4-String Cello Banjo ~ Breton Tune and Cooley's Reel - Discussion Forums

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ARCHIVED TOPIC: 4-String Cello Banjo ~ Breton Tune and Cooley's Reel

Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/262165

Paul Roberts - Posted - 05/05/2013: 21:21:30

I'm playing a CEB-4 Gold Tone 4-string cello banjo available on my site along with a boatload of other Gold Tone instruments.

Who could have foreseen, when Marcy Marxer began playing an old Gibson cello banjo with her partner Cathy Fink - that it would lead to a resurgence of the cello banjo, an instrument given up for extinct long ago? Gold Tone's CEB-4 is the signature Marcy Marxer edition and it's a marvelous instrument with a huge voice. Here's my interview with Marcy Marxer about the CEB-4 banjocrazy.com/articles/armarcy2.shtml">banjocrazy.com/articles/ar...

and another about Marcy's musical history banjocrazy.com/articles/armarcy1.shtml">banjocrazy.com/articles/ar...

I learned to use finger-style instead of a flatpick for melody from the playing of Gordon Johnston, an Irish tenor banjo player. Here's my interview with Gordon Johnston in which he discusses this little known style.

banjocrazy.com/articles/argordon1.shtml">banjocrazy.com/articles/ar...

I hope you'll check my other YouTube videos

youtube.com/user/strumstering">youtube.com/user/strumstering

Banjo Crazy PauL

Edited by - Paul Roberts on 05/06/2013 13:46:54

VIDEO: 4-String Cello Banjo ~ Breton Tune and Cooley's Reel
(click to view)

stigandr5 - Posted - 05/06/2013: 05:35:17

As a huge proponent of lesser-known Celtic musical traditions, this video makes me quite happy. The fingerstyle playing sounds very good, too. Thanks!

JanetB - Posted - 05/06/2013: 06:04:01

Well, Paul, thanks for the links. I started with the first one and am already amazed at the cello banjo history. I'll read the others after my work day. As always you're getting that "gold tone" out of your cello banjo. I should get out of this rocking chair and do my morning exercises to Cooley's Reel, but I already did my 100 sit-ups.

bhniko - Posted - 05/06/2013: 08:49:31

Enjoyed the interview of Marcy as well as your playing of the Cello.
The video of Gordon Johnston link gave me the message 'Video is not available'.
Dad gum...another thing for the bucket list!

Paul Roberts - Posted - 05/06/2013: 13:42:10

stigandr5 ~ Nice compliment. Thank you very much.

Janet ~ I could work with that... The Golden Tone of Gold Tone. I'm sure you get plenty of exercise chasing all those kids around - you're lucky to have each other.

bhniko ~ Thanks for you response; glad you enjoyed the interview and the tune. And thanks for the heads-up on the broken link. These are good links to Gordon Johnston's Irish tenor banjo finger-style videos. Gordon is playing a tenor banjo made by Tom Nechville.

youtube.com/watch?v=x7FlTIZW0uk

youtube.com/watch?v=DthvOT03i5Q

youtube.com/watch?v=bSik8JDjDWY

youtube.com/watch?v=kX3oul12AHA

youtube.com/watch?v=1FEUy5TU0Ig

youtube.com/watch?v=OIoRMBDmzhg

Edited by - Paul Roberts on 05/06/2013 13:43:58