Recent Comments
Pgibson on A Tribute to Jimmy Arnold Roger Neal on A Tribute to Jimmy Arnold Pgibson on A Tribute to Jimmy Arnold Debbie Moody on A Tribute to Jimmy Arnold TowardsZEROAccident on Penguins RSS
Tag Archives: Guitar
Update on the Stella Harmony 12-string
A couple of years ago, I blogged about my oldest brother’s first guitar, an old Stella Harmony 12-string. Little did I know at the time, but that has been the most popular blog I have written. I have even had … Continue reading
The Bluegrass Ensemble
The bluegrass ensemble isn’t a term you’ll find being used much, if any. But I think it well describes what it is when you are talking about the various instruments used in a typical bluegrass band. If you’ve been playing … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos & Bluegrass, Beginning Banjo
Tagged Banjo, Bull Fiddle, Chopping Chords, Dobro, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Off beat, On beat, Upright Bass, Violin
Leave a comment
Found: An Old Stella Harmony 12-String Guitar
I was cleaning out the attic today and noticed something: a 12-string guitar. Sure, I’d seen it there before – it used to belong to my oldest brother Mike (the same brother who had that first banjo I would strum … Continue reading
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
Leave a comment
Like Riding a Bike
A while back I had a student say to me: “I wish playing the banjo was like riding a bike where you never forget it!” While that’s mostly true – we have to continue to practice, or we’ll get way … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo
Tagged Chords, Dynamic, Guitar, Practice, Riding a Bike, Static
Leave a comment
The Banjo & Bluegrass Jam Session is Tomorrow!
The Practice Banjo & Bluegrass Jam Session at The Coffee Tree Books & Brew As usual, this is on the third Saturday of each month; Augusts jam will be on the 15th. Kind of early for the third Saturday, but … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo, Venues
Tagged Banjo, Bluegrass, Coffee Tree, Experience, Folk, Guitar, Jam, Jazz, Mandolin, Practice
Leave a comment
When New Skills are Like a Magnet
When you learn repetitious musical techniques, it can also be human nature to resist things that are very close to what you already know. Continue reading
Posted in 2-Finger Style, 4-Finger Style
Tagged Banjo, Bugs Bunny, Determination, Guitar, Learning, Mandolin, New Skills, Perseverance, Play, Yosemite Sam
Leave a comment
A Great Time at the Banjo Jam
We had a great time at our Banjo Jam Session at The Coffee Tree on July 18th! We usually start these practice sessions off by working through a chord sheet with several standard songs we’re familiar with (more or less) … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo, Venues
Tagged Banjo, Bluegrass, Cripple Creek, Foggy Mt Breakdown, Guitar, Jam Session, Jed Clampett, The Coffee Tree
Leave a comment
7 Things a Musician Should Never Do
I’ve heard that kids should never ride a dog backwards, downstairs. I’ve never tried this, so I have no first hand experience. But as one of my college professors was fond of saying “You don’t have to stick your head … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos in General, Music in General, Tips & Techniques
Tagged Banjo, Don't Do This, Drumhead, Flame, Guitar, Mandolin, Picks, Strings
Leave a comment
Saturday Afternoon Banjo Jam at The Coffee Tree
We’re starting a Practice Banjo & Bluegrass Jam Session at The Coffee Tree Books & Brew across from Grissom High School! These will be on the third Saturday of each month and the first jam session will be Saturday, June 20 … Continue reading
Posted in Venues
Tagged Banjo, Bluegrass, Coffee Tree, Experience, Folk, Guitar, Jam, Jazz, Mandolin, Practice
Leave a comment
Phill Gibson 