I need some banjo tunes!

marymac

marymac

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Alright you banjo-maniacs - I just got my new Mainland Concert banjo-lele and I need some nice tinny banjo tunes to play on it! Song names, websites, songbooks - send the ideas along.

And since you're going to ask - yes, I love this little gal! As usual it's set up nicely by Mike and Tookta at Mainland. It has a little bit of scarring on the fretboard near the 8-11 frets, maybe from a file, but its not really noticeable unless I look closely. The sound is great, and in spite of my "tinny" comment earlier it's pretty mellow for a banjo. I love it!

Now if only I knew some banjo tunes...
 
Anything with the chord progression from 5 foot two sounds stupendous on the Banjo Uke (C E7 A7 D7 G). That includes some all time favorite Western Swing, China Town (Milton Brown), Dinah, Back Home In Indiana- any of those old tunes sound really cool on them. I am the kind of fellow that figures everyone has a vast collection of Western Swing, but if it is new to you, I just did a show with some stuff I dug out of the crates (yeah this is a shameless self promotion I figure...but everyone needs some WS in their lives) which is here
I just got Ian Whitcombs Cat's Meow book and I figure when I get to it, all of it is going to sound pretty good here.
Can't go wrong with Leanin' on a Lamp Post either ;)
For new stuff, I like to play I Hear Them All and Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show) on it as well. Easy twangy progressions that seem to fit.
In any event- I would look to the roaring 20's for inspiration here, as all of those flapper ditty's were made for the banjo uke, unless you plan to pick it...then you have to go to the Big Mon and the Stanley Brothers, both way out of my league.
 
I used to play these on the 5 string banjo
Irish Washwoman
Sailor's Hornpipe
Cripple Creek
Eight of January
Red Haired Boy
I bet this would be good on the banjolele.
This Land is Your Land
–Lori
 
TCK said:
Anything with the chord progression from 5 foot two sounds stupendous on the Banjo Uke (C E7 A7 D7 G). That includes some all time favorite Western Swing, China Town (Milton Brown), Dinah, Back Home In Indiana- any of those old tunes sound really cool on them. I am the kind of fellow that figures everyone has a vast collection of Western Swing, but if it is new to you, I just did a show with some stuff I dug out of the crates (yeah this is a shameless self promotion I figure...but everyone needs some WS in their lives) which is here
I just got Ian Whitcombs Cat's Meow book and I figure when I get to it, all of it is going to sound pretty good here.
Can't go wrong with Leanin' on a Lamp Post either ;)
For new stuff, I like to play I Hear Them All and Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show) on it as well. Easy twangy progressions that seem to fit.
In any event- I would look to the roaring 20's for inspiration here, as all of those flapper ditty's were made for the banjo uke, unless you plan to pick it...then you have to go to the Big Mon and the Stanley Brothers, both way out of my league.
Click to expand...

Oo - Western Swing - great idea! Love that stuff. Any Western Swing uke books that I might be able to get from Amazon?

And the Cat's Meow looks like just what I was looking for. Glad it has a CD since I don't know these songs yet. Thanks!
 
Lori said:
I used to play these on the 5 string banjo
Irish Washwoman
Sailor's Hornpipe
Cripple Creek
Eight of January
Red Haired Boy
I bet this would be good on the banjolele.
This Land is Your Land
–Lori
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of Irish music on a banjo. I think several of these are in the Daily Uke. I'll check for these - thanks!
 
Jnobianchi said:
Go here - http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/inharmony/welcome.do

And here - http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/

I get most of my banjo uke music from sheet music collections like these. Dozens of universities around the US and the world have them, and many have them available online for free.

ALMOST forgot! Yay - please let us know how that Mainland plays - and please post a video so we can hear it!!
Click to expand...

Wow - I didn't realize there were collections of sheet music online. Great!

And I'll try to do a sound file of the Mainland once I learn a good banjo uke song. Give me a few days.
 
marymac said:
Oo - Western Swing - great idea! Love that stuff. Any Western Swing uke books that I might be able to get from Amazon?

And the Cat's Meow looks like just what I was looking for. Glad it has a CD since I don't know these songs yet. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Western Swing Uke is a tough one to find in book form, but the Ukulele for Cowboys book has lots of great tunes in it- I love the dern thing :)
 
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