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Category Archives: Philosophical Ramblings
Learning the banjo (again) after a stroke – Part 2
Part 1 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 left side … Continue reading
Learning the banjo (again) after a stroke – Part 1
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
Why is the Banjo so Mysterious?
I must declare here: the banjo is a throughly fascinating thing. Whether playing Bluegrass, Old-Time, Folk, Jazz, or any other genre, it has a certain fascination, even a mystery, about it. And not only in sound, but in looks as … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos and Society, History, Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Akonting, auditory, Banjar, Banjo, Complexity, Exotic, Fascination, History, Karen Lynn, Mystery, mystique, Sarod, Simplicity, Sitar, visual
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Life’s a banjo!
One of the main things I strive for in blogging is to complement what students learn in actual lessons. Sources for banjo lessons are plentiful these days, so I try to present a different perspective. One that you don’t get … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Banjo, Difficult, Learning, Perspective, Think Like a Banjo
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The Banjo 50 Years from Now
We’re so used to technology these days. Many of us make our living from some part of it. Even if you don’t earn a living at it, you know how to use Facebook, cellphones, iPods and so on and so … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos & Technology, Banjos and Society, Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Banjos, Computerized, Future, Predictions, Styles, Technology
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A New Year, A New Perspective
I almost never make new years’ resolutions. I figure if I want to do something, just go ahead and do it when you see that it really needs doing. But I do see the logic in it. The start of a … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Accomplishments, Mediocrity, New Years Resolutions, Passion
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Melodics and Soul
If you are a banjoist, you’re probably aware of the melodic style of 5-string banjo playing, whereby you are playing primarily melody notes, as opposed to fewer melody notes surrounded by ‘filler’ notes, as in Scruggs style. This style of … Continue reading
Posted in Melodic Style, Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Bill Keith, Bobby Thompson, chromatics, electric guitar, melodic, skill, soul, technical
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Heilmeier's Catechism
Here’s something I read in the Huntsville Times recently that I’d like to share with you. It starts with Lisa Porter, the director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA – sounds a little like DARPA; the name of the … Continue reading
The Purpose of Reading Music
By and large, banjoists nowadays use tablature rather than musical notation in order to convey what’s going on on the fretboard. This hasn’t always been the case, but since the advent of bluegrass, and the inclusion of the banjo into … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Assimilate, Inprovising, Musical Notation, Reading Music, Sight Reading, Tablature
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Inspiration vs Influence
I’ve always used these two terms rather interchangeably. Saying that someone has been an inspiration, and thus has influenced my playing. Come to think of it though, they aren’t really the same. If someone is an inspiration, they don’t necessarily … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged influence, Inspiration, Musical Ideas, Musical Techniques, Voicings
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