Hi Everyone :) Thanks for all the comments and likes - Please feel free to ask any questions about this banjo lesson or about Irish music in general and we'll get back to you straight away. Remember to subscribe to our channel and click the bell to get notified of our new video releases.
Great lesson. I removed my 5th string, got a plectrum, and tuned Tenor (with tenor banjo strings!) and this is EXACTLY what I needed to help process the scale in my head. Bail ó Dhia ar an obair!
Hi James, thanks for the kind words. I'm from Errigal Road just beyond the shops there. Yeah there's plenty of great musicians from here, not least Sean & James Keane (the former of Chieftains fame!). I saw Kevin play a couple of times up in the Halfway House and he's mates with an old family friend, John Kane. Great stuff yourself, I'm a huge fan of country music too. I regularly have Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Frankie Laine and many more on the iTunes playlist ;-)
Hi Robbie, Delighted you got a lot out of the lesson. There are more banjo lessons from Paddy here - www.oaim.ie/tenor-banjo/irish-tenor-banjo-technique/
Hi, I'm Paddy Cummins. Yes, there is a disadvantage to using the 5 string banjo. Firstly, to play Irish instrumental music you need the articulation that a plectrum will provide, for most of the ornamentation we use. A 5 string banjo usually won't require the use of a pleck and, if you do decide to use a pleck, the sound is radically different. Secondly, the standard tuning setup of a five-string banjo limits you to certain keys so playing in other keys becomes a less comfortable experience.
@charliemcd123 If you become a member of OAIM.ie go to the free lessons page & then to the Banjo lesson, the musical notation is there. Good luck with it and thanks for the kind words :)
Hi man, later on in the programme I introduce some tunes in more difficult keys and I talk about the necessity for the "four-finger" layout (using your pinkey for fret 5) but I mostly deal with the fiddle-fingering layout in other lessons,
Hi Shannon, as far as I can remember, I was using the following setup: G (wound) .36 ; D (wound) .28 ; A (non-wound) .24 ; E (non-wound) . 13 - This could be mistaken information as I regularly forget my string setups but hopefully this is some indication anyway!
+Joe Sensor Thanks! Check out the site for more from Paddy and all the team. Also, a brand new feature called the Jam session has just been released where you can play along with some world class musicians. Check it out - oaim.ie/page/16/Jam_session :)
No, my first language is English. However, my dialect is that of Dublin which is very specific and different to the rest of Ireland. Bear in mind, though, that my accent here has been "cleaned up" for the video and, in reality, it is a lot stronger!! haha
Yes it is indeed. I think it's a 1928 model. Used to have the original skin but it split apart during some service so now there's a Clareen skin on it.
Well Paddy, how're gettin' on! Wanna start off by saying absolutely savage lesson. I picked up my fathers old banjo with no experience what so ever and after signing up with Oaim and following your full lesson for this song I know the whole thing off only after a couple weeks of practice. I've just got one question, I see there is a 7 Day Free Trial available at the moment and I was wondering do all your banjo tutorials come in that free trial or are there only some there? Cheers again!
Very good tutorial Paddy., I perform in France with my group Tumbleweed. Like yourself I hail from Drimnagh. I would like to know where in Drimnagh you are from. Lots of celebrated musicians from Drimnagh, including my composer, guitarist and singer Kevin (ex Dublin City Ramblers) Keeep up the good work and lend an ear to my singing on Utube. All the best
I'm not too sure which guage strings a typical CGDA banjo takes. Perhaps if you post them up, we can compare. However, I have heard/read somewhere that, in order to convert to Irish tuning, a different skin tension is required. I did have my banjo running on CGDA strings before and there was definitely a tighter feel. The drawback was, I kept snapping strings a couple of times per week (perhaps related to skin tension) so I switched back soon after.
Hi Paddie. I have just purchased a Concert Banjo/ Ukulele and just a complete beginner. Can l learn Ukulele music on this?? Or is this instrument just banjo orientated. God Bless your tallent.. Keep up the happy music.
Wow. That's for beginners? Is this what you teach students in their first month of lessons? Assuming I've never held the instrument, which is I think what most of us consider to be the definition of the word 'beginner,' how long do you think it will take me to play like that?
Love that banjo sound. Got a 5-string banjo, but always said that my next banjo after the 5-string would be a tenor. On that note, the tunes that you're showcasing, would they be good for a 5-string? Would love to know.
Online Academy of Irish Music I’m a member of Oaim.ie and I’ve searched the site and can’t find the second part, can you send me the link? Much appreciated!
I just checked and that has been removed. There is another lesson on the site that teaches this tune, Niall Keegan is the tutor. If you use the search bar "Boyne" that lesson will appear in the results. Let me know if you need further help Mathew
I could tell you Gold Tone but my actual advice is this: buy a vintage banjo like Gibson, Vega, Paramount, Epiphone. You can find really good ones on internet sites (inc. eBay) from €700-2000. The year I'm talking about is 190?-1939. All of these banjos used heavy, sturdy pre-war metal and, as such, are of better quality than any modern banjo I've played. The big bonus is, if you buy vintage, you will not loose money when you sell it on. Even if you give up after 1 week!
Hi, thanks for the interest and comments. The 7-day free trial will give you access to all of my lessons at OAIM. I go into quite advanced playing techniques as the course progresses so check it out for sure! :)
Hi Paddy. Great vid thanks. I play the harp and as a result I have packets of harp strings that I have accumulated over the years. Rather than have them go to waste (I no longer play the harp) I was wondering if harp strings can be put onto a banjo (my new instrument). I presume once they are tuned to the right note it shouldn't matter? Thanks.
