Andrew Buchanan Playing Doug Dillard's Bending The Strings

[kpnorkin]

"Bending the Strings" was written by Allen Shelton. The recorded Dillards version is from their Wheatstraw Suite album (1969) with Herb Pedersen on banjo, replacing Doug Dillard who had quit. Not saying Doug Dillard never played the tune. But I can't find any information that it's associated with him. Anyway,you play it well. Yes, it's supposed to be played fast. It's not the Scruggs tune.

The Allen Shelton version is here on YouTube.

[acepeacemaker]

@kpnorkin Interesting. It's pretty hard to find information about old bluegrass tunes. I guess I fall into that category of proclaiming the first version and artist you hear the ultimate and original. There seems to be about a million people playing the exact same Shelton version on youtube though. I still like this one. Go figure.

[kpnorkin]

@acepeacemaker You say: "I fall into that category of proclaiming the first version and artist you hear the ultimate and original" And so I ask: where did you hear Doug Dillard play Bending the Strings? Was it live? I've searched and can't find he ever played it on a record. If you got it from the Dillards version on the Wheatstraw Suite album - and it sounds like you did - then it wasn't Doug Dillard on banjo. It was Herb Pedersen when was in the Dillards. That was my previous point.

[acepeacemaker]

@kpnorkin Sorry, I just meant between the "Dillards" version and the Shelton version I like the "Dillards" version. The song was given to me a long time ago so I never looked into it.

[kpnorkin]

@acepeacemaker Got it. I like their version, too. That's the one I learned about 38 years ago. When I saw the Dillards live a few times in the 70s with Billy Ray Latham on banjo, he played it the same way that Herb Pedersen had recorded it in 69. I never even heard the Allen Shelton version until the day I stumbled on yours.

[ComradeMorshu]

Those cheat-a-keys sound just like the old cam tuners. Cool!

[KZ4USA]

This one is to fast too. You need to listen to the way Earl plays it.

[acepeacemaker]

Since I'm not playing "Flint Hill Special" why would I listen to Earl? Ever heard of Doug Dillard?

[Cryo5cythe]

I'm not really into the banjo, but Wow! That looks really freaking difficult lol.