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Author Archives: Phill Gibson
The Bluegrass Ensemble
The bluegrass ensemble isn’t a term you’ll find being used much, if any. But I think it well describes what it is when you are talking about the various instruments used in a typical bluegrass band. If you’ve been playing … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos & Bluegrass, Beginning Banjo
Tagged Banjo, Bull Fiddle, Chopping Chords, Dobro, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Off beat, On beat, Upright Bass, Violin
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Being the Best in Your Zip Code
The last blog I wrote just now mentioned the fact that there will always be someone better than you at whatever you are doing. That’s indeed a bit humbling for some of us, I’ll agree. But still, we have to … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo
Tagged Banjo, Best, Humbling, Nashville, North Carolina, Realistic Goals, Virginia, Zipcode
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Why Play the Banjo?
Why indeed! I can think of several reasons… You get to meet some of the craz… er, nicest people around! OK, if crazy is what you’re looking for then, yes you can find that, too! As with anything in life, … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos and Society, Beginning Banjo
Tagged Americas Instrument, Banjo, Creativity, fun, Hot Rod, Relaxing, Roots, Satisfaction, Style, Why Play Banjo
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Introducing Two-Finger Style Banjo
I love exploring different styles of playing the banjo. Although I’m mostly a modern three-finger style player, I do know a smattering of other styles. I realize I’ve not blogged on another style I’ve recently started playing: two-finger style. I … Continue reading
Quitting While You're Behind
Imagine you are going to a regional bluegrass festival (That would the the Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens, Alabama for me). You hear some young banjo player picking out an incredible set of licks and you think to … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo, Music in General, Tips & Techniques
Tagged Attitude, Better than, Deflate, Inspired, Persevere
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Increasing Speed with Single String Style
Since returning from NashCamp a few weeks ago, I’ve been more diligent with two things. One, I’ve been more structured in my practice, allotting about one third of my time to each of three categories: playing songs I already know, … Continue reading
Found: An Old Stella Harmony 12-String Guitar
I was cleaning out the attic today and noticed something: a 12-string guitar. Sure, I’d seen it there before – it used to belong to my oldest brother Mike (the same brother who had that first banjo I would strum … Continue reading
The Purpose of Reading Music
By and large, banjoists nowadays use tablature rather than musical notation in order to convey what’s going on on the fretboard. This hasn’t always been the case, but since the advent of bluegrass, and the inclusion of the banjo into … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Assimilate, Inprovising, Musical Notation, Reading Music, Sight Reading, Tablature
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Banjo Chords in D Tuning
5-string bluegrass banjo players definitely prefer open G tuning to all other tunings. That said, there are a large number of possible tunings, each evoking a different mood in the listener; sometimes subtle or mysterious, other times harsh or exciting. … Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques
Tagged 5 String Banjo, D Tuning Chords, Earl Scruggs, Gentle on My Mind, Glen Campbell, John Hartford, Reuben
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Phill Gibson 