Playing Since: 1979
Experience Level: Novice

Occupation: Retired

Gender: Male
Age: 74

My Instruments:
1934 TB2 with Wreath pattern 5 string neck...
'94 Gibson Earl Scruggs model... John J. installed a Huber gold tone ring and set it up... now it looks like Earl's... and sounds great too...
2000? Martin HD - 28
Electric Bass.

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Banjo players in order... Earl... Sonny... J. D. ... Gary Filgate... Janet Davis... Allen Shelton... Terry Baucam... Robbie McCoury... Ben Eldridge... Dave Kiputh... Doug Dillard... Susie Gibson... Jerry Garcia... and numerous others....
bands in order... Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs... the Osborne Bros. ... the Bluegrass Album Band... Del McCoury Band... also in any order... the Bluegrass Cardinals... Country Gents... Seldom Scene... Jim and Jesse... Bill Monroe... and numerous others...
favorite guitar players... Earl... Lester Flatt... Norman Blake... Tony Rice... Charles Sawtelle... Henry Stocek... Chris Tesky... Phil Gross... Gary Filgate...and numerous others

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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 2/3/2006
Last Visit 6/15/2010

I was born and raised in Norwalk, CT. ... never heard bluegrass anywhere as a kid... my Father learned how to play violin at 8 years old in Ireland... he also played Mandolin and Tenor banjo so i grew up with that music since i was born... I got interested in 5 string banjo after seeing "Bonnie & Clyde" when I was a teenager and hearing and loving that BANJO sound... in the Navy I met a great guy named Ray Reynolds who played the 5 and introduced me to the music of Flatt & Scruggs... when I was about 26 or maybe 27 I ruined myself by learning to play off tab rather than ear with no sense of timing... I could play tab pretty quick... but had no idea of chords, measures or how to "hear" the individual licks and such... so I was stuck with being only able to play what tab I could find... thank God for John J. and banjo newsletter... John tried to explain how to play correctly and showed me so many things but I just couldn't get it... he somehow had the patience to help me master a few tunes so I really enjoyed playing... my playing just sucked other than those few tunes... John realized that though I could form them I had no idea what chords were or what to do with them... first breakthrough... all of a sudden I could now play and sing any tune I had the chords for... my "breaks" still were horribly out of time... but I could play enough to entertain myself.... especially I could play and sing all the old Irish tunes I grew up with... John taught me how to play bass... and even though I played mostly by rote... my timing really started to smooth out...I started an Irish band and realized pretty quick that a few of those old tunes would sound better on guitar... so I taught myself some guitar chords and made a promise to myself that I would not play any guitar tab... I would try to find a teacher that could teach me to play guitar correctly... I met a great guitar player... and yes he plays the 5 pretty well too... by the name of Phil Gross from Newtown CT. ... I finally got it thanks to Phil... I could actually "hear" what I was playing... all those years of terrible frustration with playing was finally lifting... on guitar I can now play... albeit very slowly and really stripped down and simple... what I can hear... may not be the notes actually being played... but it is at least a facsimile of the tune in question... now the most frustrating thing left for me is to use this accomplishment on the banjo... yep... I don't sound too bad on the memorized banjo "breaks" or instrumentals that I play in correct time... but now that I can start learning new tunes... I can only play the simplest rolls and licks as every thing I learned in tab usually did not have the "chord" the licks belonged to... and even if it did I never learned them as "licks" that could be moved and used in different songs... so here I am at 58 learning the banjo all over again ... if I am lucky... another 30 years of playing and I might just be able to consider myself a banjo player... notice I did not say good... I'm just hoping to get good enough to be able to pick with the others in the parking lot without making a fool of myself :-)