Banjo Joe’s one thousand, nine hundred and twenty-one comments

That makes a lot of sense Conical bore. I have noticed that old strings do not seem to be in tune no matter how many times I tweak them, they just don't sound right. But if you think about it the constant correction of a fiddle player, plus the vibrato an... more…

You might consider learning ABC at the same time as notation and keeping a library of tunes in abc format on your computer. Download ABC explorer and paste in the abc. It will show the sheet music but also the ABC. You can edit the ABC to change things, l... more…

I think once the string starts to unwind, it is broken. I can think of a couple reasons not to play with strings like this. They don't stay in tune very well and don't hold a steady pitch as well. The windings from the strings will give you slivers. I hav... more…

check out http://www.concertina-spares.com/ more…

That tune seems a bit hard with all the cross fingerings on the G and d notes. The Cup of Tea is a lot easier in my opinion. more…

Yes I still do. more…

A good way to get more youtube views is to post on sites like fiddlehangout. In my experience I'v gotten lots of views posting on banjohangout.org. I would say a beginner session might be a good idea. Find some other beginners on the outskirts of the adva... more…

It is certainly Rattlin Bog which is a polka. more…

Oh and thanks! more…

Agreed there are lots of different keys in Irish trad. For a truly accurate and nuanced answer you really need to look at the individual tunes and when they came about, if the composer is know you might look at what instrument they play, or perhaps they f... more…