This popped up as “Recommended” on YouTube last night when I was looking for a giant creature-feature to watch. So I skipped the creatures and went with the giant among banjo players…Tony Trischka.
In the course of the discussion he gives some excellent practice tips, plays some nifty little tunes and occasionally struggles to find the right note (just like me!).
Like many of us, I want to do what Earl did, so I tried putting the strap on my right shoulder. Bad plan, and I figured, “Well, I’m not Earl.”
At one point Mr Trischka reveals the answer to “Why does Earl wear his strap on his right shoulder?”**
The video runs about an hour & a half, so it is a big chunk of time. Luckily, if interested, you can watch it in bits & pieces at your leisure.
** According to Trischka, he asked that same question of Earl. Earl’s reply was “It’s so when I put it on, I didn’t knock off my cowboy hat.”
Son-of-a-gun. Look at pictures of Earl. Cowboy hat=right shoulder. NO cowboy hat, the strap is over his head.