Mississippi Sawyer clawhammer banjo lesson / Joseph Decosimo / Wade Ward's Old-time banjo version

Here's a lesson for Mississippi Sawyer that might help you rough out a version based on Wade Ward's. He's a favorite old-time banjo clawhammer and fingerpicking player. His takes on the standards are delightfully quirky and supremely punchy. I'm sure it's not perfect, but it might illuminate some key ideas. If it's useful to you and you'd like more of this stuff, please consider supporting me by subscribing, buying my banjo album: josephdecosimo...
or taking a lesson with me/signing up for my monthly old-time banjo workshops: www.josephdeco...
Tuning: gCGCD I play it fast and then proceed to break it down.
If you're not familiar with Wade Ward's playing, you're mind will be blown when you check his music out. His playing is solid gold and is well worth a deep dive. Dig it: fieldrecorder....
and visual and audio treasures from the Alan Lomax archive: archive.cultur...
Also, check out John Cohen's High Atmosphere. There's some stuff on Folkways too. Oh yeah, there's his playing with the Bog Trotters and a couple of OKeh sides.
On the banjo note, he played a mother of toilet seat encrusted Gibson RB-11. I'm playing a newer Kel Kroydon that's made to be a replica +/- of the style he played. Like his RB11, mine's got a brass tone ring. Mine was made by the great banjo maker Robin Smith for the American Banjo Company. I think they were trying to dorky metallurgical stuff to replicate the flange, tailpiece, etc. Anyway, I'm looking to sell mine to the right person. It's a tremendous instrument that's been my nice banjo for the last dozen years. The only reason that I'm selling it is that I got myself a Gibson and can't afford to hang onto both.
PS: I may have lopped one too many beats off of the fast version-oh well. The lesson part does it right though.
www.josephdeco...
josephdecosimo...
#banjo #banjolesson #clawhammerlesson #oldtimemusic #music #clawhammerbanjo #clawhammer #oldtime #oldtimemusic #oldtimebanjo #fiddle #oldtimefiddle #dropthumbsnotbombs #folk #northcarolina

[@RusnakBanjo]

Glad to see another lover of Wade Wards playing. I was lucky to get an impromptu lesson from him in an open area at the Galax Fiddlers Convention circa 1968. He even let me play his RB 1 Gibson. Fast for award to 2000, I got to play it again at the Smithsonian where it still resides. Keep the good playing coming.. Cheers- Don Rusnak banjo KZbin

[@toveybachman5280]

Really appreciate this!

[@hayesdt1]

Well done!!

[@donkbert]

Awesome banjoing and a nice Christmas Corgi!

[@JosephDecosimo]

as you know, we aim to please.

[@hayesdt1]

Listened to your rendition again this morning -- sounds even better today. Really well played, clean noting. These recordings (from Hoover and Lomax) you cite above are remarkable. I had the good fortune about 8 or 10 years ago of playing music with Peter Hoover and others at fiddle gatherings near Watkins Glen NY. Peter was literally a giant of a man who unfortunately passed away about 2 or 2 and 1/2 years ago, and a remarkable banjo player himself. Thank goodness he made so many field recordings of so many outstanding and genuine Old Time musicians. Though I haven't played in a live jam since covid almost two years ago, I also have had the good fortune since 2011 of playing lots of Old Time music in jams (literally in the hundreds) and gigs (at least 75 to 80) with Peter's first wife, Caroline Hoover. Of all the guitar players I've played banjo and fiddle with, she's my favorite rhythm guitar player -- such a good job of keeping the beat, and her repertoire is amazing. Back to Wade Ward...what a tremendous banjo player, and the Lomax recorded conversations in his home are really interesting, enlightening and humorous at times. Also, he plays just the right amount of notes, melody is always foremost in his playing, and you've done a great job here of capturing his Mississippi Sawyer version.

[@JosephDecosimo]

Thanks for the the kind note and thoughts. I never met Peter Hoover, but his field recordings have inspired a good bit of the music I've tried to learn. That's wonderful that you have a connection to his world.

[@MidlandsMuso]

Very nice, lovely tune

[@brownpaul52]

Sounds great.

[@matyascerny3207]

Nice christmas bobik you got there :D

[@JosephDecosimo]

hahaha! Give your bobik a pet for me.