Chords for Noam Pikelny on Vintage Gibson Banjos and Tricone 4 String Guitar | Reverb Interview
Tempo:
119 bpm
Chords used:
G
F
E
D
Gb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[N]
So this banjo is a 1941 Gibson Style 7 banjo.
Most of the Gibson banjos from that era actually
were built originally as four-string banjos.
The real rare ones, the real holy grail banjos
from that era are the original five-string flathead master tone banjos.
That was the
number one choice for Earl Scruggs.
He played a 1930 or 1932 Gibson Granada flathead banjo
that had an original five-string neck.
Amazing deep sound that you could get out of these
instruments and it was always a dream of mine as a little kid to one day own one of these
banjos.
I stumbled upon this banjo at George Green's shop in Nashville.
It had already
been converted.
It was a four-string banjo originally, but since the necks on these instruments
are bolt on, bolt off, you could have a modern maker make a replica neck and a guy named
Robin Smith had built this neck for this banjo.
This instrument was actually originally shipped
to South Africa in 1941.
A gentleman in Johannesburg found this banjo in a pawn shop in the 80s.
I've always loved this banjo.
It's a little bit different than some of the more famous
flathead banjos of that era.
This one is called the Top Tension design.
They came up with
an idea, a design where you could actually tighten the head of the banjo from the top.
This Top Tension design added maybe 25% extra metal to the weight of the instrument.
It's
the heaviest banjo Gibson ever made.
People who bemoan the weight of a heavy Les Paul
have never picked up a Gibson Top Tension banjo.
It's really out of control.
All that
extra mass just gives it a real huge sound and it fills the room in a way [F] that's kind
of unlike other master tone banjos.
I find it effective for playing solo because it
has [Bb] such low end that's not [G] typically associated with banjo.
[D] [G]
[E] [G]
This banjo is [Ab] kind of at the cornerstone of this record tonally, but I play, it's a 1928
four string tricone plectrum guitar.
That means it kind of has a long neck like a banjo,
but it's four strings and has three of the spun metal cones.
They [Gb] marketed that instrument
I think to stubborn banjo players because at the end of the 20s the banjo was fading
out of popularity.
There were apparently banjo players who were refusing to adapt and they
wanted an instrument that they could play like a banjo that sounded more like a guitar.
So [F] it's a completely bizarre instrument, but I picked [Gb] it up and I could play it like a
banjo, just like a banjo without a fifth string.
It has infinite reverb [F] and amazing sustain
to it.
It's such [A] a cool ethereal sound.
I found somebody online who said that that exact
model, the 1928 tricone plectrum guitar, that when it was introduced it really served no
musical purpose.
He went on to say that that remains true to this day.
So when I saw that
I thought, I have to have [E] it and I have to record with it.
I've started using it on lots
of projects.
I played that on a song called, [G] a Josh Ritter song [Fm] called Folk Blood Bath
on the [E] record and then another song of [Eb] mine called The Great Falls.
There's just no substitute
for age and I don't think it's that the metal has changed composition over the last 80 years.
It's the fact that all of the various parts of this instrument have been together for
80 years or so and they've become one unit and they're vibrating in this kind of symbiotic
relationship and it's just, it has a connectedness that is hard to find in a newer instrument.
So it's become a real passion [Em] of mine, learning as much as possible about them and collecting
these instruments and reverb has made that passion [D]
even more dangerous.
[G] [C] [G]
[Gm]
So this banjo is a 1941 Gibson Style 7 banjo.
Most of the Gibson banjos from that era actually
were built originally as four-string banjos.
The real rare ones, the real holy grail banjos
from that era are the original five-string flathead master tone banjos.
That was the
number one choice for Earl Scruggs.
He played a 1930 or 1932 Gibson Granada flathead banjo
that had an original five-string neck.
Amazing deep sound that you could get out of these
instruments and it was always a dream of mine as a little kid to one day own one of these
banjos.
I stumbled upon this banjo at George Green's shop in Nashville.
It had already
been converted.
It was a four-string banjo originally, but since the necks on these instruments
are bolt on, bolt off, you could have a modern maker make a replica neck and a guy named
Robin Smith had built this neck for this banjo.
This instrument was actually originally shipped
to South Africa in 1941.
A gentleman in Johannesburg found this banjo in a pawn shop in the 80s.
I've always loved this banjo.
