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Comment by Dick Glasgow on August 24, 2016 at 7:15

This is a live recording, with a cheap Cassette Recorder, of Kieran Hanrahan playing his 4 tunes at the Over 18 Tenor Banjo competition at the All Ireland Fleadh in Ennis, in 1977. ... & yes, he Won!

Kieran Hanrahan ~ All Ireland Fleadh 1977! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRn6ebyRq8Y

Comment by Lanny Fields on December 14, 2015 at 14:24

"Have you developed any bad habits that you wish you had caught when you were starting to play? What sage advice would you want to share with a beginner?"

Three things:

1) Concentrate on your "down-up-down" pickstrokes, etc.  What notes should be downstrokes vs. upstrokes with the pick and be diligent in duplicating this.  Once you know how it should be done then you can purposefully break the rules, but don't do it out of ignorance.

2) Really think about your fingering technique through difficult sections of tunes.  The longer scale length of the banjo makes reaching for that high B a bit more challenging than on a fiddle or mandolin and that can present problems. Sometimes there are more efficient (or less efficient) routes through tunes like Musical Priest, for example, and fine tuning and clearly understanding the route rather than glazing over it will help.

3). Relax. Never be tense. Always make sure that your posture, attitude, grip, fretting is as natural as can be.  You want your subliminal mind to think that when you are holding your instrument it is the greatest thing in the world. Playing should be fun. Not a chore.  That said, there are ways to practice technique/scales etc. while keeping it fun.

Comment by Dave Reynolds on December 27, 2014 at 0:18

I started learning banjo this past September. I have a question for those of you who have been working at it for a longer timer. Have you developed any bad habits that you wish you had caught when you were starting to play? What sage advice would you want to share with a beginner?

Comment by gl on December 12, 2014 at 16:15

has the irishtenorbanjo site been shut down?

Comment by Bill Troxler on October 30, 2013 at 0:56

Here's a youtube of the JP Banjo.  The link in the previous post doesn't work.

JP Tenor Banjo

Comment by Bill Troxler on October 29, 2013 at 22:24

The JP Tenor Banjo has been in my hands a couple of months.  I finally had time to make a recording. The tunes are:  Wheat Sheaf – Price of My Pig – Tatter Jack – I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave.   Hope you enjoy the sound file.JP%20JP%20Banjo%20Honduran%20Rosewood.JPG

JP%20JP Banjo%20Rim%20Interior.JPG

JP%20Banjo%20Rim.JPG

The recording was made with stainless steel, medium guage strings.  The gauges are:  14 – 24 – 32 – 42.  The lowest three strings are wound.  Jim uses bronze strings and a lighter gauge.  I prefer a heavier gauge.

I REALLY love this instrument.  Great feel.  Great sound.  Great look.  Jim Patton is a master luthier.

Visit Jim’s website for information about the banjo
JP Tenor Banjo Sample

Comment by Dick Glasgow on April 11, 2013 at 16:44

The Irish Tenor Banjo website now has 1,000 Members!

Mind you, with all those long range missiles around now, it's perhaps tempting fate to have so many Banjo players in the one place! :-)

Cheers,

Dick

Comment by Dick Glasgow on December 26, 2012 at 21:21

The Irish Tenor Banjo website now has 900 Members!

YABADABADOO! :-)

Comment by Dick Glasgow on October 15, 2012 at 9:54

I played my Rosewood Paragon in Derrygonnelly at the weekend, at the Eddie Duffy & Mick Hoy Festival, in Co. Fermanagh.

Interesting to see how cool a Banjo can look, in a B & W photo? ;-)

Comment by Dick Glasgow on August 15, 2012 at 10:22

Here's a great wee video of a street session at the 1986 Ballycastle Fleadh, with Brian McGrath on Banjo.

Cheers,

Dick

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00dcxm1

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