Category Archives: Banjos in General

Are We Having Fun (Still)?

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Phill Gibson

The banjo itself is the lowest comon denominator; having fun with it should be also. Continue reading →

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Back to 16th Avenue

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I finally got back up to 16th Avenue in Nashville a few weeks ago. I was there to retrieve two of my banjos after getting them repaired at Classic Ax on Music Row. Plus, we brought the kids with us … Continue reading →

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They Ought to Have a Name for it – Stuck in a (Fret) Rut

Posted on July 24, 2009 by Phill Gibson

This happens with your fretting hand when you are playing a lick and you don’t get your fingers positioned exactly right before it is time to pick the notes. You’d like to lift one or more of your fingers and … Continue reading →

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7 Things a Musician Should Never Do

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I’ve heard that kids should never ride a dog backwards, downstairs. I’ve never tried this, so I have no first hand experience. But as one of my college professors was fond of saying “You don’t have to stick your head … Continue reading →

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They Ought to Have a Name for It – The Speed Limit

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Phill Gibson

This is closely related to JIT Failure, mentioned last time in this thread, but only happens when you are learning a new song and, naturally, are playing it a good deal slower than full speed. What seems like a perfectly … Continue reading →

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They Ought to Have a Name for It – JIT Failure

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Phill Gibson

You’re playing along with an improvised break and you just used that right finger or thumb when you realize that you need it for the very next note – a JIT Failure. JIT stands for ‘Just In Time” and is … Continue reading →

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They Ought to Have a Name for It – Thumb Pick Purgatory

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Phill Gibson

This is so annoying when it happens to me. It tells me that it’s time to practice some more of the basics for a while. It’s when your pick gets caught on a string on the upswing. It brings your … Continue reading →

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They Ought to Have a Name for It – The Song Race

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Here’s a small series of blogs on various things that happen to banjo players. See if you can identify with any (all?) of them! The first one is… The Song Race As a new banjo picker, you’re still struggling with … Continue reading →

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Béla on the Cover of Downbeat

Posted on June 20, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Have you noticed that Béla Fleck is on the cover of the June 2009 issue of Downbeat magazine? He’s also on the cover of Banjo Newsletter for the same month. Amazing – I heard that this is the first time … Continue reading →

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Going to 16th Avenue

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I’m going to visit 16th Avenue in Nashville soon. I need to get some repairs done to several of my instruments: 1. Fret work on my Stelling Red Fox. 2. Fix a separated neck (no truss rod) on my very … Continue reading →

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