More About Me

My aims in teaching the banjo are to help the student develop the tools and understanding to play whatever sorts of music they like on the banjo. I enjoy playing old time, folk, Irish, bluegrass, blues, ragtime, classical, and world music on the banjo.

Rather than presenting a series of 'licks' to memorize, or tablature to learn by rote memorization, from the very beginning I help the student to work with the melody of the song, and how to express that melody on the banjo while keeping a good steady rhythm.

Gradually, we work in ways of embellishing and supporting the melody, and finding some of the unique things the banjo can do to make that song or tune really shine.

My approach to the banjo is to find the techniques needed to support the kind of music to be played. I seek to learn from each student what kinds of music they like, and what their personal goals with the banjo are, and let that give direction to the lessons

What I teach to someone who wants to play in a band will be different from what I teach to someone who wants to play by themselves. Some techniques work better than others for accompanying singing.

Everyone's body is different, and what feels right will vary from person to person. Clawhammer, fingerstyle, with picks, without picks, Seeger-style/up-picking, flatpicking - we can explore what feels best to you. There are many different ways to play fingerstyle - melodic, single-string, Scruggs style, Irish, old time 2- or 3-finger... I play and teach them all and we'll work with the styles that make the most sense for you and how you want to play. If you play a 4-string or a 6-string banjo, we can work with that too; though most of my experience is with the 5-string, I've done enough with tenor, plectrum, and guitar to get you started on those.

For students who already play banjo, I can help troubleshoot any problems you may be experiencing, and work with whatever goals and techniques you already have. I can help with tone, timing, playing with others, knowledge of the fingerboard, playing 'up the neck', rhythm, syncopation and getting the 'swing' or 'bounce' in the music, chords and their relation to one another, harmony, music theory, building solos & variations, learning by ear & hearing chord changes, exploring different tunings, expanding repertoire, opening up new genres and playing styles, adapting music from another instrument, set up and modifications to the banjo, and finding the right banjo for you.

I teach in person lessons in Bellingham, WA, and can also do online lessons if needed. You can send me a message through the hangout or email me at bellinghambanjoteacher@gmail.com