I will do lad! Just another quick question, obviously you've got to put in your card details for the 7 day trail but let's say you don't want to continue can you just cancel your card so you won't be charged?
Hi man, are you looking for ABCs or sheetmusic? I have both at my disposal which I can send you. If you are, however, looking for tableture as found on many guitar chord websites, then I regret to say I don't have this material. I don't actually use this material when teaching and not many teachers within Irish traditional music circles would. It takes a lot of time to write such tabs so I can't guarantee I'd have the time to work it out. Sorry.
I recently had an old Kay 4 string restored and I've been playing it in standard tuning. I'd like to switch over to the Irish GDAE style, but I read somewhere that the tuning requires heavier strings. Is that true?
Hi, thanks for the lesson. I'm studying Gerry O'Connor's books at the moment and have a burning question about triplet right hand technique. When you're going really fast, as most of these jigs and reels seem to be, do you play triplets in sequence d-u-d / d-u-d or d-u-d / u-d-u? When I listen to Gerry closely he puts an accent on the beat, so it sounds like d-u-d d-u-d, but that's really hard at speed. Do you continue d-d or u-u when changing strings? Is there a method, or can you just develop a facility where you can go in any direction at any time and add the appropriate accent whether going down or up? It's confusing because I also play gypsy jazz guitar which has another technique, and uses a heavy pick, whereas Gerry recommends a nylon 0.60mm, which sounds perfect on the banjo... My head's about to explode and my arm's about to seize up, so this is an SOS.
Hi Your webside is not working or I don't kow how to use it. I opened an account first time and every time I want sa see a sample it says your password is not correct . I opend a second account and this time says your email is allready registred. I went to the link LOST MY PASWORD and I'been told to go to my email and copy the token go to the webside and paste it on token . Evertime I do this it says password incorect. Am I missing something or your website has some technical problems ? Thanks
Hi Paddy , any chance you could throw up a few reels we could study ? would like to study your music , I Imagine your reel playing would be creative and imaginative to say the least
No this tune is most definitely the Boyne Hunt. The High Reel is a different tune but maybe your confusion stems from a recording of Barney McKenna playing both these tunes in a set together way back when...?
Can I use my 5 string banjo and just leave out top string ? Is there tabs for this video ? I wish to set foot on Ireland's ground someday. Thanks Brian USA.
Hi Paddy, I have had my 20's bango for years and still can't play it. what is the easiest way to start making tunes please? I don't seem to be musical!!
It's all down to preferance at the end of the day but most people would recommend a plectrum between 0.5 and 0.6mm. Let me go a little further on this though. I used to use a 0.46mm Jim Dunlop and even a 0.38mm on occasion. I found these very suitable for light playing and it also made many plectrum ornaments easier to do so long as you are not inclined to tense up. The flip side of this is the much quieter volume and the lack of control that you initially feel with these light plecs. I've also used 0.73mm plecs and, less regularly, 0.88mm. These are great for playing fast and offer a lot of control. The volume obtained is much higher and it gives you the flexibility to still get a quieter tone if you loosen your plectrum grip. However, the biggest drawback (and it really is a big one) of these heavier plecs, is that the tonal quality becomes awfully dampened and dead. The 0.46mm plecs give you this lovely, crisp tone when played well. But 0.5-0.6mm are a very solid, happy medium and, as I said at the beginning, you'll find out which one works best for your style over time. Hope this helps, Paddy
+Drake Metcalf Well, if we're taking money out of the equation, my favourites have always been vintage banjos from the 1920s and 1930s. Paramount Leader and Epiphone Recording Kings are really top range banjos and, although not to my taste, the Gibson Mastertone is right up there also. However, the banjo in this video is a Vega Little Wonder which, perhaps, isn't as well revered as the others mentioned but I've owned it for nearly 10 years. I love it. And, to be honest, I have no interest in replacing it. Much cheaper to buy as well.
Hi Paddy, My 6 year old son seems to love the banjo. Could you advise me as to when the best time to start lessons is? and We live in Glasnevin, do you know a good teacher based near us? Thanks Clare
Hi Clare, thanks for your message. 6 years old is quite young to be starting the banjo for the simple reason that is it quite a large instrument. I had students as young as 9 who struggled with the sheer size of the instrument. It might be an idea to get him started in music through other means though, such as the ukulele, mandolin (though these can be hard on the fingers) or maybe a nylon string guitar (kids size). I do know a good lot of teachers about the place. In fact I only live down in Island Bridge myself. Let me know what you think about this or send me an email if you want to chat: 52paddy at gmail dot com ...
+Grace Sweeney Hi, I always say that you get out what you put in. Having said that, banjo is not the most difficult instrument to master. Give it a go!
Online Academy of Irish Music I'm really considering buying my first banjo but pretty short on money, for a bigginner who is also a pretty broke college student how much would you say is a good starting price
+lsearls1 Sure you can. Why not check out Paddy's structured course for the fastest way to improve on your banjo - oaim.ie/course/43/tenor_banjo_technique
+Diarmuid Ward Hi Diarmuid, The banjo is not a Clareen. It's late 1920s Vega Little Wonder. Originally, it had a canvas skin but this snapped soon after I purchased it during a setup so it was replaced with a Clareen skin. Paddy Cummins
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