Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Music influences outside of bluegrass

#1

Does anybody listen or have influences outside of the bluegrass genre where you may even incorporate some of those styles into your bluegrass playing?

Some of the guitar players I like are Michael Schenker, Steve Vai, George Benson, and Joe Bonamassa, but also many more. Is interesting to hear some of the passages by non-bluegrass artists that actually fit into the bluegrass style. Steve Kaufman has a version of Dixie Hoedown where he plays a run that is essentially a descending scale that is very similar to what Randy Rhoads plays from the album Diary of a Madman.

When playing the Banjo Ben version of Old Joe Clarke, I inserted a phrase from Rush’s first album with a few alterations, but it worked for what I was trying to do. Just wonder if anyone else employs this method? Maybe some of you see yourself as bluegrass purists, or do you push the boundaries to where you color outside of the lines? I just figure albeit he is a great player, that there is more to bluegrass guitar than just Tony Rice.

3 Likes
#2

If you copy Tony Rice, you’ll play some Coltrane licks, so… :wink:

2 Likes
#3

For sure, the jazz element is present in Tony’s playing.

1 Like
#4

I , dare I say it, play the banjo. I consider it a musical instrument that is for playing music. It might be boogie woogie, it might be bluegrass, it might be a song from “the Wizard of Oz.” It doesn’t matter what genre. What matters is “Did I play it cleanly?”
I have a deep appreciation for bluegrass purists. If not for them, the genre could very well disappear! (There aren’t too many doo-wop groups left today, even if the songs were great.)
I don’t have much use for the “my way or the highway” attitude, unless it’s his band & I want to play in it.

Life is too short to worry about playing music approved by someone else.

2 Likes
#5

I’ve been known to listen to Johnny Winter just before playing a BG show.

Blues, classical, fiddle music, Western Swing, Dawg, Big Band Swing, Old Country (fiddle, steel & acoustic rhythm)…yep

1 Like
#6

Coltrane was an awesome guitarist (that’s a joke before someone tries to repeat that and look smart).

Dave, your mention of Johnny reminded me of a lyric and I can’t place it (and searches are failing me as well). The quote is something like “I really must admit it Johnny Winter gets me off.”

I think I use BG in other genres more than other genres in BG. I guess I use some chords shapes that aren’t typical “grass”. I am still a banjo noob, but my fingerstyle background has some influence there.

#7

Guitarists pick up stuff from non-guitarists all the time, just ask Steve Vai.