Tag Archives: Banjo

Nine Reasons a Banjo Teacher Should go to NashCamp

When I was at NashCamp two weeks ago, I didn’t hear anyone else mention that they were a banjo teacher. I’m sure several of the people there besides the faculty taught at various levels, but I got to thinking how … Continue reading

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Day One of NashCamp

Well, I made it here to NashCamp! I’m sitting in the Dining hall, listening to the cacophony of twangs – barely a guitar or mandolin in sight. Needless to say, it’s rather loud. I see one reason why only banjo … Continue reading

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The Fence We All Straddle

When it comes to ways to learn the banjo or mandolin, there are a couple of different paths we can follow. Each path uses the same set of tools and so can look very similar to the other, but the … Continue reading

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Back to Basics – 3 Essential Chords

We started this series of basic lessons last time with the 4 essential rolls. Today, we’ll look at the 3 most common beginning chords. What is a chord, anyway? Without going into a good deal of music theory, you can … Continue reading

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Back to Basics – Intro and 4 Essential Rolls

Here’s another series of blogs I’ve started! This one is on beginning 5-string banjo techniques. Sometimes, it is hard to sort out all the required details from the extras when you’re just getting started in something complex; learning to play … Continue reading

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When can you say that you're a banjo player?

That question surely pops up in every beginning banjo player’s mind. It’s very natural to want to see progress happening as we practice and improve. I think I started thinking of myself as a banjo player on two different levels. … Continue reading

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Thinking Like a Banjo

You can lean the basics of your style of banjo playing, be it Scruggs, clawhammer, tenor, etc. and know how to play it, but your knowledge is still at a rather superficial level until you learn that intangible quality of … Continue reading

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The Practice Banjo & Bluegrass Jam Session at The Coffee Tree Books & Brew

As usual, this is on the third Saturday of each month; Septembers jam will be on the 19th. It’s from 4:00 – 5:00 pm at The Coffee Tree Books & Brew across Bailey Cove Road from Grissom High School in Huntsville, … Continue reading

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Are We Having Fun (Still)?

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

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They Ought to Have a Name For It – Whack-a-Mole

Another practice / performance anomaly. This is the thing that happens when you identify a rough spot in one of your breaks. You start practicing it and isolate the offending habit to clear it up. All goes well, and you … Continue reading

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