Big Time Hold on these days Clifton! Of course it is a great pleasure and honor to Hold On to the Hicks Music Tradition! Many Thanks! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
Pick a song you can sing and play, then keep dropping the tuning a half step at a time 'til you find your voice's natural range. You don't need to strain your voice for music like this, in fact these archaic modal tunes tend to sound better when you don't put a lot of effort into singing.
I like Clifton a lot because he’s the real deal which is actually pretty hard to find even at “old time” festivals. It’s hard to find guys that are products of the old timers instead of the 60’s folk revival.
i hope to be as good as you one day. ive been at it since january and can play a few songs now like greasy string, ruby with the eyes that sparkle, yankee doodle and abes retreat banjo is literally the funnest instrument ive played. you have become my number one inspiration. taking that place from tim eriksen. hes a good banjo player but what he plays sounds a bit different from mountain music. plus there is something about the way you play and sing that has more emotion in it than ive heard from any other banjo player. compared to you the others sound very sterile and cut and drive
