Still working on ther PCC version the d version is still too fast for me to play smoothly 'but i'm working on it.

Well its certainly helping me .I cant thank you enough. cheers

It's helped me also Rob, very nice of you to go through the trouble. I've played the song for a long time, but relearning it your way has made it sound a lot better! Thanks!!!

Don't forget to practice those rolls!

Thanks again, and I'm glad to know it's working.

I had a guy named Jim Morgan who played with Roy McGuiness and the Sunnysiders teach me when I was 11 or 12.

He never used tab, but kicked my butt every week, pushing me to memorize and repeat the lines over and over till I got them. I started playing jobs out before I was 13, and began winning contests a year or two later.

I have always taught the same way, and have found a lot of success with my students like this.

I do things a bit differently than Earl's tabs, but I have heard him play it this way once in awhile.

I wish I had time to practice banjo. Some day, when my guitar teaching slows down, I intend to get a more expensive banjo and practice up a bit, and maybe record a little bluegrass as well.

I love J.D. and Earl, but there are a lot of other players I admire. I will try to get to a few different techniques in the winter time.

Rob,
I want to thank you I have learned more in one hour then I have in a year of trying to pick this song by tab. It's the timing and I new that but you sure have helped. Yes it's not the exact as Earl had in in his book. I do having timing issues. Do you find it easier with the metronome you have as apposed to the electronic. I just dont know what it is the beep compared to the click of yours. Thanks for sharing and maybe I will have the song down by the end of this year.

Randy

If you walk through the doors of life you won't get stuck looking at the same four walls.

Randy,

I know it is hard to learn by tab for a lot of folks. What I try to focus on is making sure that small parts are learned, digested, and then isolated so that the information is memorized musically instead of visually.

After one part is down cold, we move to the next, and then it isn't hard to piece everything together. I've been doing this for my students with video tapes for years, and recently, DVDs.

Sometimes it's just learning how to learn that's the hardest.

As for the metronome, this is all I use, and it is kind of lopsided at times and gets a bit hard to follow. I have to make sure it's level. I do like the sound better than those electronic clicks.

I had a great little travel metronome called "The Mini Tacktell" and it was great. I used to teach guitar on the road with that. I lost it somewhere, so now, I just snap my fingers really loud for my travel students.

The old Seth Thomas doesn't travel well.

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Bourassa



I can't stand it when people ask for banjo lessons in a store, and they get a guitar player who dabbles with 5 string, and he starts taking someone through a book.

---

Randy,

There are different metronome speeds on those videos. I would suggest practicing along with the video, and not even worry about the metronome till you have the higher speeds down with the video.

Then, as you have guessed, whatever speed you find helpful. A good trick to learn is this. Once you have it down at a faster pace, slow down the metronome, and make sure you can keep in time at a slow pace as well.

Better yet, find a good guitar player.

Dido...dido....and dido Rob. Thanks for your efforts and time. UMmmmmmmmmmmm, how's about up the neck. That would put the icing on the cake!

Hi Rob ... been away from banjo (AGAIN!) for a while, but I'm back at it :)

Thank you for your generosity.

Not only are these lessons great, but as a side benefit ... I stumbled across you and Cori DeVries doing "Smile". Sends shills up my spine!

Rob

* Hondo
* Saga RK-2 kit
* Disclaimer - I'm not an expert (in anything banjo)

Newsome,

I will try to get to the high part next month.

Yee Haw!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be watching fer it.

A truly amazing set of videos. After picking up the banjo a year ago, I quickly realized that reading tab is not intuitive for me. I've seen a number of different lessons on how to play this tune, but this is by far the closest to the original cut and is broken down into easily memorized parts. My sincere thanks for spending your valuable time on this to help out us bluegrass banjo "wannabees". Keep on pickin'....

G,

Cori has worked with me since she was 17. At 24, her voice is really mature, and she doesn't over do it like a lot of kids her age. She just got a studio contract in L.A. and moved there, and she has been working in New York a lot, as well as traveling around the world, singing on cruise ships.

She and a few other girls have worked in a trio that I arranged for the last 7 or 8 years, and the soprano, Kira just recorded a CD with me. I would like to get all 3 girls together again, but not many folks want to hear the Tin Pan Alley stuff.

Thanks for the kind words.

Hi Rob..

Just wanted to add my voice to the choir by saying thankyou for the banjo lessons very much appreciated.

Regards Tam

Picking a Fender FB 58 and PROUD to describe myself as a Student of the Murphy Method

You are welcome Tam.

Just a shout out to my good friend Rob! He is a great teacher and super musician. I remember meeting Rob when he was playing banjo with Roy at 13. He had drive and tone then. I don't think he had the beard.....

Edited by - Tonecaster on 12/09/2009 19:34:17

Thanks Rob. Great.

Thanks, Rob, these are by far the easiest to follow I have tried ... and dare I say 'the most rewarding'. For the first time, I feel truly encouraged to give FMB an all-out try.



Richard

(... so, if curiosity got me into all this, what'll get me out?)

Rob, you are doing an awesome job. It would be hard not to learn if your style of teaching is followed. I can play fmb, but probably will never reach anywhere near your level of proficiency. What you do is very helpful. Looking forward to up the neck to see how it compares to the way I try to play it. Obviously many people play it different ways.

All the best,
OldFox

Every workplace should have a Banjo Break

Thank you all. (and Russ, one of my best friends, so you can't trust him.)

I will try to get to the high part soon. I have been swamped, but things should slow down soon.

Rob

I will also say a big thank you to Rob...I have been using your video to learn Old Joe Clark. I dont know much but your teaching methods seem to work for me. If you are taking suggestions on different songs,then here are a few ......Wreck of the old '97,Shamrock,Darling Nellie Gray and Holiday Pickin'
Thanks again for all your time and efforts to pass down your knowledge and skill to those of us lacking in both

bart

Glad to hear it Bart.

I will try to get to the Wreck Of The Old 97 someday.

I have had so little time, I don't foresee anything happening right away. These videos take a long time.

Thanks again.

Can we make this a sticky??

I "Second" the suggestion for making this a sticky!

Rob's style is great, and a big help to me. I find it a great supplement to the other teaching materials I use, i.e. books and dvd lessons, as well as the BHO video lessons and learning materials others--such as "Banjophobic" (John Boulding), great stuff-- on this forum are so gracious to share.

I am another newer banjo student that isn't able to study with a teacher. My work schedule and travel makes that impossible right now. When that changes (hopefully in the next few months) I'll hunt one down, but in the meantime . . .

Add yet another "Many Thanks" to you Rob, from a geezer trying to learn to play banjo! Your style is very comfortable for me.

Oh, and I want to echo the comment "G" made about the side benefit of finding your guitar/ensemble music.

Groovy . . .

Edited by - JCat on 10/25/2009 21:34:18