I started playing banjo with my Dad!

My Dad has been a huge influence along my music journey.

I once wrote about it in this: How going back to my roots led to my first song

Last weekend we got together to go through a list of songs we selected to try and learn. 

Did I ever mention my Dad has a music studio in his basement? 

More recently he’s been learning how to record using the same program I’m learning.

Now, my Dad is the kinda guy that always amazes me.

This time was no different. 

He had everything set up when I got there, including mics and all the music for us to look at ready to go and organized. It was so impressive I told him!

I didn’t know he wanted to do any recording that day, but I thought why not? My motto’s “Make it an adventure” anyway, right?!

After getting situated a bit I began looking at the ukulele parts while he grabbed his guitar. Song by song, we kinda just went through and looked at what we could play and sing without too much trouble, and what sounded cool to try.

He’d been wanting to try ✨ Let It Be Me, by The Everly Brothers. We kinda like it with him singing the harmonies and taking one of the verses on his own, while I sing the melody for the rest. We listened to various recordings of the song being done, and I have to say my favorite is one we found of Elvis doing it! Love that one. 

Are you familiar with the song Let It Be Me? Do you have a favorite version? Leave a comment below.😉

But the best part of our time together, besides grabbing some lunch with my mom 🥰 on a little break we took, was when he said…

“Annie, go grab the banjo off the wall over there.” ✨

Which I did! 🤗 Here’s me in his studio:

Guess what? I’ve started to play it!

Yup. He had it all ready for me, and told me I can have it!

He explained that he took off the fifth string. (Guess banjos can have 4 or 5 strings) AND had me grab my capo, which is this little dity I use that hugs the strings that I’ve found very handy, especially with the cute little one I got to fit my ukulele. I’m able to use the same capo for the banjo!

Anyway, I’ve got the banjo all tuned just like my ukulele so everything is fingered the same way!! (This is a different tuning my Dad said from how a typical 4 string banjo is tuned) This means I’ve got a very cool NEW fuller fun sound to play with…. THE BANJO… 🪕 without having to learn all new chord formations. Nice, right? 👊🏼

Here’s a picture of the fifth banjo string removed and my capo:

Keep reading for more pics below!

I’m giving it a go.
Apparently he got the banjo from my mom a year after they got married as a birthday gift in 1976. We asked her more about where and how much she paid and all that. At first she couldn’t really remember, but she thinks probably about $75 at a place called Patti Music. (She had gotten him his guitar in Mexico and paid $35 for it in 1975)

I did a quick search and found this photo from 1973 on the Wisconsin Historical Society website! 📸 Patti Music Photograph 

Richelieu, who dat?
Also, my Dad told me about a famous banjo maker named C.C. Richelieu. Guess he was the first banjo maker inductee in the banjo hall of fame. AND that he once held the very banjo I was holding!

Now, I was like.. come on Dad! What?

So he goes on to say…

Okay, I’ve heard Bud Ramsey’s name from my Dad before.
“Al (Bud) Ramsey, a 4-string banjo strummer and my old guitar teacher, told me about Richelieu and urged me to visit him, which I did about 1975 or so. His shop was located in Oregon WI, somewhere across the street from the current McDonalds restaurant.” 

Gotcha. Processing…. 😃

Isn’t that cool?

Makes me feel kinda connected to the banjo community already, and I just immediately got so so excited the very first strum I gotta say! 

So, I’m learning the banjo now. My next adventure!

Wanna join my adventure? Do that 👉🏽 here

AND I’ll leave you with a few more pics!