Al is a Sensei of Many Talents

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Fiddlin Al Students and Alumni

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A place for former and current students of Fiddlin Al to post videos of their progress, share comments and ask questions.

51 Members, Created 2/18/2013 -

Administrators: MiG-19 (owner)

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From MiG-19 on 12/24/2013 12:37:27 AM

This morning I had my weekly Skype lesson with Al in his Five-String Dojo. When Al's camera warmed up, there he saw sitting before him his erstwhile student, holding, not the five-string idol we all love and adore, but (shudder), a MANDOLIN!!!!

I had been toying with the idea for a long time to ask Al about mandolin instruction, and today, I screwed up my courage and did it. It was fantastic! Al is every bit as versed on this 8-string torture device as he is on our revered banjo. It was amazing how quickly he changed gears and was able to focus on an entirely different instrument. He also has some dynamite teaching materials and methods for the mandolin. His excitement at teaching a new instrument to me was contagious. I am really jazzed at this new venture.

Have I given up on the banjo? No, I say, a thousand times NO! But, I'm enjoying this little diversion for a few weeks to see where it takes me. I did play my banjo a lot today, I can't stop playing Christmas songs.

Merry Christmas to all of my fellow travelers on this crooked road.

Jay

2 Comments
	loukiii says: 12/24/2013 4:28:23 AM On a similar note, I snuck in a guitar lesson from Al a couple months ago myself. I used to play around with an electric back in the old days (Think GunsNRoses power chords and super loud with lots of beer and other performance enhancers), and bought an acoustic yamaha after I got a divorce from my first wife back in 92 and strummed around a bit so I knew my basic G C D A F Em chords. I wanted Al to show me the deceptively simple looking bluegrass strum. Aint that the way it all looks? So simple...until you actually try to do it. I decided that I cannot divide my time between both guitar and banjo and suck at both, but to stick with the banjo since I have been at it for almost 4 years solidly, and I shall continue to strive for mediocrity.
	MiG-19 says: 12/24/2013 6:17:53 PM The banjo just speaks to us, doesn't it? I look at it and just want to pick it up and play.
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