Does @BanjoBen have a lesson for reuben? Or did you learn it elsewhere?
Let's see em!
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Phew 
Sending 
Hi @K_G You don’t need D Tuners to play Reuben’s Train. Just tune your banjo to Open D tuning
Quote from the Deering website.
F#, D, F#, A, D
This is referred to as “D” Tuning. Earl Scruggs used this tuning on such songs as “Reuben”. You can also tune the 5th string to an “A” instead of a “F#” and still be in “D” tuning. If you strum the banjo without fretting any strings in this tuning you will be playing a D chord.
I don’t recall @BanjoBen teaching this but Murphy teaches her version of it on one of her Advanced DVDs. But it’s not too difficult if you know how to play hammer on’s slides, chokes and bends.
Check out this video at a slow speed and I bet you can soon figure it out.
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Just AWESOME!
As a perennial Christmas Standard these days… no harm-no foul on dating yourself with that reference.
I just wonder if the box that came in was from Italy - with FRAGILE stamped on it!
CLASSIC!
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What brand/type of Mando? Didn’t you get it recently - as I did with my Eastman 315? I feel like I have read it - but cannot recall…
By the way, since posting, I read more of the thread and see we are on a parallel path. I am learning all those Mando songs too… plus Amazing Grace… which is tricky keeping the Downstroke and upstroke patterns straight across strings on the 3rd (last) part of the song… but so well written (just like that ‘Jesus Loves Me’ slow solo part you mentioned - AMAZING!)
Have you played Mando for long?
2 personal observations based on your missing you ole Banjer comment…
- I knew I enjoyed playing my Banjo when I decided to get my Mando. What I did NOT expect was how quickly I felt my attachment to connecting with the Mando!
I mean, I had asked others around the Forum about branching off with the Mando… and the comments from @BanjoBen and @Jake were - not only will it NOT interfere with Banjo… but it enhances the Banjo in a complimentary way because it is just different was spot on!
What surprises me is some sort of unique connection with the way to hold/play the Mando. It feels more a part of me when playing it… somehow - but I digress…
- In response to missing the Banjo during your trip… I have to “set the stage” to illustrate this observation…
I enjoy the connection humans have with dogs and how dogs unconditionally crave to see and please their master with genuine joy - which in turn makes us miss them so much and enjoy seeing them waiting for us. Having had several dogs in my life, each had their own personality but that unconditional joy was common to all of them, right?
If there ever was an inanimate object that comes close to providing that same feeling… it is my Banjo and Mando. Each distinctly different but I crave to spend time with both after being away (hours or days, the longing is the same).
Can you see the parallel I am striving to make? I totally get what you mean about missing your ole friend, your Banjer… that sits waiting for your return home.
Ok… y’all can stop laughing at me now… but I can’t help but wonder if other hobbies touch other people in the same way. I imagine it possible… but for me, the instrument connection is very real.
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You can see what she bought I just went insane today at the General Store, bought guitar and mando there. I do agree about the connection with your instruments, and yes, people with other hobbies do too, I felt like that about my dirt bike until I started playing guitar.
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Never too late. Always keep learning.
Dang, you’re right @K_G, that mando neck does look pretty crazy. I’m looking at it now and it looks good though. I had to go wide angle on the photos, so yeah, there’s some distortion.
Reuben or Reuben’s Train is indeed played with D tuning, but not actively changed during the song like
on Earl’s Breakdown or Flint Hill. I do not have dTuners, but now I sure wish I did, cause it’s a hassle.
I suppose if I start playing other songs in d tuning, I’ll invest in them.
Here’s 81Crowe doing Reuben
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Yeah, I did go insane, but I have to say, I did get a great deal on multiple instruments, it was very hard to resist. The guitar and mando are entry level instruments and I have some little cousins I’m trying to get interested in playing. One other little cousin, not so young now, used my old violin I played when I was in elementary and middle school. Instruments make the rounds in our family.
Hey @WillCoop, it’s a Kentucky KM150 and I think I remember commenting on your Eastman and how pretty the wood is. How’s that working out for you? I like the mando so I think I’ll keep playing it and when a cousin hijacks my KM, which I hope they will, I have my eyes set on something like yours.
Will you point me to the version of Amazing Grace you’re referring to? I wanna check it out.
No, I have not been paying long, just started on the Seattle trip I just got back from. I went through Ben’s beginner track utility lessons, so glad I did, and then picked up Salt Creek, Old Joe Clark, Arkansas Traveler, and Unclouded Day. I’m at full speed on OJC and about 3/4 speed on the others. This morning, I learned Ben’s Wildwood Flower (pretty easy) and Swallowtail Jig, a version I found on the web.
As to both of your observations, I’m with ya buddy, 100%. I never had dogs but I totally get the relationship with the instruments. They bring us joy. I love the feeling I get when I finally nail down that lick or song I’ve been working on. I love all the different directions they can take me, the feelings or moods evoked by different music, the camaraderie of our community and the fanciful dreams of playing at bluegrass festivals and jamming with others someday, the feeling of accomplishment and the idea that not everyone can do what I’m doing. Yeah, I totally get it. 
My banjo and mando should have names even and I’ve been thinking on that for a few days. I have to figure out first if they’re girl or boy instruments.
I’ve had a lot of hobbies and interests over the years, but none have touched me like these. I doubt anyone’s laughing at you/us; I’m betting most if not all of them have similar notions. C’mon guys, whose willing to fess up?
Aw, I just teared up a little while proofing this before posting.
As to the Christmas tree stand, I thought it was perfect. It’s within reach of my big chair I usually sit in and I can just grab whichever one I want to play. And it just looks cool. The drawback is I don’t have anywhere to put all the cases now. The stuff I pulled out of that space and the cases are all now sitting in the middle of my galley.
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Superb dynamics!
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Exactly my problem. Cases take up a lot of space. Let us know when you figure that one out!
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Stack them up and use them as a table (or chair/bench) 
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Well, I have guitar style tuners, (as you can see in the pics at the top) but I learned earls breakdown from a video by Sean Ray (without using tab either) and I figured out that a pre-bend (blues guitar technique) on the G works well as a substitute. I haven’t learned flint hill, (I want to) but I wrote a tune recently with dtuners, and used slides as a substitute and it also works well. I still want some dtuners though
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I am sorry for the delayed response… but happy you had felt what I meant in my comments… musical Instruments “call” to their owners in a very real way.
So Amazing Grace is in the Beginnner list of lessons and there are 2 nice versions.
Look ‘em up and tell me what you think!
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Oh yeah, I have seen/heard those, the build a break video, yes very nice. I’m working on a sort of bluesy version of Amazing Grace on the guitar. Of course, I don’t really play guitar so, that’s a bit of an issue so… If can get this version down, maybe I can legitimately say I play guitar.
@BanjoBen has a gorgeous bluesy version of Amazing Grace, it’s advanced (I set my sights high). If I were jamming with people and someone said to me to kickoff Amazing Grace, this is what I’d do. It’d be a long kick off for sure, but… Have you heard this one? Song starts at 1:10 into it. https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/amazing-grace-banjo
What is it? I mean this song can be played with any instrument in practically any genre and it sounds good.
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Thanks @Maggie! I recall seeing this posted quite q while ago… and well, this version IS ambitious - isn’t it?
So, I will have to print this for the ole Banjer…
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Robin built the 5 string neck on my '29 TB-1 (original hoop) . He builds a great neck!
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