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Mark Panfil on the Dobro at Christmas

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

Mark PanfilWell, it’s getting a little cold up here in Buffalo this December but time spent with loved ones shopping and singing carols is making it “the most wonderful time of the year”.  My days are full of Christmas concerts and first grade plays at my little elementary school on the shores of Lake Erie. Most mornings, I stand at the door of my classroom with my dobro playing Christmas songs like “Joy to the World” or “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” or whatever they request as they enter the building on their way to their classrooms. The young kids that I teach know my Dobro as “the Sponge Bob guitar” because of the smooth Hawaiian flavored sounds they recognize from the sound track of the popular cartoon.

If you’re shopping for a Dobro player on your list, maybe I can make some suggestions. Andy Hall has a new CD on Sugar Hill Records, The Sound of the Slide Guitar which has been in constant rotation for me since I bought it this year IBMA convention. [Note: it won Instrumental Album of the Year]  It is a very simply produced elegant project that really does present the Dobro in the forefront without a lot of studio bells and whistles.

The new Jerry Douglas CD, Glide is also a must have for all Dobro players. His compositions are some of the most significant modern music across all genres of instrumental composition. Listen to it at Jerry’s MySpace page. [Also worthy of mention is that Earl Scruggs makes an appearance on a lovely version of his classic "Home Sweet Home."]

I happened upon a very cool CD at the local bookstore last month, Charlie Haden, Family and Friends, Ramblin’ Boy. Of course, Jerry Douglas’s playing drew me right in and I sure enjoyed the place I ended up in. Needless to say, this is one of my new favorites. Listen to a sample at Charlie Haden’s website.

If you are looking for a real lasting gift for that special Dobro player, how about the stainless steel Scheerhorn Dobro slide. It is a bit more than other slides, but it lasts much longer. They sell for about $80 at Elderly Instruments.

If your favorite Dobro player is just a beginner, remember the Beginning Dobro DVD that I did for the Murphy Method gets you started on the right foot. I have made some supplemental DVD lessons that you can find at my website.

Hope your Holiday Season is full of music, love and joy.

Mark

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More About Picks

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Murphy HenrySo now that you know not to share your picks, let me remind you that, generally speaking, those little pointy fingerpicks are not going to be your best choice. (And thanks to Steve for the idea for this blog!)

Steve had read all this talk on Banjo Hangout about these pointy fingerpicks and how good they were, and he thought that he’d try them out. Naturally my first comment when I saw them was, “What are those?” My second comment was, “I don’t think they will give you the sound you’re looking for. They tend to produce a rather thin sound. You’re already getting a really good sound with your other picks. And you’re not having any problem with your tone or your ability to play.”

And after he played one song using those pointy picks my third comment was, “See? I told you so.” He took them off. And put his old ones back on.

Now, there may be some good reasons for using the pointy picks. Like if you want to play with a really light touch, or perhaps if you’re playing in the melodic style, or maybe if you like a tone that isn’t particularly Earlish or hard-core bluegrass. But if you’re looking for a big fat bluegrass sound, you need a fingerpick that has more area with which to strike the strings. (IMHO, of course!)

After all these years I’m still using my favorite old-style Dunlop fingerpicks, the kind with three holes and a longer blade than they are offering now. I use the heaviest gauge, 0.025. (I think that’s right….) I know old Nationals are all the rage (or at least they used to be) but those never felt good on my fingers. Ditto a lot of the newer picks, especially those made of heavier metal. They just don’t work for me.

But fingerpicks are a very personal item. Experiment around and see what you like best. Give yourself time to get used to a set and see how you like them. But then, stick with that set! Constantly changing fingerpicks in hopes that THAT will cure all your ills and make you a better banjo player is a pipe dream. And stay away from the pointy picks!

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Fingerpicks: Word to the Wise

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Murphy HenryShort blog today, folks. Just back from picking all afternoon with David McLaughlin (banjo), Marshall Wilborn (bass), Red Henry (mando), Chris Henry (guitar), and moi (fiddle, and a little banjo after David left). And still need to find time to watch last night’s episode of the Marty Stuart Show featuring Eddie Stubbs as the genial announcer which I videotaped (RFD channel).

Okay, so here’s my Word to the Wise: Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT let anyone borrow your fingerpicks. I’m talking about the set of fingerpicks you use all the time. Most borrowers will take the picks and, without thinking twice about it, bend them to fit their fingers. And even if they don’t bend them, their fingers could be bigger and will stretch them out. So when you get them back (IF you get them back!), they will no longer feel right on your fingers! You’ll have to go through the shaping process all over again.

If you’ve not had this happen to you yet, great! You can’t imagine how much you will notice the smallest change in your comfortable, well-fitting picks.

So, what to do? Carry a spare set of fingerpicks that will be your “loaners.” If someone asks to borrow your picks, give them these.

And, by the way, you should also be breaking in a spare set of picks for yourself. This is for when your thumb pick breaks or for when you lose your fingerpicks.

So at the very minimum you need three sets of fingerpicks in your banjo case: your regular and favorite set, a spare set, and a set that you can lend.

Thanks to Chick for suggesting this blog. Of course, the fact that he had loaned out his best set of picks and had them bent all to pieces and was having to reshape them gave him a good excuse for missed notes at his lesson!

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About Capos

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Murphy Henry

Question: I have been a Murphy Method Student for 19 years. I have a Kyser capo. When playing in C it tends to get in the way of my fingering. Could you tell me what kind you are using in Slow Jam 1 playing “Bury me Beneath the Willow” in the key of C, and where it can be gotten? Thanks. Calvin

Hey Calvin,

First of all, many thanks for hanging in there with The Murphy Method. That’s always nice to hear!

Now about capos:

After trying many capos down through the years including the Scruggs Capo, the Tom McKinney Capo, the Sabine Capo, and the Kyser, I have finally landed on the Shubb Capo, with which I am well pleased. I’m pretty sure that’s what I am using in the first Slow Jam DVD. (Unless I was having a Bad Capo day and lost mine!)

The Shubb Capos are small enough to not get in the way of my left hand, they snap on and off the banjo with no trouble, can easily be carried in my pants’ pocket, and don’t seem to cause too many tuning problems. (Although when you use any capo you almost always have to retouch your tuning.) Also, when I’m on stage and am not using the capo at the moment, I can keep it handy by sticking the end of it into one of the holes in my Stelling flange.

And even with long term use, I’ve not ever had the rubber part deteriorate. (Of course that MIGHT be because I often lose my capo and have to buy a new one…That sometimes comes from lending capos at a jam session! I did have a lawyer friend who absconded—accidentally of course—with my capo replace it with a brand new one!)

And for those of us with arched fingerboards (which for some strange reason we are now called “radiused” fingerboards) on our banjos, the Shubb comes in a slightly curved version, which makes for fewer tuning problems.

I think you can find the Shubb Capo at many music stores, locally and online. I’ll shout out to three of my faves: First Quality Music, Janet Davis Music, and Elderly Instruments.

Hope this helps!!!!

[Casey here...I use a Showcase capo, which handily slides up above my nut when not in use, so I never have to take it off the neck, thereby greatly reducing the chances of it being lost!]

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