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Category Archives: Tips & Techniques
Five Lessons, Yea Six, from NashCamp
Here are a few items I learned this weekend at NashCamp. Some for me, others for my students. 1) Lighten up. No, not in terms of relationships; here, I mean lightening up with my right hand. I pick pretty hard … Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques, Venues
Tagged 3rd, 6th, Alan Munde, Banjos, Bill Emerson, Bill Evans, Capos, NashCamp, Ned Luberecki, Right Hand, Singing, Tom Adams
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Building Up Endurance
Very frequently I have students tell me they have some problems with cramps, shaking, or just an uncomfortable tenseness in the arms and hands. Let’s talk about it. I remember getting those sensations as well as I was first learning … Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques
Tagged Banjo, endurance, Guitar, Mandolin, muscle stress, Practice, tension
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How I Measure Banjo Speed
Most musicians measure speed in beats per minute (BMP), which is pretty intuitive for most folks. It’s also part of our standard system of musical notation, so we should all get to know it; so many beats per measure, depending … Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques
Tagged Banjo, Beats per Minute, measurement, Notes per Minute, speed
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They Ought to Have a Name for it – Stuck in a (Fret) Rut
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
Posted in Banjos in General, Tips & Techniques
Tagged Bad Fretting, Finger Position, Frets
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Talent versus Persistence
We should value persistence, even more so than talent, in students. Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques
Tagged Music, Persistence, Talent
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Technique Control, Part II – Right Hand Techniques
Last time, we looked at an overview of techniques and why we need to keep control of both hands on the banjo. Today, we’ll look at what to control with respect to the right hand; next time, we’ll look at … Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques
Tagged Banjo, Bridge, Control, Finger Picks, Right Hand, Technique, Thumb Picks
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Technique Control, Part I – Introduction
I’m not a control freak when it comes to people, but I do see the very important role that control plays when it comes to a musical instrument. Hours upon hours of practice drill into our heads the fact that … Continue reading
Posted in Tips & Techniques
Tagged Banjo, Blind Willie McTell, Control, Furry Lewis, Left Hand, Muddy Waters, Right Hand, Technique
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