In my banjo-picking career, I've been exposed to many named players (J.D. Crowe, Jim Smoake, Garland Shuping, Ross Nickerson and every imaginable instruction book). All were excellent in demonstrating how they could play, but none could break down the various components of the three-finger...
Frustration A sense that it’s “too hard for me”. (“Maybe I’m not good enough.”) What else dictates what we should teach our students? The Importance of the Social Situation A great many beginning players make music exclusively by themselves. Often the only person who hears them is...
Meeting the Great Players and Singers When the Kerrville Folk Festival began in 1972, Rod Kennedy invited me -- I was President of the Houston Folklore Society at the time -- to help promote it and be on staff for the event. Besides Lyndon Johnson, Darrell Royal, and other Texas celebr...
If you go past appropriate tuning, it will show up as green. The tuner rotates 360 degrees for easy viewing. The tuner's flexibility is especially beneficial for left-handed players. ST-2 has 'super tight' written on it and does live up to the claim. Rubber pads on the device enable ...
The song is led by one of our excellent electric guitar players,and he really leads the song. He calls on people to solo (me, a mando player, another electric player), and even does this great “build up” from drums and bass to full ensemble. I love the sheer joy in this ...
I knew other musicians besides the folk players. Bob Casey, an old time Jazz bassist, turned me on to playing at Columbus Circle for the tourist couples who rode the horse carriages. I tried it one time. I was sitting on a bench on the crowded circle playing my banjo very quietly. I...
I knew other musicians besides the folk players. Bob Casey, an old time Jazz bassist, turned me on to playing at Columbus Circle for the tourist couples who rode the horse carriages. I tried it one time. I was sitting on a bench on the crowded circle playing my banjo very quietly. I...
This 70-song collection, masterfully arranged by Alan Munde and Beth Mead-Sullivan for 3-finger, Scruggs-style 5-string banjo, will help players explore the repertoire already beloved by pianists and crooners. Rhythm tab, right hand fingerings and chord diagrams are included for each of these ...