More About Me

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Hello,

My name is Jay Jay and I've been playing and teaching Bluegrass banjo and dobro for 30 years. I have started many "non musical people" from day one, on their personal road to perdition playing the ole 5- String, and ruined their lives forever! LOL

I have also instructed the "intermediate players" and even fine tuned a few advanced pickers to "stage worthiness". In short, I know how it's done and don't mind passing all that information on to further the love of Bluegrass music.

For beginers, my lessons last around a half-hour (give or take) once a week ,and as you progress, the time increases as the lessons get more complicated. I charge $20.00 a lesson, payable at the time of the lesson.

I use the "Earl Scruggs and the Five String Banjo" book to start, and later on the "Back-up Banjo Book" by Janet Davis for most of my instruction. Both these books are easily obtainable on line, or at your favorite music store, or from me whenever I have them in stock.

You are required to possess a set of picks (two metal finger picks, one for the index and one for the middle finger, and a thumb pick (usually plastic) and of course a five-string banjo. You need to have the Scruggs Book by at least the second or third lesson . These books are written in a musical notation called tablature, and I also teach you how to read that. It's not near as complicated as trying to learn to read "real music" and you can find lots more stuff on Bluegrass written that way.

I live in the Daytona, Florida area , and teach from my home and also online via SKYPE ,so you can reside anywhere in the world, and get private lessons in your own living room live . (PLEASE email me for updated availability) You can start just as soon as you can get your hot little hands on a banjo to bring with you, or a hot little banjo for that matter, I won't tell. As you may be able to tell, I run a "loose ship" and try my best to make this difficult instrument fun, after all, that's why you want to do this aint it?

Stay in Tune,
Jay-Jay ( jjjdobro@yahoo.com )