It's a little bit different than some of the more famous
flathead banjos of that era.
This one is called the Top Tension design.
They came up with
an idea, a design where you could actually tighten the head of the banjo from the top.
This Top Tension design added maybe 25% extra metal to the weight of the instrument.
It's
the heaviest banjo Gibson ever made.
People who bemoan the weight of a heavy Les Paul
have never picked up a Gibson Top Tension banjo.
It's really out of control.
All that
extra mass just gives it a real huge sound and it fills the room in a way [F] that's kind
of unlike other master tone banjos.
I find it effective for playing solo because it
has [Bb] such low end that's not [G] typically associated with banjo.
[D] [G]
[E] [G]
This banjo is [Ab] kind of at the cornerstone of this record tonally, but I play, it's a 1928
four string tricone plectrum guitar.
That means it kind of has a long neck like a banjo,
but it's four strings and has three of the spun metal cones.
They [Gb] marketed that instrument
I think to stubborn banjo players because at the end of the 20s the banjo was fading
out of popularity.
There were apparently banjo players who were refusing to adapt and they
wanted an instrument that they could play like a banjo that sounded more like a guitar.
So [F] it's a completely bizarre instrument, but I picked [Gb] it up and I could play it like a
banjo, just like a banjo without a fifth string.
It has infinite reverb [F] and amazing sustain
to it.
It's such [A] a cool ethereal sound.
I found somebody online who said that that exact
model, the 1928 tricone plectrum guitar, that when it was introduced it really served no
musical purpose.
He went on to say that that remains true to this day.
So when I saw that
I thought, I have to have [E] it and I have to record with it.
I've started using it on lots
of projects.
I played that on a song called, [G] a Josh Ritter song [Fm] called Folk Blood Bath
on the [E] record and then another song of [Eb] mine called The Great Falls.
There's just no substitute
for age and I don't think it's that the metal has changed composition over the last 80 years.
It's the fact that all of the various parts of this instrument have been together for
80 years or so and they've become one unit and they're vibrating in this kind of symbiotic
relationship and it's just, it has a connectedness that is hard to find in a newer instrument.
So it's become a real passion [Em] of mine, learning as much as possible about them and collecting
these instruments and reverb has made that passion [D]
even more dangerous.
[G] [C] [G]
[Gm]
Key:
G
F
E
D
Gb
G
F
E
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N]
So this banjo is a _ 1941 Gibson Style 7 banjo.
Most of the Gibson banjos from that era actually
were built originally as four-string banjos.
The real rare ones, the real holy grail banjos
from that era are the original five-string flathead master tone banjos.
That was the
number one choice for Earl Scruggs.
He played a 1930 or 1932 Gibson Granada flathead banjo
that had an original five-string neck.
Amazing deep sound that you could get out of these
instruments and it was always a dream of mine as a little kid to one day own one of these
banjos.
I stumbled upon this banjo _ at George Green's shop in Nashville.
It had already
been converted.
It was a four-string banjo originally, but since the necks on these instruments
are bolt on, bolt off, you could have a modern maker make a replica neck and a guy named
Robin Smith had built this neck for this banjo.
This instrument was actually originally shipped
to South Africa in 1941.
A gentleman in Johannesburg found this banjo in a pawn shop in the 80s.
I've always loved this banjo.
It's a little bit different than some of the more famous
flathead banjos of that era.
This one is called the Top Tension design.
They came up with
an idea, a design where you could actually tighten the head of the banjo from the top.
This Top Tension design added maybe 25% _ _ extra metal to the weight of the instrument.
It's
the heaviest banjo Gibson ever made.
People who bemoan the weight of a heavy Les Paul
have never picked up a Gibson Top Tension banjo.
It's really out of control.
All that
extra mass just gives it a real huge sound and it fills the room _ in a way [F] that's kind
of unlike other master tone banjos.
I find it effective for playing solo because it
has [Bb] such low end that's not [G] typically associated with banjo.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ [G] _ _
This banjo is [Ab] kind of at the cornerstone of this record tonally, but I play, it's a 1928
_ four string tricone plectrum guitar.
That means it kind of has a long neck like a banjo,
but it's four strings and has three of the spun metal cones.
They [Gb] marketed that instrument
I think to stubborn banjo players because at the end of the 20s the banjo was fading
out of popularity.
There were apparently banjo players who were refusing to adapt and they
wanted an instrument that they could play like a banjo that sounded more like a guitar.
