Author Archives: Phill Gibson

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About Phill Gibson

I’m from Huntsville, Alabama where I work as a Hospice Chaplain and part-time banjo instructor. My former careers were in Research Biology and Software/Systems Engineering. My wife Miiko and I worship at Rivertree Downtown. I’ve been playing various instruments since my teen years. I started mandolin and dulcimer at about age 17 and banjo at 20. I love just about all kinds of music. In terms of banjo styles, I play and teach Scruggs, melodic, clawhammer, and 2-finger styles. I’m also very keen on theology, being a Trail Care Partner with the Land Trust of North Alabama, photography, urban planning, astronomy, ATM (amateur telescope making), birding, and about 30 other distracting hobbies to a (mercifully) lesser extent.

Connecting to Your Roots

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Where do you come from? I don’t mean literally where do you reside, as in your city, state or country. I mean that more nebulous quality that includes how you were raised, what ideals you value and how you relate … Continue reading →

Posted in Banjos and Society, History | Leave a comment

Who's the Best?

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Phill Gibson

When I was a Boy Scout years ago, we used to sing marching songs while out hiking. That was a lot of fun. One particular thing we did was this shout: the Scoutmaster would shout “Who’s the Best!?” And we … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | Leave a comment

What I'm Currently Listening To

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Phill Gibson

A brief look at what I’m currently listening too.  Count Basie – Taxi War Dance. The Count was popular in Jazz back in the 30s through the 50s and his swing-style music continues to inspire enthusiasts today. I love the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music in General | Leave a comment

Bringing Out the Best

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Phill Gibson

One of my banjo pickin’ buddies and I were talking a while back and the discussion turned to musical goals. I mentioned some of mine: things like wanting to explore more jazz, record a CD and the like. In turn, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | Leave a comment

Slide-out, Switch-in

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Phill Gibson

As I’ve taught students the basics of chords and their positions on the banjo fret board, I’ve continued to marvel at the various symmetries and relationships that pop up. For instance, Let’s look at the D and F chord positions … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips & Techniques | Leave a comment

What's Required to Learn the Banjo

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I’ve had folks ask me before “Isn’t the banjo one of the hardest instruments to learn to play?” Others have expressed exactly the opposite viewpoint. I don’t think of the banjo in those terms. I think of it as equally … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginning Banjo | Leave a comment

Defining Your Own Style

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Phill Gibson

As a web developer by day, I often work with something called cascading style sheets, or CSS for short. On a web page, this is where you put all of you ‘look and feel’ properties for a web page, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips & Techniques | 1 Comment

Banjos and Stereotypes

Posted on March 14, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Sometime back, I saw a commercial on TV for for a certain SUV. You must know – I rarely watch TV, so I wonder how much of this is in commercials. Seems these young guys had pushed their SUV to … Continue reading →

Posted in Banjos and Society | Leave a comment

How’s Lessons?

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Frequently, someone asks me how teaching banjo lessons is going. I always tell them it is great. And it is: I have just about a full schedule now (I only teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays after work) with a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | Leave a comment

Banjos and Selective Memories

Posted on March 7, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Those good ‘ol school days. Remember them?If you’re my age (51), then perhaps you’ll agree; those were the days! But if you’re still in school though, you may say “the good ‘ol days” is looking through rose-colored glasses. I’ll admit that … Continue reading →

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