Tony Trischka Plays Brown's Ferry Blues on a Deering Goodtime Two Banjo

Deering artist and banjo icon Tony Trischka performs Browns Ferry Blues on a Deering Goodtime Two. The song, originally performed by the legendary Earl Scruggs, features on Tony's 2024 project, "Earl Jam", in which Tony and an a-list cast of bluegrass players recreate songs found on a rare set of recordings by Earl and John Hartford.
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[@rudolphpyatt4833]

It sounds great, unsurprisingly: I have the open back five string. I moved from that to the 19 fret Goodtime 2 tenor because people kept telling me that I shouldn’t use a flatpick on anything but a tenor or plectrum, that the five string should only be used for bluegrass or old time, played Scruggs style or clawhammer. I don’t believe that, I saw Tony open for Derrick Trucks once so I know there’s more to the five string than that, but that does seem to be the default view.

[@josephbrosk4384]

It's been my experience that the default view is held by people who like to live in tiny little boxes, afraid to peek outside in case they see something different than the wall of the box. Inside that box they are always 100% correct, and that makes them happy. If you try to explain that the banjo is a musical instrument, used for playing all kinds of music in all kinds of musical styles, they look at you with pity & shake their heads. "You just don't understand bluegrass, and besides, you're not from around here." ~sigh~
We all have to paddle our own canoe and pick our own banjo.

[@drumdadio]

I think from a traditional standpoint the box analogy makes sense because the box is the musical language, the culture, and the spirit of what made the instrument materialize, and that should be preserved as much as possible(protect history, and preserve the knowledge).
However, I too understand the progression of the art involves making that box bulge at the sides... Or making a newer box. Whatever you do... just don't break the box completely... That's how you get trap music and hic hop.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

@@drumdadio But this assumes that the banjo is only suitable for bluegrass and old time. The instrument was around long before bluegrass, and Fred Van Eps and Ves Ossman weren’t playing old time Appalachian music. My issue is that you shouldn’t have to play those genres, with those techniques, any more than every guitarist should mimic Hendrix or Segovia. No one would seriously argue that the guitar is only suitable for rock and classical, but it’s common to hear that the banjo should only be used for bluegrass or old time and played Scruggs style or claw hammer.
Mind you, this comes up to some extent with other instruments: Classical saxophonists probably tire of explaining that they don’t play jazz, for example. But no one would question Kenny Baker’s ability on violin just because he didn’t play classical. Get outside of bluegrass on the banjo, however, and eyebrows will be raised. As I said, I have gone around that; I have had the humbling experience of people telling me that they liked my playing. But it is interesting to observe the reaction of those who want the instrument to stay inside the box.