German War - Traditional Banjo Lesson (Mel Amburgey)

Banjo Heritage 👉 / cliftonhicks
f# D G A D, learned from George Gibson of Knott County, KY (who learned it directly from WW1 veterans in his area).
Bandcamp: cliftonhicks.ba...
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Oldtime banjo close ups and demonstrations of overhand, clawhammer, two finger, thumb lead, 2 finger, frailing and stroke styles plus traditional southern Appalachian mountain hoedown and early minstrel show techniques. History, anthropology, folklore, research and musicology including breakdowns, blues, waltz pieces, tin pan alley, some Afro-Caribbean and West African history, occasional Cajun and zydeco references, also Métis, Creole, Melungeon and indigenous North American music traditions. Mountain music, southern culture. George Gibson, Ernie Williams, Cousin Emmy, Dock Boggs, Rufus Crisp, Virgil Anderson, Lily May Ledford, Roscoe Holcomb, Tab Ward, Frank Proffitt, Tommy Jarrell, Kyle Creed, Lee Sexton, Morgan Sexton, Lead Belly, Pete Steele, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, JD Crowe, Clarence Ashley, Fred Cockerham, Dwight Diller, Gaither Carlton, John Snipes, Dink Roberts, Clifford Essex, Joe Sweeney, Archibald Ferguson, Dan Emmett, John Hartford, Picayune Butler, Gus Cannon, Art Rosenbaum, Grandpa Jones, Snuffy Jenkins, Buell Kazee, Bascam Lamar Lunsford, Uncle Dave Macon, Tommy Makem, Luke Kelly, Charlie Poole, Ola Belle Reed, BF Shelton, Hobart Smith, Samantha Bumgarner, Peggy Seeger, Mike Seeger, Jean Ritchie, Ralph Stanley, Odell Thompson, Wade Ward, Hedy West, Fred McDowell, Uncle Homer Walker, Mississippi John Hurt old time, folk, trad roots pickers songsters. #banjo #oldtimemusic #history Riley Baugus, Dirk Powell, Gillian Welch, Maybelle Carter Family. Morgan Sexton, Black Banjo Songsters, Lee Sexton, Clyde Troxell, Blanche Coldiron, Banjo Bill Cornett.

[@greentag50]

Dude, I love you. Keep doing your thing

[@jeremy705]

As a historian for an obscure unit that served in the AEF from 17-19, this is great. I can imagine at least a few someones playing banjo in central France in places I've visited.

[@rcg5317]

I associate this tune with you quite strongly. Thanks for sharing.

[@simonolsen9995]

Thanks Clifton. Really appreciate you sharing this one. I know it is personal to you. Brings a tear to my eye every time too.

[@noisebox9529]

Thank you for teaching this one! This was always one of your most interesting songs to me.

[@slowerpicker]

Just in time for Halloween. Gorgeous spooky tune!

[@christopherfilding4158]

I would Like to learn the two finger Version

[@johnnybx3254]

Great tune from the past 👍👏👏

[@itsobvious5835]

Thats interesting how your using the left hand to make overhand sound more like 2 finger. It helps me because I play claw, but love the sound of 2 finger.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

I learned all that "left hand activity" from George Gibson out if east KY.

[@z_dog7739]

The background is honestly sweet

[@mattevans297]

You're right. The Rangers had 5-shot Paterson Colts. The Walker Colt/Dragoon has the event engraved on the cylinder.

[@vflrockytop]

I'm a hicks from northeast Tennessee and I swear to god you are the smitten image of my grandfather. If you have an email I'll send you a picture because it's almost scary. I even look like you when I was more skinny.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

[e-mail] holler at me.

[@puttsky7]

How are you getting such great sustain out of your banjo?

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

That was a circa 1910 Weymann "Keystone State" banjo. I sold it a few years ago. Had a J.D. Crowe bluegrass bridge on it, medium steel strings, and a Kershner tailpiece crank down so it was _almost_ touching the head. I also tune lower than standard pitch; viz: my G is dropped to F, my D dropped to C, etc. White calf skin head.

[@puttsky7]

@ thanks for the info Clifton. How do you approach head tension on a setup like this? BTW just noticed you dropped a new album a few days ago. It made my day, I love your work! Thanks again, Josh

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

I left that head relatively loose. Currently using a Remo frosted top that’s as tight as possible.

[@justindukes]

If you get a chance, I'm fairly new to playing so I"m trying to work out when to add the strums in. Can you give a bit more detail on that? I'm getting the melody no problem. Thank you

[@JohnyG29]

Isn't the tuning f#DGAD, not f#DF#AD?

[@NoQuestions4sked]

Semper fi