Banjo tutors - advice please

Subject: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: GUEST,masoquista
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 09:11 AM

I have recently bought "half" a (2nd hand/one careful driver) Deering Goodtime banjo as a present for a friend and am looking for a suitable book to help. He is a classically trained guitarist with a penchant for heavy metal and hard rock but wants to play Bluegrass banjo. In addition he has excellent sight reading skills - any suggestions for appropiate "tutors"

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 10:53 AM

I'm a great believer in Heavy Metal banjo, myself.
Seriously though, I have seldom found "Tutor" books much help. They are either so simple that they don't tell you anything or so complex that they don't make any sense.
You can learn much more and more quickly from a real person.
As for sight reading, a large proportion of banjo music gets written down as Tab (tablature) which notes the finger positions on the strings for each note. If he reads standard notation, he may need to learn an alternative system.
A good place to visit with your questions is a site called the Banjo Hangout- BLICKY.
Or try this one - Banjo L .
Quack!
Geoff the Duck.

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: Leadfingers
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 12:09 PM

If you have to have a Book tutor , I dont think you can beat the Pete Seeger book . It even has Peanuts (Charles M Schultz) cartoons!

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: DoctorJug
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 01:29 PM

Banjo Hangout is a fine place to start. Searching for free lessons on Google will privide plenty of rolls to practise.
The Seeger is another style.

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: Mooh
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 02:05 PM

Again with the Hangout.

My guess is that the recipient is classically trained, sightreads, and likes rock and bluegrass, he'll be savvy enough to tutor himself. Get him some Bela Fleck cds.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 04:15 PM

Bela Fleck and Tony Trishka (not certain of spelling) are impressive bluegrass players/musicians (the two do terms not always go together).
Quack!
GtD

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: Bernard
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 08:45 PM

The kind of tutor you need has arms and legs... books can't spot your misinterpretations, which become more difficult to unlearn the more you play...

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 06:03 AM

I just happened across this one Tim Jumper - banjo tutor book.. The reviewers at the bottom of the page seem to have found it useful when switching from guitar.
He also is responsible for a Tim Jumper - banjo songbook. The songbook is mostly arranged for clawhammes style, not bluegrass, and the music is in the form of TAB (tablature) for banjo.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 10:53 AM

If it's bluegrass you want, Peter Wernick's Bluegrass banjo book is a good place to start. Of course if you're properly fanatical you should also have Earl's book.
I think all banjo players should have Pete's book too, but it isn't the best place to learn bluegrass picking. I had a very early copy, but it spent one page teaching rolls and then jumped right into Earl's version of Foggy Mountain Breakdown complete with up the neck breaks.

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: GUEST,Richie
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 11:13 AM

Hi,

I used to teach from the 'Edward Wing' banjo books. He's out of "Pick and Grin" in Knoxville, TN. Not sure if he's still selling his books.

I wouldn't recommend the Scruggs book until later on. Most of the beginning banjo books are poorly written IMHO.

Neil Griffin's books are OK and Janet Davis' books are better. Both can be purchased from my publisher, MEL BAY.


Richie

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 12:22 PM

Whereabouts are you based? I teach Bluegrass banjo.

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: SINSULL
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 12:26 PM

Bob Clayton of the FSGW has a banjo book that several people raved about. Ferrara can put you in touch with him.

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: GUEST,Banjo liker
Date: 08 May 07 - 10:10 PM

Searched the archives and this seemed to be the closest-related to what follows. A local ad:

I am a professional house cleaner. I use all non-toxic cleaners, and I have great references. I'm looking for someone who wants to trade house cleanings for banjo lessons for my husband. He bought a banjo about 2 years ago, and hasn't even spent 10 hours on it. It kills me, because I know he loves the banjo, and would be thrilled to learn how to play it. He LOVES bluegrass. He is left handed and has a left handed banjo. I hope this isn't a challenge. For a good teacher, I'm sure it isn't. It will not be regular scheduled lessons because he travels for work, but I'm guessing it will be about 2 or 3 times a month. I would like to clean while you teach. I will do whatever you want me to do, including dishes and laundry, organizing, whatever. It is my time in exchange for yours. This is a gift for my husband. I really hope I can find someone!

http://austin.craigslist.org/bar/326435020.html

Subject: RE: Banjo tutors - advice please
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 08 May 07 - 10:22 PM

My brother is musicaly-challenged

And yet, BANJO INSTRUCTION-EARL SCRUGGS STYLE

Taught him: Washinton Square
Mountain Break Down (Dueling Banjos)
Crawdad Hole
Cripple Creek

And a whole slew of others -

Sincerely,
Gargoyle