Author Archives: Phill Gibson

Unknown's avatar

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.

What if we awarded belts for banjo playing like they do in martial arts?

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Phill Gibson

What banjo belt would you be? I’ve taken several different forms of martial arts, including Ju-Jitsu, Karate and Tae-Kwon-Do; each one seems to have different belt systems, but they all seem to start at white and go to black, at which … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | 2 Comments

A few notes on my own practice – Improvising

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I’ve been so busy at work these past few weeks I’ve only just gotten caught up with things here at home! I’ve got a lot of banjo topics to blog on – I just need the time to sit down … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips & Techniques | Leave a comment

A Bit of Banjo History – Part 1

Posted on February 8, 2009 by Phill Gibson

What do you think of when you imagine a banjo? If you’re like most folks, you usually see a picture of a 5-string banjo being played by a white southern man, perhaps in a rural mountain setting or at a … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 2 Comments

A few notes on my own practice – Reno Style

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Love unrequited – that’s what Reno style banjo playing is to me. You see, I love that rapid staccato barrage of notes flowing from a banjo picked in Reno, or single-string style. Few sounds produced on a banjo can match … Continue reading →

Posted in Reno & Single-String Style, Tips & Techniques | Leave a comment

Banjos are Like a '64 Valiant

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Someone I read recently said banjos are the hot-rods of the musical world, and I agree. What other instrument can you laterally take apart and put back together again yourself? I remember my neighbor on Green Mountain brought his ’64 … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | Leave a comment

Being a Well-Rounded Banjo Player

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Have you even had someone make a request for a certain song, and they weren’t quite sure how it went (sort of like that line from Billy Joel’s ‘The Piano Man’), but from their description, you strongly suspect they have … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips & Techniques | Leave a comment

On Becoming a Banjo Player

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Thinking back to my preschool days, I realize that I had always been fascinated with banjos. They seemed such odd instruments; half drum and half guitar. And that sound! I will always remember my first introduction to this unusual instrument; … Continue reading →

Posted in Banjoists and Others | Leave a comment

Banjo Lessons to Start September 6

Posted on August 10, 2007 by Phill Gibson

After informal teaching on and off for the past 30 years, I’m going to start ‘officially’ teaching on Thursday, September 6, 2007. Teaching and learning seem to fit my personality well, and I can think of few things more enjoyable … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginning Banjo, Teaching | Leave a comment