When I stared to play the banjo over 50 years ago, Uncle Dave Macon was one of the first old-time musicians I listened to, and I could not figure out how he got those syncopated, slightly unsynchronized effects. He sounded like a music box. Many years later, I realized that, on such tracks as Earth to Heaven and The Tennessee Gravy Train, Uncle Dave was playing with another banjoist -- probably either Sid Harkreader or Sam McGee. But I still can't untangle the two banjo voices. I'd love to know how those beautiful effects were created -- I've heard nothing else like them in the recorded history of the banjo. Anyone have any comments?
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