Can you Fret the 5th String? Bluegrass Banjo

[@rough_spirits]

Jim you make playing look to easy! Great info thanks for everything online.

[@JimPankey]

You can do it!

[@chrisktcpt1252]

Dodgy dial up connection was a nice touch! Kids these days don’t know how good they have it 😊

[@JimPankey]

Started to edit that part, but decided I’d just leave in the blooper. lol

[@philipershler420]

WOW, I really like those sounds!

[@JimPankey]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@healingmodalities6921]

Very grateful for you and your banjo wisdom!! Thank you!!!

[@JimPankey]

Happy to help!

[@tonyringo4128]

That's pretty cool Jim. 😎

[@JimPankey]

Thanks 😊

[@janmenzinga]

Hi Jim, hope you're doing fine! It has been a long time ago since we talked. I picked up my electric guitar again and my banjo is begging me to play it again. Since all the bad times at home, I had no mood and time to practise. So I will go back to your first couple of lessons and try to play Cripple Creek again. I think there is still something in my memory. Best wishes from The Netherlands and good to see that you're still doing these fantastic tutorials here on KZbin! Jan

[@JimPankey]

Hey Jan! Good to hear from you. Banjo might just brighten your day 😀

[@steve773625]

Nice explanation Jim . My kryptonite on banjo has always been backup , I was young and wanted to play fast and just the main parts of the song . I have failed miserably at backup up for years . It wasn’t until recently some famous pickers started driving the right hand more with straight forward rhythm and some fancy licks in between which made me feel like I fit in a lil better ..lol But thank you for the vids this was a big help !

[@JimPankey]

Glad I could help 😊

[@BrianMarcus-nz7cs]

Hey Jim , I dropped the high g to E , the 6 ,then I can slide up to the to the tonik ,!!!! Nice lesson on bro ☘️👍

[@JimPankey]

Fun!

[@scotthorsch5627]

Love the innovation and creativity… just gives a the okay to experiment! Well done!

[@JimPankey]

Thank you very much!

[@anthonyjones6086]

I came here to press like and leave a comment. Now I just need a banjo…actually I do like those dissonant sounds. Halloween 🎃 friendly

[@JimPankey]

Actually, I like them too. The trick is finding places to use them.

[@traviss474]

Thanks again Jim , I really appreciate the work you put in for us all!

[@JimPankey]

My pleasure!

[@jeffreycole4484]

Hi Jim you make playing the banjo so easy love your videos keep them up Jeff from va 👍👍👍

[@JimPankey]

Thanks 👍

[@1fdfowler]

Thanks Jim, You make it fun, from Utah.

[@JimPankey]

Thanks 👍

[@Davy-pj8mu]

Hey Jim you are one of best teachers iv heard I love your playing do you no Irsh spring I'd like to learn it some😊

[@JimPankey]

Thanks for the suggestion

[@Davy-pj8mu]

@@JimPankey yes sir ty

[@AikiSys]

Great lesson - thanks for sharing 👏👏👏👏👏🙏🏿

[@JimPankey]

Glad you liked it!

[@codydawkins218]

Your my fave dude!

[@JimPankey]

Wow, thanks!

[@tommaxwell429]

Great videos Jim. Do you, by chance, know “Like the trout dart about,” by Larry Groce? I haven’t been able to find the banjo tutorial for it on KZbin. It’s from his album Junk-food Junkie. That album has a lot of great songs on it.

[@Guitar8thg-man.kam_]

Love it Jim keep makin the good vidos 😂😅

[@JimPankey]

Thanks, will do!

[@susanmiller9596]

Ur the man banjo guy 🪕❤️

[@JimPankey]

Thanks 😊

[@declanlyden3313]

Could you do a lesson of bluegrass breakdown by Bill Monroe?

[@JimPankey]

Thanks for the suggestion

[@michaeldavila2325]

I do that alot.😊

[@JimPankey]

Me too 😎

[@RussJAlan]

Appalachian Rain and Return to Dismal Swamp are examples of fretting the fifth string way up the neck

[@JimPankey]

There are a lot of tunes that do it.

[@something3441]

Ive never been able to do it

[@JimPankey]

It’s not something you can just do. It does take a little practice. 🙂

[@monawalker1238]

Do you know Bob Schneider from Elmira?

[@bengterlandsson7921]

Hi from Sweden.

[@JimPankey]

Hello there!

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

I've been wondering this because if not, what is the purpose of a *5* string banjo??😂😂

[@AndyPlayedGuitar]

Bill Evans has been encouraging practice of both thumbing and fretting with fingers. Both a bit tricky for me but I'll get there. My spike gets in the way on my 7th fret based on where I want to put my finger!

[@JimPankey]

There are times where a finger is the better option. These initial ideas are good to get down first though.

[@RussJAlan]

@@JimPankey I use my thumb on Appalachian Rain on the 11th fret, and on Dismal Swamp at the eighth fret, but I use my ring finger and my pinky on the 15th & 16th frets on Dismal Swamp. Fyi, I cut my teeth on banjo at age 60 on your lessons

[@ocarina7326]

Any tips for getting the thumb to stretch that far?

[@JimPankey]

Practice... keep trying. You'll sort it out.

[@russellschmidt4541]

Great! I have a question? Is the Recording King Dirty 30s banjo a good entry level banjo that will hold up? I thought I saw you demonstrating it at the Sweetwater site?

[@JimPankey]

They’re great!

[@russellschmidt4541]

Thank you for your reply. My son wants to learn to play banjo. I am also looking at the Deering Goodtime two and the Gold Tone Cripple Creek resonator. I do not know what my daughter-in-laws price point is, but when I was talking to him I was getting around $500. The Recording King Dirty 30s banjo that you demonstrated on the Sweetwater site sounded great. I do not know if the other two I have mentioned would be that much of an improvement. Thanks again. I will look for you on the next Bluegrass-Coalition song. I appreciate your great musicianship and banjo site even though I play guitar.@@JimPankey

[@russellschmidt4541]

Btw...I figured a closed back would be better than an open back...

[@monsterzero1965]

I don't know if you know this but you can place the camera further away from you so you don't have to lean over to talk

[@JimPankey]

Really? You’re kidding? You mean you’d rather have a smaller image of the banjo and see me instead? I don’t know if you know this, but I purposely chose to shoot my videos this way for your benefit. This way you get biggest image of the banjo that I can offer with my single phone….

[@monsterzero1965]

@@JimPankey I was just funnin you

[@JimPankey]

You’d be surprised at the number of complaints….

[@dacipatton1]

kind of hurts the pinky