Bluegrass & 'Old-time' vs TRADITIONAL Banjo

Bluegrass & Old-time (clawhammer) vs TRADITIONAL Banjo with Clifton Hicks.

#banjoheritage #cliftonhicks #banjo #clawhammerbanjo #oldtimemusic #bluegrass #folkmusic #oldleatherstocking

[brianpriest]

George Gibson and Lee Sexton broke me out of the mould. I still pick bluegrass but I lean hard toward Sonny, but Lee and George changed my whole world and revived my true passion for the banjo.

[colinw]

I am 63, disabled, and live in the UK. I am about to purchase my first Banjo. You spoke a lot of sense young man, and listening to your song, accompanying your Banjo made me realise that duelling banjos, although brilliant, is same old, same old. You are a credit to your instrument and I will try my hardest to follow your good advise. Thank you, Colin

[fordn]

4:00 - "There's no reason to get worked up over this, we're just talking about Banjos, right?" You are one cool character!

[brin]

Wish I could give this video more likes!! The whole competitive nature and rules reminds me of what happened to guitar in the late '80's. (in the hair-band metal era). It all became about being more of a technician than a musician. Musicality lost out to technical virtuosity. Eventually it all imploded, with the backlash called grunge. Everybody was sick of the Twiddly-Widdly how many notes can you fit in mentality, and people started writing real songs again. And the audiences responded positively. There's always going to be musicians who are obsessed with technical playing, as it is a big personal challenge to achieve. I feel that it is also a path some choose, in place of possessing an innate musicality. So I've come from being a metal guitarist, to playing and loving the sheer heart and musicality of these more traditional banjo influences. Thanks heaps Clifton.

[winkcrittenden]

There's only ONE right way to play a banjo, and that's the way that gets it to make the sounds you hear in your head. Fuck what anyone else says.

[seancoxe]

You're not imagining things, Clifton. My favorite anecdote: I was at Fiddlers Grove one year, and someone asked me who my favorite old-time fiddler was. When I told her, "Ralph Blizard, " who learned fiddle in the hills of Kentucky in the 20's, played on the radio in the 30's, and gave up fiddle for religious reasons until he resumed his career in the 70's, without batting an eye, she replied, "But he's not really old-time, is he." Granted, his fiddling was influenced by the Texas swing he heard on the radio, but he was as genuinely old-time as it gets. And the pressure to conform to a formula was also underscored by Nick Hornbuckle, who by necessity is an outstanding TWO FINGER bluegrass player. In an interview, he tells how, even after he was only playing two-finger, he would still wear the extra finger pick so as not to draw attention. Love your channel and I love your style. Keep up the good work!

[SIMULCR]

I play the blues harp and am a singer songwriter.
Hearing your style of banjo was the first time that I felt it spoke to me and I understood its beauty as an instrument. I never understood why, but this explanation helped a lot. Your style always seemed more complex, subtle and free-flowing than any other I'd heard before.
You're doing the Lord's work keeping this music alive, thank you sir.

[davidmerry]

Hi Clifton
I saw Jeff Warner playing his banjo and singing old tunes in a folk club over hear in the UK in 2014. I never liked banjo till then, I associated it with bluegrass. Following my retirement later that year, and Jeff's advice, I bought a five string with a Whitelady tone ring, found a clawhammer teacher (George Davies, who in turn was taught by Ken Perlman) and so began my life's journey with banjo. Whilst I struggle with playing, I have built a passionate collection of great old and new player's old time and traditional music. I have recently taken up a keen interest in the history of the banjo and it's music. I play and sing banjo and songs in a folk club, attend a social history group and have been invited to give a talk on the roots of banjo in slavery and modern times.
So when I saw your Youtube page and patreon I was blown away. A person with the same thoughts and passions as myself (albeit me from the UK and no great shakes at playing ). I wish you great continued success with the project ; you can rely on my support.

[Cliftyman]

my first comment was made before you started talking about your music experience. Dang you hit the nail on the head. It's happened to me too. I grew up going to the KY state fiddling championship every year. The best times were in the campground picking. I've felt those rules pushed on me many times. To get out I just learned to play all the instruments so I wouldn't get boxed in... when it got boring on one I'd switch to another. About 12 years in I began wondering if Bill Monroe himself would get run out of the jam circle? Pure freedom... I love it

[ScotchIrishTarheel]

I’m from western NC and grew up with all this music. The only thing Clifton says that I take issue with is about dancing. I find it just as easy to flatfoot to bluegrass as I do to old time/traditional music.

