Arkansas Traveler

Modeled after Noah Cline’s version. I took the liberty of adding in a low A part, which hopefully doesn’t stray too far from the intent. Played on his bottle gourd #144.

[@samurguybriyongtan146]

Love the mellow sound of the gourd banjo.

[@cumbrianrambler7715]

So much bluegrass favours manic speed, yet this has FEEL. Really lovely rendition. Bravo.

[@awldune]

That gourd banjo really catches the eye!

[@avielp]

Beautiful. Made me feel a certain kind of serenity. And I've never seen such a banjo

[@wigglypfff]

It's a bottle gourd, but it does have the country asthetic of a banjo!

[@captain_frost20]

Thats a wild ass banjo

[@user-lexie-2016]

Steve your music sounds so beautiful you do such a good job my dad if he was still alive he would love to hear you play you would put a smile on his face thank you for your beautiful music 🪕💯

[@steveallerton9124]

What was his first name ? 🙂

[@cannibalisticvegan8461]

Never thought our Arkansas' neighbors would have a great tune, but then again they do have 2 of the nicest Southern cities near the Ozarks

[@HealyHQ]

Wonderful performance!

[@casciottisongs]

This instrument has a great warm tone. Well played

[@seiji42]

Came for the beautiful banjo, stayed for the beautiful music. Well played!

[@isaweesaw]

It's so hard to find good versions of this song. Well done!!

[@taylormorris_]

I agree with that. It takes some finesse to make some of the old classics sound like true music rather than a nursery rhyme. It doesn't help that as soon as I hear the A part, I hear "I caught a baby bumble bee, won't my mama be so proud of me"

[@j.t.1215]

Thank you!! The music was a story and the words spoke straight to my heart. God bless. xxx

[@SomethingCleverAndOriginal]

I love the sound of this instrument!

[@victorparks3219]

No songs are written anymore with that mood.

[@lordtachanka903]

The opening few notes made me smile instantly, it seems so familiar. even though this is the first time I’ve heard it, I know it won’t be the last because I’m adding it to my favorite songs playlist and I subscribed to your channel. You play beautifully, have a great day!

[@spiritseas]

😁😁❤️

[@spiritseas]

😁😁😊

[@FunsongsMusicByPeterRahill]

555th upward thumb; 7,056th pair of happy ears.

[@barneyjones8283]

This sounds amazing, I love the gourd too!

[@drewby613]

Love that low A part, how at the end, instead descending, it kind climbs up out of the basement and ends on a higher part of the instrument. Very cool sound! Great playing--I love the syncopations in your "normal" A-part, too! NICE banjo and great playing.👏👏👏👏♥♥

[@nathanhastings8293]

I love it .....playing a chord on a gord......I see Akilah the vulcher skipping down the road "Pickin. uuup his baaaaby bumble beee.........

[@loveofit6498]

just awesome. can't get enough of this sound. Cool low variation!

[@Jackfirecracker]

Beautiful. First time hearing this song and still feels kind of nostalgic

[@janseendiguiseppiThomasMC]

The sound from that instrument is 🔥

[@MontyStambler]

It is truly amazing to see your command of the fretting. I have a fretless, but I can’t get those high notes. On red haired boy, you get all the way up the seventh or ninth. A lot of fretless players have necks that start having frets at the fifth. I also love that syncopated drop them towards the end of the A part.

[@spiritseas]

really really cool. would love to play with this instrument 😌😁 how fun and such a lovely sound

[@gist_yest]

"Lovely" Thanks Very Enjoyable !

[@librandy77]

I love this nicely played Sir…mad cool…🪕🪕🪕

[@marksellers4875]

A simple, good time! Well done Sir!

[@markosterman419]

Very nicely done and a wonderful sound.

[@gabberpietor]

song makes me cry

[@KingMilesTagoyet]

Absolutely superb! Beautiful playing, beautiful instrument...just wonderful.

[@NoahCline]

Nicely done, Steve! I see the algorithm is working in your favor. I listened to this the other day when it was still around a couple hundred views. I like what you did with the low A-part. Have done something like that on a tune or two. A low-bass six string would come in handy for catching lower notes. Guess that’s why I like playing mandolin - I can get those notes whereas on banjo I might have to go up the neck, and possibly lose the effect. For several tunes, I’ve switched octaves for variety’s sake, especially at jams when a tune’s been played for 5 minutes or more. It works for some tunes better than others, and some just seem natural to be left as is.

