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Clifton Hicks

Clifton Hicks

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Clifton Hicks posts

Cold Icy Mountain | Performance (overhand)

 Banjo down-tuned from standard G tuning to: eBEGsharpB 

Here's "Cold Icy Mountain" played overhand (clawhammer, frailing, down-picking) style loosely similar to the George Gibson's usual ...

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Phillip Kazee | "Moonshiner"

"Song sung and played on banjo by Phillip Kazee and recorded at the Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music 11-08-74. Tune number 07 on AC-OR-005-001-T1 in the Appalachian Center Collection, Be...

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Wayne Martin on Joe Thompson

“Nowadays, when people play fiddle music, it’s instrumental,” Martin said. “But the older generation insisted on interweaving the vocals with the music. . . . The tunes actually...

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Cold Icy Mountain | Performance (two-finger)

 I learned this song originally from Matt Kinman who's himself learned it from George Gibson--the source for must current versions. Since then I have heard Gibson sing and play it many times, and...

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1880s Mail-Order Banjo

 I recently restored this circa 1880 mail-order banjo. It came to me with  loose, broken tuning pegs...

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Left-Handed Banjo 1870s-1880s (Possibly English)

This is one of the prettiest banjos I have ever seen. Walnut neck, spun-over rim, bone and mother-of-pearl inlays. Converted from six-string to five-string.

Is anyone here left-handed and, possibly,...

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S.C. Thompson (Faribanks & Cole) Banjo 1890s

This banjo is marked "SC Thompson Maker - Boston" on the dowel but I am told it's actually a Fairbanks & Cole. Similar to other F&C banjos we've featured in the past, this banjo has rosewood v...

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"German War" | Close-Up (Up-Picking)

In response to several requests, in this video I attempt to demonstrate "German War" using up-picking/up-stroke/Seeger Style picking. I have never tried to play it this way before, but turned out very...

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1880s Mail-Order Banjo

I am almost finished restoring this 1880s mail-order banjo. An experienced luthier recently gave me some good advice: never mount a new head using the banjo's original tension hooks! Fortunately I ...

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"German War" | Close-Up (2-Finger)

f#DGAD

As requested, here's my two-finger approach slowed down & up close.

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"German War" | Close-Up (Overhand)

https://patreon.com/cliftonhicks

fsharpDGAD

Click the machine cog symbol in the bottom right area of the Youtube player...

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"German War" | Discussion & Lesson

f#DGAD (Jump to 05:56 to skip the intro talk.)

In this video I discuss the story behind the song and go through the basics of playing a simplified overhand (clawhammer) version of "German War." Look...

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J.B. Schall "Imperial"

Very good condition antique "Imperial" banjo made by J.B. Schall with the Barrow's patented features, tailpiece, neck attachment and neck angle adjuster. 25 1/4" scale with a 10 1/2" pot.  

Sch...

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More from 2018 Banjo Gathering

Photos and videos by Justin Hoffman.

Rare octagonal folk banjo from Kentucky.

2018-11-13 02:13:23 +0000 UTC View Post

Are Online Banjo Communities a Sham?

Jacob posted this over in our Community forum and I felt it warranted some closer attention. I generally agree with everything said below: 

"Hey ya'll, wondering what everyone's thoughts are on...

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Enter to Win Free Online Banjo Building Course

This might be of interest to some of yall:

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Enter drawing for a chance for you or a friend to win free tu...

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Rare Flush-Fret Lyon & Healy

Here we have a lovely and fairly rare flush-fret Lyon & Healy banjo made in Chicago sometime during the turn of the 20th century 1880-1910 or thereabouts.

Nice banjo, fully restored and ready to...

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Inside the 2018 Banjo Gathering

Below are just a few of the photos I took of early and/or homemade banjos:

^ East Kentucky folk banjo wi...

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2018 Banjo Gathering Concert

I will have more material from the 2018 Banjo Gathering soon; for now here is most of the concert we put on the other night at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, VA. 

It begins ...

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J.B. Schall Flush-Fret Banjo (1890s)

This is a beautiful example of a 19th century Schall banjo out of Chicago.  


"J.B. Schal...

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Unmarked Fairbanks Banjo (1890s)

Fully-restored, unmarked Fairbanks (& Cole?) banjo from a private collection in North Carolina. Matching ivoroid tuners and tail piece--beautiful walnut neck.

2018-10-30 13:28:31 +0000 UTC View Post

Schedule for the 2018 Banjo Gathering at Bristol, VA

I'll be leaving home in a couple days to attend the 2018 Banjo Gathering at the Birthplace of Country Musi...

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S.S. Stewart "Champion" (1890s)

Serial Number 8928

2018-10-29 00:37:26 +0000 UTC View Post

S.S. Stewart "Champion" Banjo (1890s)

Here is the first of a new batch of 13 banjos I have acquired from two private collections. If you are in the market for quality, vintage banjos contact me at clifhicks(at)gmail(dot)com and we find so...

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Virgil Anderson at Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music 1984

Unidentified banjo song by Virgil Anderson at the Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music 11/03/84.

Tune number 01 on AC-OR-005-289  in the Appalachian Center Collection, Berea College S...

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Q&A | Banjo Trance?

"Clifton, you mentioned that some songs will put you in a 'trance' when played. You mentioned this happened to you while playing ‘German War’ recently… and other songs like ‘Pretty Polly,' ...

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"Pretty Polly" | Revisited

(fCFA#C one step below gDGCD aka "Modal Tuning," "G Modal" or "Pretty Polly Tuning.")

I know I've uploaded this song before, but a recent question from Justin H. prompted me to take another go at it...

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John Harrod | History Of Women in Kentucky Traditional Music

I met John Harrod this summer at the Swannonoa Gathering on the campus of Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. Besides being one of the best living traditional fiddlers he is an extremely knowledg...

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October 25th: George Gibson @ Blue Ridge Comm. College

I will be assisting Gibson on Thursday, October 25th at 7 p.m. in the Bo Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Community College (Flat Rock, NC). Registration is $5 per person. 

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Evidence for Five-String Banjo in the early 1700s!?

In 1985 a bridge and tuning peg were recovered from an early 18th century stratum at the bottom of a well. The bridge appears to have five slots, indicating that it may have been used on an early 5-st...

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