[erinworley]

Pardon the pun, but this video resonates with me, big time.  I started playing banjo on my own without lessons in order to back up a singer songwriter.  I used a banjo with a resonator and finger picks.  People automatically assumed I played Scruggs style bluegrass even though I have yet to play a single song in that style (although I love bluegrass).  I eventually started learning claw hammer style and added drop thumbing and such and bought me an open back banjo at the local pawn shop.  I absolutely love it!!.  I also learned many traditional old time tunes in my own style and when I go to jams, I enjoy them, but definitely feel intimidated and out of place by the unspoken "rules" of old time jams and the styles associated with it.  I'm legit scared to show up to Clifftop!  I literally don't fit into any banjo crowd because of the supposed 2 categories that you just HAVE to fit into in order to be considered legit.  I love playing my own style and being able to play with or with or without picks,  resonator, or frets for that matter.  There is such a freedom in it and I can play along to most anything because I have more than one tool to work with.  I love learning from other famous players, but if all we do is mimic their styles, we are limiting ourselves so much!!  My favorite thing is to play in a way that backs up my singing (in the key of C, and slowed down a bit, so you can actually pick out the melody - shhhh, don't tell anyone!) I just wish I could find more folks to jam with that aren't so pickersnickity about it all or feel that you have to pick a side and consider the other side less legit when there is a way larger world of banjo than bluegrass and old time.  Thanks for the video and keep doing what you do!!!  The way you play and sing has been very inspiring to me as I continue to learn - but no worries, I won't copy your style and create a third category of banjo playing ;O).

[zacharygrey]

I’m disappointed that I’ve only recently discovered your channel! Your content in this particular video resonates deeply with me. I stopped plying banjo because I got sick of the rolls. Ended up selling my banjo and haven’t had one since. I’ve listened to traditional banjo and folk music my whole life and loved every minute of it. Weirdly enough, my family originates in the mountains of West Virginia so one might say it’s in my blood. You’ve inspired me to fall back in love with playing. Now on to convincing my wife to let me buy a nice open back! I hope to meet you someday and pick with you!

[myidahohomestead.]

I agree a lot with you. I'm new to playing, but the more i learn the more i see the picking as just a way to show off who can play the fastest.

[Rustygulley-rr]

"Buddy, it ain't nothin' but rules." That's the truth. Music competition, which I used to participate in, is soul crushing. As soon as someone starts reeling off the prizes they won I head for the door.

[dannytriplett]

You're soo right about the jam/convention scene. THE BANJO is just a tool of expressing what you're feeling inside. It HAS NO limitations. Thank you for your videos sir

[subbuteo]

I saw you play and sing at Swannanoa a couple of weeks ago. You blew away the audience, and I don't mean sent them running! There is an appreciation for what you do. The rules come from people who intellectualise and formalise something that has evolved and continues to evolve. The talk and performance by George Gibson was excellent too, of course, and your performance highlighted what he had to say.

[jasonw]

This is so spot on man. I’ve been to Mt Airy, been invited to Clifftop, spent many hours “jamming” with old time guys...you and I have had parallel experiences. There is some truly wonderful music happening, for sure, but that driving rhythm you and I love is shunned with a glare, you feel so unwelcome. I play in a string band that does everything from old-time to Whitney Houston and we don’t fit at bluegrass festivals or old time things, we just are what we are. I play a bottleneck slide primarily in the band, try taking THAT to an Old Timey thing! Thanks for being a beacon in the traditional banjo world, I think that your lessons and videos really resonate with a lot of players who don’t fit in to the current two party banjo system.

[TheSnigster]

THANKYOU for that.
I'm in the uk, got given a broken banjo by a neighbour and have fixed it up.
I watch your style and tutorials and simply enjoy.
I've played guitar for 20 years and they are gathering dust as I am in love with the clawhammer style.
All that your saying is obviously new news to me.
I just like playing and singing songs.
I've yet to master the two finger picking and am in love with the journey.
It's been a saving grace for me during the lockdowns.
I love you, you sound so fantastic.
I hope you know Jesus, selfishly, coz I hope to see you on the other side, God bless. Xx

[johncabanaw]

Hey Clif, I just want to tell ya, I've been playing banjo since Christmas and it has been a struggle picking a style. Most of the songs I hear on the radio (mostly XM) are bluegrass style, and the old man and I are regular attenders of the annual bluegrass festival here in southern Michigan, where the bluegrass style is about 98% dominant. I chose to learn clawhammer early on because it was the traditional style and I felt like it was respecting the instrument and the music more but as of late I was thinking about switching over and learning bluegrass, just because I felt like it might be more versatile. Thanks to you, I realize now that the facts are completely the opposite. I needed this tonight, I have felt a little perplexed about the whole thing. Clawhammer is definitely the style I'll stick with. And out of all the guys on youtube giving banjo instruction and interesting info along with it, you are by far the best in my opinion. Please keep doing what you are doing, it really means and motivates a lot!!

[mhjzype]

I often find myself coming back to where my true spark for the banjo came from, that little intro song that you played. Thank you.