If you got into bluegrass in the 1970s, you probably first became aware of Pete Wernick as half of the twin banjo tag team (along with Tony Trischka) from the New York State band Country Cooking. Or maybe you bought one of the first copies of his best-selling instruction book “Bluegrass Banjo” from Oak Publications. (Remember those flexi-discs?) … Read More
Almost every aspiring musician dreams of playing music with other people. And any way you slice it, bluegrass banjo is an element of bluegrass music, a group effort, a teaming of instruments and voices. Yet very little bluegrass teaching stresses interactive skills. But it could, and it should!… Read More
The following ideas have served my students well since I developed them in the 1960s and 70s. They have been presented in my “Bluegrass Banjo” book (1974), my ten Homespun instructional videos, and over 150 music camps I’ve hosted since 1980. The student evaluation forms I’ve used since the late 1980s give clear evidence that they work.… Read More
This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of Banjo Newsletter, and is also available as an easy-to-print PDF. Ira writes: One of my jam students last week had trouble changing chords on time and was right at the … Read More
The best bluegrass teaching is tuned to a student’s motivating desire to play music in a social context. Novices should be taught basic rhythm playing right away on slow easy songs first, following simple chord changes by watching a guitar. This is the beginning and the foundation of “playing real bluegrass” and comes with enough rewards to spark practicing and preparation. As new skills are learned, they are immediately applied to the jam, building enjoyment and motivation.It’s fun and it’s fundamental!… Read More