My first instruction book “New Techniques for 5 String Banjo Volume 1 Beginner” is available for sale on Amazon.
I chose the banjo to be the subject of my first book because of the high volume of banjo students that I have had in recent years. There seemed to be a bluegrass banjo craze happening in upstate NY where I taught for over 40 years.
In my teens I dabbled in 5 string banjo. Then, in my 30’s I found out the great banjo player Roger Sprung didn’t live too far from me and I signed up for lessons. I studied banjo with him for about two years and those lessons really paid off for me in a lot of ways. For one thing, it helped me win first place in the “New Twists for Banjo” contest judged by Tony Trishcka with a piece called “Reverie.” I wrote a blog post about this. But the most important thing Roger taught me was how to teach others.
This book is written for the “rank beginner” and is based on thousands of hours spent teaching the instrument. Over the years, I have spotted and catalogued the many technical problems and pitfalls that beginner 5 string banjo players are faced with. Through this “research” I have created many exercises to help the beginner overcome these technical stumbling blocks. A pre-emptive strike, if you will, on such problems as proper finger placement, counting and keeping good time, and the age-old challenge of hitting the “right” string. I have developed a “simplified tablature” format that cuts down on visual clutter. My students have found it makes the material easier to read and digest.
I have a good feeling of what this book can do for up and coming banjo pickers. If you love the sound of a 5 string banjo then I hope Volume 1 will start you on course to making your own great music. I hope you will take the plunge and give it a try.
Here are the links to the audio access and accompaniment chord charts that go with the book.