Category Archives: Music

Growing Older & Laying Off Less

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Phill Gibson

When I was younger, there were a couple of periods of time that spanned longer than I care to remember. Times when I didn’t practice the banjo. No guitar, mandolin, dulcimer or drums, either. I didn’t even think much about them, other than … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | Leave a comment

The Blog is Back up!

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Phill Gibson

After being down for a few days, this blog is back up and upgraded to the latest version of WordPress as well!

Posted in Maintenance Stuff | Leave a comment

Notes on Reno Style, 2009-05

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I’ve not written on my own progress with Reno style lately and I should. I found a nice series of informative articles on playing Reno style in Banjo Newsletter by Jason Skinner, the last of which just completed in the … Continue reading →

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

A Fitting Quote on Teaching

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Phill Gibson

I was reading a book on SQL Server the other day and found this quote on teaching that I thought was worth sharing: In life, we encounter two classes of masters, those who share their mastery solely through their work and … Continue reading →

Posted in Music in General | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Banjos in General | 2 Comments

Pick Your Battles

Posted on May 8, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Sometimes, our musical efforts can be a lot like raising kids – you have to pick your battles. Just as with young ones, you have to know when to pursue discipline (lest the effect of discipline becomes worse than the … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips & Techniques | Leave a comment

Ben Freed's List of 100 Songs to Learn

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Phill Gibson

A while back (July, 2006 to be specific), Banjo Newsletter featured a list compiled by Ben Freed detailing his take on the 100 songs a banjo player should have in his/her repertoire. This article is actually a follow-up to another … Continue reading →

Posted in Banjoists and Others, Tips & Techniques | Leave a comment

Kinder-Scruggs Style

Posted on May 3, 2009 by Phill Gibson

What is Kinder-Scruggs? It’s what I call a simplified style of playing that is ideal for young children. I came up with this when one of my youngest students was going to play in her school Christmas play (although being a … Continue reading →

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What I’m Currently Practicing

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Phill Gibson

Since I just blogged on pursuing the more difficult techniques when practicing, I’ll list out some of the things I’m currently practicing. Leaving Cottondale. One of my all-time favorite bluegrass songs, by Alison Brown. Tricky to learn, and it teaches … Continue reading →

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Pursue the Difficult, the Easy Will Follow

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Phill Gibson

One of my myriad hobbies is birdwatching, or ‘birding’ to the dyed-in-the-wool birder. One of the main areas of interest to a birder is adding to his or her life list. A life list is the list of bird species … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings, Tips & Techniques | 2 Comments