What’s on the “Audio Companions” for my books?
The YouTube audio access for my banjo instruction books are the perfect way to reinforce everything covered in each book. I play through every musical example and give you a more detailed description of potential problem spots and technical challenges. Where appropriate, a slow and then a faster version of an exercise or song is provided. I also add guitar to some of the recordings which will help you with timing as well as playing with an accompanist. It is my sincere hope that the audio will give you “the rest of the story.”
Where can I find the audio access?
The audio companions for my banjo instruction books are available for free on my YouTube channel “New Techniques for 5 String Banjo.” There you will find two playlists – one for Volume 1 and one for Volume 2. These playlists are broken into segments that take you step by step through each book, providing examples and explanations from the book to enhance your learning experience.
How do I find them? Just click on the links that follow each book description below or here’s the full explanation.
- Go Youtube.com
- Type New Techniques for 5 String Banjo Jeff Belding in the search bar
- Find “New Techniques for 5 String Banjo Audio Companion” and click on it. This takes you to the YouTube channel.
- Once at the channel I highly recommend you first go to “Playlists” found under the channel title and banner (nice shot huh?).
- There will be three playlists to pick from – one for Volume 1 and one for Volume 2 and one for Volume 3.
- Please select “view full playlist” as this will lead you to all the segments for each book in order. They are numbered in the order by chapter name or page number. Select the page or chapter you want to work with.
Overview of the Audio for Volume 1
The audio companion for Volume 1 includes 28 different Youtube videos that add up to over 5 hours of instruction. The first segment starts on Page 10, Chapter 2, which is the first page where the banjo tablature appears. The first three audio segments are the “Primer Section” designed for the absolute beginner. For someone with previous experience (let’s say you already play guitar), you may find these first three audios move rather slowly for you. Even if you have some previous experience, I still highly recommend that you listen to the second audio segment (Pages 12 & 13) to give you insight into the special nomenclature associated with this book.
After the Primer section there is an audio section for every chapter of the book and Appendices A and B. Some chapters are broken into smaller sections due to their size.
To find the section you want to work with scroll down the playlist and choose the Chapter and/or page number. Here’s the link to the Volume 1 playlist:
Overview of the Audio for Volume 2
The audio companion for Volume 2 includes 99 different YouTube videos that add up to over 8 hours of instruction. The first one is an introduction to the book but the rest move through the book similar to Volume 1. Tracks 1 through 55 put every example “under the microscope,” pointing out various trouble spots. Some examples are rhythm, fretting and picking hand fingering, and any other issues a tune may have, where I could foresee the student “heading into trouble.”
At the end of the playlist (tracks 56-99) you’ll also find 22 banjo/guitar duets, based on all the tunes in the book.
The even-numbered tracks are guitar and banjo together, so you can hear how they interact with one another. The odd-numbered tracks are just the guitar parts isolated, which will test your ability to go in and out from soloist to back-up roles for an interactive jamming experience.
The Duet tracks are also organized by No capo and Capo 2. This way, you can work on the Key of G tunes, No capo in one section (Tracks 56-89) and then key of A (or D) capo 2 tunes in their own section (Tracks 90-99) You will also find that some of the tunes are played both without and with the capo at second fret.
It’s a great exercise for honing your jamming skills!
Again scroll through the playlist to locate the section of the book or the duet you want to work with. By using the playlist the videos show up in order making it easier to find the one you want to work with. Here’s a link to the Volume 2 playlist:
Overview of Audio for Volume 3
The audio companion includes 132 tracks (!) and over 20 hours of instruction that cover the entire Volume 3 book. The first 66 videos provide a “talk-through” of the entire book. I play each song and exercise and identify challenging spots in the tunes to be aware of. The last 66 tracks are devoted to banjo/guitar duets. Each duet comes in two versions. In the first, you hear the banjo/guitar “interaction” together, each switching from solos to back-up parts. In the second version of the same tune, the guitar part is isolated so you can work on your solos while the guitar plays the back-ups and you can try switching to your accompaniments while the guitar takes a solo. It’s a great exercise for honing your jamming skills! Here’s a link to the Volume 3 playlist:
Did you know you can adjust the speed on YouTube?
While I do play some tracks at different speeds, you should be aware that you can also use Youtube to adjust the speed as well. Look for the gear icon or three dots (depending on the type of device you are using) to lead you to “Settings” and then “Playback speed.” This will allow you to make the video go slower or faster to help you improve your playing speed.
Soundtrack for my book “12 Songs of Christmas Duets for 5 String Banjo and Guitar”
I recorded all the music for this songbook for your listening pleasure. Here’s the link. Note: this is posted on my other Youtube channel “Jeff Belding” and has some other interesting stuff there!
Video Access
Both volumes of my Bluegrass Flatpick Guitar books and both volumes of my Bluegrass Mandolin books include a “video companion” on YouTube to enhance your learning experience. I play through every musical example in each book at a moderate tempo. These videos provide supplemental instruction by demonstrating how the tablature is played and explaining potential trouble spots you may encounter. It is my sincere hope that these videos give you “the rest of the story.” You can find direct links to all the playlists on my homepage.
Cost?
All of my YouTubes are free! If you find it useful and want to leave me a tip I have set up a “tip jar” –I appreciate it!
I look forward to your feedback on how these audio and video companions are working out for you. If you encounter any problems or confusion please let me know at Jeff.belding@yahoo.com.
Good luck, and Let’s Get Pickin’!!!