The Glory-Beaming Banjo

Everyone seems to be doing these "best of the decade" posts, so I might as well too. It seems like a good way to close out the year. This blog started in 2011, so there's not a full 10 years to choose from. Regardless, it was interesting to take a stroll through the archives and revisit these stories from the last eight years. Without further ado, here are the most visited Glory-Beaming Banjo stories of the 2010s. No. 10 Postcards: Vinyl Hunting Tour From July 8, 2016, this is the post that kicked off the " Vinyl Hunter " series. On that maiden voyage, I picked up Ed Haley, Parkersburg Landing , and the Galax Va. Old Fiddlers' Convention compilation from 1964. No. 9 The Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes From March 3, 2011, my review of this wonderful and large collection of tunes, compiled by Clare Milliner and Walt Koken. They released a second edition of this 888-page tome earlier this year. You can buy the book at the Mudthum...

This has been quite the year at The Glory-Beaming Banjo. Although things may have slowed down a bit in the last three months, 2018 marks a new high in terms of the number of posts published in a year. That last time we had more than 30 posts was our first year, in 2011 . This one puts us at 40! Aside from the quantity of posts here, I'd like to think there was some quality too. Judging by the views, it seems at least a few items caught your attention this year. That said, here are the Top 5 posts for 2018: 1. Getting Blitzed with Tom Collins : Not just a top post for 2018, but this interview now ranks among our top posts of all time. Collins had just completed his Banjo Blitz series on YouTube. This year he launched Banjo Quest, an even more ambitious instructional video project that is well worth your attention. Check out his YouTube page . 2. Clawhammer Picks and You : A review of five different options for those in need of a pick for downstroke banjo playing. Whether...

Clawhammer picks are a useful tool for increasing volume or to overcome fingernail challenges, such as broken, too short or weak nails. There are all sorts of commercial and homemade solutions available for banjo players, but it can be difficult to decide which options to choose. Thankfully, I've already done some of the work for you. Just to be clear, I prefer my natural fingernail for frailing. However, there was a time when I experimented with regularly using a pick, and there are instances now where I find that a pick is necessary. Today, I'll take you through the five options I've tried. These are all available online at prices ranging from about $1 to $13. Reversed/Reshaped Dunlop Pick ($0.75) This was the most common suggestion before other companies started addressing the gap in the clawhammer pick market. Take a bluegrass pick, flatten it out and wear it backwards. The problem is that it's hard to get the fit right. While Dunlop picks are cheap and r...