Category Archives: Music

Includes banjo, mandolin, guitar, teaching – all music-related topics.

Reciprocity in Music

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Phill Gibson

Those of you who remember film in cameras will recall, perhaps, the notion of film reciprocity and the associated attribute of reciprocity failure; that quality whereby film, upon being exposed, started to lose its sensitivity to take in photons at … Continue reading →

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5 Balances in Your Music

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Phill Gibson

All of life is a series of balances. At least, that’s what I think. I often say that in response to discussions of complex topics, as though it is the be-all and end-all of the subject. In reality, I do … Continue reading →

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When the Teacher is Taught by the Student

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Phill Gibson

Teaching, by its very nature, implies a certain terminus. Courses are scheduled for a finite period of time and are completed. One reason being that no teacher could possibly teach someone forever. Teachers have finite information which they share; when … Continue reading →

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Remember Your Early Goals

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Phill Gibson

I remember when I first started playing the banjo, one of my main goals was to sit under a pine tree (a very specific one) and play Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Somehow, that goal got lost rather quickly for me, and … Continue reading →

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Strength, Accuracy, and Speed

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Phill Gibson

If you’re the type of musician who just likes to grab your instrument and start playing without much analysis of techniques, you probably won’t get much from this post. It’s a very in-depth look at what you are really asking … Continue reading →

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I’m Doing Online Banjo Lessons Now

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Phill Gibson

Just about everyone has learned how to zoom in 2020. I’m sure when we look back, learning how to do Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams will be one of the many identifiers of this year, along with a few phrases like … Continue reading →

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Learning the banjo (again) after a stroke – Part 3

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Phill Gibson

Part 1 Part 2 So it was time to begin a rehabilitation process that I have described as both the most maddening and frustrating thing I have ever done (or ever will do, I’m confident), and yet also the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Learning the banjo (again) after a stroke – Part 2

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Phill Gibson

Part 1 Part 3 It was now almost 11 am. 2 1/2 hours since 8:20 am and my thoughts of making a cup of coffee. As soon as the clot was found, TCP was administered. Almost immediately, I felt my … Continue reading →

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Learning the banjo (again) after a stroke – Part 1

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Phill Gibson

I’ve not written about this anywhere until now. Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about without another word. Others have no idea what has been going on over the past several years. I know it’s long over due, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Ramblings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Playing at Berkeley Bob’s in Cullman this Saturday

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Phill Gibson

If you happen to be around Cullman this Saturday, drop by; several of us are playing Bluegrass at Berkeley Bob’s Coffee House at 1pm, Saturday, September 7th, 2013. It’s at 304 1st Avenue Southeast, Cullman, AL. Actually, we are ‘practicing … Continue reading →

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