Just starting

[Donald Vanhart]

Im looking for help.just got my banjo, what tuning should I start with and any ideas where I could find some easy tabs.
Thanks for any help you can give

[Leonidas (Lee) Jones]

Hi Donald, I'll be up in Maine this weekend at the Norlands Living HIstory Center ACW reenactment, with banjos along for the ride. WIth the size of Maine, you might not be anywhere near. If you are, perhaps we could meet and talk there. ANyhow, first qusetion is exactly what kind of banjo did you get. We can then make Dan''s excellent general advice a good deal more specific.

[Leonidas (Lee) Jones]

Oops, Maine, NY. Never mind!

[Donald Vanhart]

Thanks Dan I have the Terry Bell Boucher banjo.
I will take any help you can give

Don

Dan'l said:

Here's a standard Minstrel Banjo tuning: d - G - D - F# - A,  assuming you have a minstrel type banjo with gut, nylon (or Nylgut) string set that are intended for this relatively low-pitch tuning.  If you have a modern type banjo you could use the higher pitch equivelent tuning: g - C- G - B - D, which is not authentic to Antebellum Minstrel banjo (it seems you're an 'enactor so it might matter to you) but can be used to play period tunes the same way, just in a modern higher pitch.

You're about to be inundated with all kinds of useful info. from other members here, but at least for starts go to the resources button for links to all kinds of helpful material available... for instance tabs for Briggs tutor

Oh yeah, welcome!

Dan'l

[Strumelia]

As Dan suggested, click on the upper link here "Resources"- you'll find some cool beginner videos by Tim Twiss, along with lots of other help.  Tim also offers a fine beginner tab book.  I also enjoy having the Weidlich books of tab.  

Any tune you might possibly wish to hear can be found here in this site's video section, and that helps when you are trying to figure out how some song is 'supposed' to sound.

Welcome and enjoy!   Terry make a nice banjer.    :)

[Leonidas (Lee) Jones]

I agree, the best starting point is Tim's book,Early Banjo, available from his web site. The Weidlich tab reduction of Brigg's is also a good resource. If you are comfortable with musical notation, there are reprints of many of the early methids, available from Tuckahoe Music. These are invaluale, Joe Ayers' introductions are worth it by themselves.

[Tom Taggart]

Tim's book and CD, Early Banjo, is what got me started.  It is a great resource, especially since you can hear all the songs played.  It helps emensly when trying to figure out new material.

[Hugh Strawn]

TIM TWISS!

[Tim Twiss]

Present and ready for duty.

[Strumelia]

The Twisster.   :D

[Al Smitley]

Today, I found out that the name is really "Tim Wist".

[Donald Vanhart]

Thanks for all the help

Terry Bell is sending me one of Tim's video, so I'm waiting for that


Don