frosty Morn'. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it has other names too though!!

[SaileAway]

great! whats that tuning?

[spinzorelli]

Thanks for Comment. The tuning is 'mountain minor', 'modal' or 'sawmill' tuning: gDGCD. Tune the B string up to C from standard G tuning. I've capo'ed the whole thing up to the second fret and put the 5th string up to A.

[lewisrobert52]

Nice work - enjoyed the rhythm once more and a lot of practice to achieve a performance like this, no doubt!

[ciaran7568]

Sounding good Bro. You've been putting in the work on those tunes, great stuff!

[joe1997smith]

brilliant 5 stars

[backporchbanjo]

Good job, forget perfection it's overrated.

[banjoden]

Good job....love that mountain sound...

[josborne26]

Very nice, thanks for sharing.