Hello everyone,
I'm sure this is old territory for many of you but I could use some guidance and inspiration. My basic banjo tastes are definitely oldtimey: I imagine thoughtful (ie. slow) playing with guitar and mandolin, not blazing speed in a bluegrass band. But the most progress I've made with the banjo has been with Murphy Henry's dvds, for which I duly put on fingerpicks and try memorize what seem to bluegrass standards. I also get this hazy sense that it's helping play the kind of music I'm more comfortable with: my noodling, without fingerpicks, has become a little more promising.
All of which is great, but I'm wondering about the line between the two styles: is oldtime 3 finger style just bluegrass banjo without the speed and fingerpicks? Are there any obvious practitioners of the kind of playing I have in mind (I found an interesting youtube video by Adam Hurt, for example)? Are there any good instructional materials?
Many thanks,
will