[@steveallerton9124]

Thanks Noah, and many thanks for the tune ! The algorithm’s predominating element has to be the gourd banjo, which obviously required a craftsman. 😉

[@robertrighetti6478]

Outstanding!!! beautiful instrument and incredible playing!!! Thank you for sharing this!!!

[@Sindarielle]

This odd looking thing sounds AWESOME!! I don’t know how I got here but I’m glad I did ❤

[@MountainHomeJerrel]

This was absolutely wonderful. Thanks for sharing your music and instruments.

[@MitchMb14]

It’s good to stray! That’s what’s fun about standards- hearing peoples different variations of them.

[@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410]

love the look of these more... figure 8 i guess is a word shaped gourd banjos

[@steveallerton9124]

It’s called a “bottle gourd,” but figure 8 applies I guess..

[@reginaldd.paperstacks194]

Its a fretless gourd 😮 great playing

[@bearshield7138]

beautiful build wonderful playing

[@cloverjack]

Clawhammer, baby! Great pickin'!

[@J.R.Willis]

As good as I’ve ever heard it played my friend 👏

[@steveallerton9124]

Thanks for the kind words !

[@taylormorris_]

Could tell that was a Noah Cline gourd just from the thumbnail! You do it justice, nice work, smooth.

[@Corve]

Just outstanding

[@clawhammer704]

Excellent playing. I like the not rushed tempo. It causes each note to ring out separately. Iv got a mountain banjo Fretless and always wanted one of these.

[@fitz37]

makes me wanna learn the banjo

[@pjfountaine7755]

Mighty fine picking. I like the banjo too. Thanks

[@thomasmihaly1033]

Fantastic. Keep it up old man. Thanks

[@SleddogMicker]

I really enjoyed this, ty.

[@MrOhmygoditsben]

A fretless gourd banjo??? I need one!

[@jlay]

Wonderful! Simple. Not frenetic.

[@fralin1966]

Well done sir

[@JWheeler331]

Very nice playing.

[@MrJRW1]

That was awesome! 👏

[@bradyupchurch5189]

Thanks for sharing

[@marianbush2768]

This is so neat 👍

[@francello75]

Lovely! 👏👏👏

[@carstenpfundt]

That’s one strong gord.

[@donaldkershaw6371]

Very nice

[@bezek71]

Great job!!

[@tjeaue]

Beautiful

[@annepoitrineau5650]

love it :)

[@wychwoodmusic]

Hot damn! One gourd...bout?... for the banjo head, one for a sound hole, that's just brilliant. Does a fair bit of sound come out the hole?

[@steveallerton9124]

Hi. Noah Cline, the builder, told me the open hole adds some forward projection. There’s another hole on the back of the gourd, covered with hide. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqqagX-Qbpx6q5o for more looks at it. 🙂

[@paulyguitary7651]

@@steveallerton9124just checked out the link. Man that is a beautiful neck.

[@here-right-here]

🥰

[@Drbethturtlewoman]

I love this so much, sure wished I had one to play with, would be lost of fun I think

[@tomphillips6743]

Very nice! I don't think I've seen a gourd banjo before where a skin is not covering the top hole. Is this your invention?

[@steveallerton9124]

Thanks. See the comment from Wychwood Music and my reply in the thread from a few weeks back…

[@ralfschumann6201]

Its a base bonjo boys an girls . A gourd jo so cool. Me find gourd ,,,stick...cat?...

[@spiritseas]

what is the material of these strings? they sound quite natural

[@steveallerton9124]

I believe they’re Aquila Nyglut mediums. The first set is still on the instrument.

[@NoahCline]

Hi there, they’re Nylgut Minstrels, a bit heavier than the medium tension Classic sets Steve mentioned, intended for lower open D and E tunings, though I have tuned the medium classics down to E, but it’s a slinkier feel.

[@clawhammer704]

I play in G and tuned up A and D. Can these strings handle the higher tunings on Fretless. I play a lot with others here in NC.

[@jrivera0530]

Is that a gourd banjo?

[@steveallerton9124]

Yes, built by Noah Cline.

[@CMND.r_Zed]

is it actually a veggie??

[@davidsawyer988]

Nice! ❤❤😮❤😮❤😮❤😮❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jennikomarovsky6826]

Newbie fretless banjo player question... what tuning please?

[@steveallerton9124]

d-G-D-G-A (relative to g-C-G-C-D ("Double-C") tuning)

[@Hecatonicosachoron54]

Nice

[@server1ok]

Hello Sir

[@steveallerton9124]

Hello. Your videos are interesting. Why did you stop posting ?

[@server1ok]

@@steveallerton9124 I'm gonna setup on Bandcamp or something

[@marianbush2768]

This is so neat 👍