Reuben's Train - on an 1880s Dobson fretless banjo

I worked out this little "one man band" version of "Reuben's Train" on Thursday, and tried it out in public for the first time the next day at Montreal's Yellow Door Coffeehouse. This is played here, clawhammer style, on a "Dobson" fretless banjo from the 1880s (which Dobson, I do not know - there were more than one of them making banjos at that time), along with harmonica and a kind of tambourine device meant to be worn on a tapping foot, but which I use it on my wrist. This was recorded on 25 May 2018.
For those interested in such things, the banjo is tuned using the same intervals as "Open C" tuning (gCGCE), except that it is tuned way down low in F (cFCFA).

[@stephanensthaler1110]

I know this tune for quite a while now. But I never heard this train'a'rollin so well. Thanks Marc!

[@marcnerenberg1]

Thank you very much indeed!

[@starskimusic]

Has similarities to Roustabout, great rhythm

[@marcnerenberg1]

thanks very much!

[@kaceysmith2495]

So talented. I love seeing your work.

[@marcnerenberg1]

Thanks so much!

[@bisbonian4085]

Reuben has so many different lyrics, many of them with some overlap. Your's are not wrong, they are just yet another set.

[@JohnyG29]

Song starts at 2:20

[@marclattoni1959]

I remember that! Nice.

[@FrankieRevell]

Awesome. Love the fretless Dobson. Does it have a Dobson ring?

[@marcnerenberg1]

Thanks very much. It seems to have a wooden tone ring. Also, there were several companies making banjos under the Dobson name at the time. It was sold to me at a booth in a folk festival in the 1970s or 80s by Eric Nagler as a “Dobson” but I’ve since been told that old banjos at that time that resembled Dobson banjos were routinely being sold as “Dobsons”. The banjo itself has no labels or marking on it indicating who made it or when. It’s all just educated guesswork.

[@FrankieRevell]

@@marcnerenberg1 and your playing amd singing is fantastic

[@marcnerenberg1]

@@FrankieRevell thank you!

[@actualsurfer]

If you want to find the roots of banjo playing you will need to go to China. They invented the banjo in its modern form over 5000 years ago. Round wood rim, animal skin head, fretted neck, peg head, bridge, tail piece. They call it a Qinqin.
They brought it to the Middle East then North Africa and Europe via trade routes.
The instrument was simultaneously brought to America by African, Irish and Chinese slaves/indentured servants.

[@ADKOIZOD]

“Out of the park!..”

[@Robthebanks]

Wild Reuben's train!
What key is your harp in?

[@marcnerenberg1]

Thanks! The harp is in Bb, played cross-harp with the banjo playing in F.

[@zachb8012]

The wrist tambo would work better on your foot.

[@clarawright7915]

Hello! Any chance you could say what tuning and strings you're using? Thanks!

[@marcnerenberg1]

They are Nylgut Minstrel Strings, and the tuning is given at the end of the description below the video, as follows: "For those interested in such things, the banjo is tuned using the same intervals as "Open C" tuning (gCGCE), except that it is tuned way down low in F (cFCFA)."

[@clarawright7915]

Oh, thanks so much! Such a beautiful sounding instrument :)

[@marcnerenberg1]

You're welcome! I usually put the tuning at the end of the description under my videos - not so much so that other people may want to know - it's mainly so that I can remember how I played it on this particular occasion so that I can revive it at some point in the future. My usual methodology is to work up an arrangement, and then record it, either in the studio, or live, or both, and then move on to something else. Sometimes years pass before I get around to playing it again, and it's useful to me to see what I did last time.

[@tomshearon7944]

Sterling.

[@marcnerenberg1]

Thank you very much, Tom!

[@krisfiskle]

yes man . the train and the rain. shiiiit.

[@marcnerenberg1]

krisfisk Thank you very much, indeed!