Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop

Subject: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 06:30 AM

Arnie Naiman & Chris Coole held a banjo workshop this weekend for beginner & intermediate clawhammer banjoists. Beginners learned the basic frailing manoeuvre and intermediate students (thats me) worked on an instrumental fiddle tune which included some drop thumbing.

I was doing okay in the advanced class but I need to work on my drop thumb to get it up to speed.
We learned the tune Western County/Susananna Gal/Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss or whatever you want to call it.

Arnie & Chris gave us some great tips on how to enhance the voice of your banjo through selecting the appropriate string gauge, action level, bridge and tailpiece.

Others arrived in the evening for a house concert where Arnie & Chris played tunes from their 1st & 2nd CDs 5 Strings Attached With No Backing & Volume 2.

Paul Odegarrd who attended the workshop opened up for Arnie & Chris with a few tunes from his wonderful new CD Banjo Suite which I highly recommend. Paul has the gift of creatively taking the banjo onto new musical horizons. I found his music very inspiring.

We finished the night off with a jam session.

Jeff M. generously offered his home for this event. His wife must be some lady to put up with so many banjo players twanging away in her home all day long!


Little Neo

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: black walnut
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 10:48 AM

But you left out something very important, Bonnie.... how was the food?

~'nut

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 11:44 AM

Banjo Bonnie and Jeff did an absolutely tremendous job at organising the event - Bravo big time! There was lots of good eats and wine too. What an interesting day - all those banjos, all those banjo players and enthusiasts in one house at the same time - I could hardly stand it! It worked out really well - I gave the advanced players a few nifty tricks to add to their repetoire of licks, not to mention one of my favorite fiddle tunes. Had a great time doing a concert and playing with Chris Coole for all the great listeners who had to put up with a lot of banjo tuning and weird humour and facial expressions. Bonnie gets her tubaphone pretty soon, and Jeff has his nice Bart Reiter banjo, and they are very keen and avid to make a lot of good banjo music. I had a blast - thanks again! Arnie

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: black walnut
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 01:03 PM

it ALL sounds wonderful....arnie and chris are two of the best! i'm not a banjo player, but i wish i could have been there for the concert and jam. houseconcerts are such a nice way to hear one's favourite musicians....

~'nut

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 05:11 PM

THis sounded like so much fun.. Some time I will pull myself together and get up tp Toronto for the food & banjo playing. Let alone seeing my buddy Bonnie some more>> My best to all here, Guy

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: Willie-O
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 09:01 AM

Hold the phone...Bonnie's getting a Tubaphone? Weird name for a banjo but they're supposed to be pretty classy...do tell. Isn't that an open-back?

Yer non-5-string-plucker pal
Willie-O

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 11:51 AM

My banjo just arrived. Its an open back made by Bart Reiter. Fancy looking instrument and it smells so new!!!!!
I have to change the strings and adjust a few things but I am pretty excited about it.
Kind of nervous, it looks so perfect. After a few scuff marks I'll relax.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: JeffM
Date: 07 Dec 00 - 10:59 AM

Wanna trade, Bonnie? I feel left out of the tubaphone world.

I have a wall-full of stuffed animals. Which one will make my Whyte Laydie sound the best?

Subject: RE: Arnie Naiman & Coole's Banjo Workshop
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 07 Dec 00 - 03:51 PM

Well Jeff, I've been told a Beany Babies stuffed in the back of a Whyte Ladie pot will cut down the brighter overtones offer you a stuffier sort of sound.

Bon