Bluegrass, banjo, and brother

For those of you who don't know, my family loves bluegrass and country.  I was, thankfully, converted to Celtic music about a year ago.  I am working on making converts within my own family, and so far I only have one.  Anyway, I thought I would do a post on this subject so you all can know what I deal with everyday...


The roots of bluegrass reach back to the music brought to America by immigrants in the early 1600s, including dance music and ballads from Ireland, Scotland and England, as well as African American gospel music and blues. In fact, slaves from Africa brought the design idea for the banjo--an instrument now integral to the bluegrass sound.  Unlike mainstream country music, bluegrass is traditionally played on acoustic stringed instruments. The fiddle, five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass are often joined by the resonator guitar (also referred to as a Dobro) and sometimes a harmonica. This instrumentation originated in rural dance bands and is the basis on which the earliest bluegrass bands were formed.  Famous bluegrass musicians include Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Bill Monroe, Steve Martin, and Sammy Shelor. 

The modern banjo comes in a variety of forms, including four- and five-string versions. In almost all of its forms, banjo playing is characterized by a fast arpeggiated plucking, though there are many different playing styles.

The body of a modern banjo typically consists of a circular rim (generally made of wood, though metal was also common on older banjos) and a tensioned head, similar to a drum head. Traditionally the head was made from animal skin, but today is often made of various synthetic materials. Most modern banjos also have a metal "tone ring" assembly that helps further clarify and project the sound, however many older banjos did not include a tone ring

The banjo is usually tuned with friction tuning pegs or planetary gear tuners, rather than the worm gear machine head used on guitars. Frets have become standard since the late 19th century, though fretless banjos are still manufactured.

Modern banjos are typically strung with metal strings. Usually the fourth string is wound with either steel or bronze-phosphor alloy. Some players may string their banjos with nylon or gut strings to achieve a more mellow, old-time tone.
   





Joey got his banjo three years ago for his birthday.  And, I have been listening to the twangy thing ever since.  He is a die hard fan of bluegrass and is constantly telling me how awesome it is and how horrible I sound.  Talk about a self esteem boost!  I do play with Joey quite often even though I don't particularly care for it.  One of his favorite tunes is "Big Mon" by Bill Monroe.   

     
We actually preformed this song, along with a few others, at a concert a few months ago.  Joey's banjo teacher told me that if I looked up cool in the dictionary I would find a picture of Joey.  He thinks Joey and I will be a very famous duo one day...  yeah, one day.  Joey has been asking me to learn "North Carolina Breakdown" which I keep forgetting to get from my teacher.  Shame on me.  He recently got a new CD by Sammy Shelor and keeps it on repeat because he knows I like it so much.  He is just to thoughtful!  =)
But, as much as Joey and I disagree on music, I am thankful to have someone to play music with!  It is so much more fun to play with other people!  

                                          Sally Goodin' by Earl Scruggs and the Cheiftains...