Banjo Comping "Hello Dolly"

Kent Murdick of Mobile, Alabama demonstrating his banjo comping skills. Most of the very early jazz bands used a guitar instead of banjo. However, when the banjo came into vogue, the guitarists took the 5th string off the five string banjo and tuned it like the top four strings of the guitar. Johnny St. Cyr, a former guitarist from the early days, used a banjo with a guitar neck and six strings.

To hear more banjo, do a search on youtube for: murdick jellett bordello rhythm

To hear Kent Murdick play solo guitar,go to http://members.aol.com/lutemann/NO.mp3

Produced by
Kent Murdick
University of South Alabama

Category:

Music

Tags:

• four
• string
• banjo
• comping
• comp
• dixieland
• murdick
• st.
• cyr
• early
• jazz
• new
• orleans
• louis
• armstrong
• hello
• dolly
• chords

[JoshZaslow]

That's really interesting, Kent. I had no idea guitar preceded banjo in jazz music. Where did you learn this?

[Lutemann]

From a jazz history book by Dan Hardie. Look at the Buddy Bolden revival bands. They used Stella guitars probably with nylon strings.

[classicbanjoRM]

Well done, Ken. Nice rhythm.

[Lutemann]

Thanks, Rob. Search "Bordello Rhythm" for more.

[Lutemann]

Yes, it's the upper four strings of the guitar. the original jazz rhythm instrument from about 1850-1915 was the guitar, but the guitarists switched to banjo so they could be heard in recordings and in the street. Louis Armstrongs banjo player played a 6 string banjo tuned to a guitar.

[007vauxhall]

Excellent, wish I could play the piano with you on that! You are brillliant

[Lutemann]

I wish you could too. I play by myself too much and could use the work on following someone else.

[lespaulsoundwave]

Check out Ben Johnson IV from Gumlog, GA... The best plectrum banjo player... Period.

[splanky87]

did you tune it to the upper four string of the guitar. I heard that a lot of doublers did that. And what's the difference between a plectrum and tenor banjo, by the way. I dig the banjo playin though, the four string doesn't get the respect it deserves now a days. Seems forgotten.

[Lutemann]

Thanks. No one in Mobile cares much for this kind of playing. They prefer the five string because the changes (usually) are easier to understand.