So [F] it's a completely bizarre instrument, but I picked [Gb] it up and I could play it like a
banjo, just like a banjo without a fifth string.
It has infinite reverb [F] and amazing sustain
to it.
It's such [A] a cool ethereal sound.
I found somebody online who said that that exact
model, the 1928 tricone plectrum guitar, that when it was introduced it really served no
musical purpose.
He went on to say that that remains true to this day.
So when I saw that
I thought, I have to have [E] it and I have to record with it.
I've started using it on lots
of projects.
I played that on a song called, [G] a Josh Ritter song [Fm] called Folk Blood Bath
on the [E] record and then another song of [Eb] mine called The Great Falls.
There's just no substitute
for age and I don't think it's that the metal has changed composition over the last 80 years.
It's the fact that all of the various parts of this instrument have been together _ for
80 years or so and they've become one unit and they're vibrating in this kind of symbiotic
relationship and it's just, it has a connectedness that is hard to find in _ a newer instrument.
So it's become a _ real passion [Em] of mine, learning as much as possible about them and collecting
these instruments and reverb has made that passion [D]
even more dangerous.
[G] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N]
So this banjo is a _ 1941 Gibson Style 7 banjo.
Most of the Gibson banjos from that era actually
were built originally as four-string banjos.
The real rare ones, the real holy grail banjos
from that era are the original five-string flathead master tone banjos.
That was the
number one choice for Earl Scruggs.
He played a 1930 or 1932 Gibson Granada flathead banjo
that had an original five-string neck.
Amazing deep sound that you could get out of these
instruments and it was always a dream of mine as a little kid to one day own one of these
banjos.
I stumbled upon this banjo _ at George Green's shop in Nashville.
It had already
been converted.
It was a four-string banjo originally, but since the necks on these instruments
are bolt on, bolt off, you could have a modern maker make a replica neck and a guy named
Robin Smith had built this neck for this banjo.
This instrument was actually originally shipped
to South Africa in 1941.
A gentleman in Johannesburg found this banjo in a pawn shop in the 80s.
I've always loved this banjo.
It's a little bit different than some of the more famous
flathead banjos of that era.
This one is called the Top Tension design.
They came up with
an idea, a design where you could actually tighten the head of the banjo from the top.
This Top Tension design added maybe 25% _ _ extra metal to the weight of the instrument.
It's
the heaviest banjo Gibson ever made.
People who bemoan the weight of a heavy Les Paul
have never picked up a Gibson Top Tension banjo.
It's really out of control.
All that
extra mass just gives it a real huge sound and it fills the room _ in a way [F] that's kind
of unlike other master tone banjos.
I find it effective for playing solo because it
has [Bb] such low end that's not [G] typically associated with banjo.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ [G] _ _
This banjo is [Ab] kind of at the cornerstone of this record tonally, but I play, it's a 1928
_ four string tricone plectrum guitar.
That means it kind of has a long neck like a banjo,
but it's four strings and has three of the spun metal cones.
They [Gb] marketed that instrument
I think to stubborn banjo players because at the end of the 20s the banjo was fading
out of popularity.
There were apparently banjo players who were refusing to adapt and they
wanted an instrument that they could play like a banjo that sounded more like a guitar.
So [F] it's a completely bizarre instrument, but I picked [Gb] it up and I could play it like a
banjo, just like a banjo without a fifth string.
It has infinite reverb [F] and amazing sustain
to it.
It's such [A] a cool ethereal sound.
I found somebody online who said that that exact
model, the 1928 tricone plectrum guitar, that when it was introduced it really served no
musical purpose.
He went on to say that that remains true to this day.
So when I saw that
I thought, I have to have [E] it and I have to record with it.
I've started using it on lots
of projects.
I played that on a song called, [G] a Josh Ritter song [Fm] called Folk Blood Bath
on the [E] record and then another song of [Eb] mine called The Great Falls.
There's just no substitute
for age and I don't think it's that the metal has changed composition over the last 80 years.
It's the fact that all of the various parts of this instrument have been together _ for
80 years or so and they've become one unit and they're vibrating in this kind of symbiotic
relationship and it's just, it has a connectedness that is hard to find in _ a newer instrument.
So it's become a _ real passion [Em] of mine, learning as much as possible about them and collecting
these instruments and reverb has made that passion [D]
even more dangerous.
[G] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _