Hi Rob
Just like all the other students, thanks so much for the great videos. I am a novice player, but with your help, I am making good progress and most importantly, enjoying it.
Looking forward to seeing any new programmes you produce, I am sure they will be great.
Best regards from the UK.
Den

Rob, I really appreciate what you are doing because I am in a similar situation as are you. I am constantly busy, and don't have a great deal of time on my hands. However, I try to teach lessons myself on YouTube, simply because I started having a bunch of people ask me. Glad to meet someone interested in "passing it on!"

Hi Rob,
Great job on teaching us FMB! I have banjo instruction books, CD's and DVD's that cover FMB but your way sounds the best and is "user friendly". The other methods intimidated me so much, or didn't sound right, that I just gave up trying to learn it.
I have finished your lesson (part one or A) and am now ready to mover onto part two (B) , or the up the neck portion of it. Will you be teaching us that portion, or do you know of a internet site or other source where we can learn it so we will have the complete FMB?
Again, Thanks Rob for doing what you did to make us better banjo Players!!!

Tom

I liked the comment about following Scruggs note for note on banjo is similar to following note for note Segovia or Hendrix. Those guys probably dont even think about what they are playing when they are creating the music. For every instrment there are the true masters who forever changes how just about every else afterwards approaches that instrument. Rock guitar has not been the same since Hendrix, or more recently Eddie Van Halen. The common thread is God given talent. Maybe its practice for when they all eventually go to Heaven and are given harps.

Excellent -- thanks!

I am glad that folks could use the lessons and you are all certainly welcome.

The real departure from Earl's arrangement is barely audible at a fast rate, and that is to keep the forward roll going after the Em part, and use the right index to pluck the 4th string pull-off, keeping the forward roll going instead of backing up and using the thumb. It is much easier for the intermediate player to develop speed this way, and I developed this at around age 14 or 15, instead of following the Scruggs book. My playing speed took off on that tune, and I used the technique for other things.

I have seen J.D. and Earl both use this on tunes, but I think it may have been Peter Wernick on Little Maggie that I learned it from, though I no longer have that book to check. I learned a lot from him anyway, and developed my own style from blending Earl, J.D. and Peter, plus the arrangements I was given my my banjo teacher Jim Morgan.

Peter has a great sense of dynamics and syncopation, and I also loved Doug Dillard, and his sense of harmony. So, when I do an arrangement, even though I used to do the Scruggs arrangements, I really don't want to teach everything note for note. Earl Scruggs sells books for that, and I don't want to be cutting into any of that business and giving away what he intends to sell.

For this reason, I won't be giving away the high part either. I think the Scruggs method covers all of those things fine, and he wrote the song, and deserves the revenue from those things.

What I have tried to do, is to introduce a way of practice, and a method of memorization, breaking things into small parts, and cycling them over and over, isolating them until they are up to snuff, and then move on. I really hope that this is the thing that opens people's eyes, because it isn't a debate over tab vs ear training, or Scruggs method exactly vs deviations from note for note transcriptions that even Earl never did exactly every time, it is about how to learn, memorize and improve a piece of music.

As I said long ago, I had a teacher, and he taught me how to do this. His teacher before him taught him the same way, and so on. It is passed down, and I hope to pass that to as many people as I can for free.

I had two books, which were Earl Scruggs Method, and Peter Wernick's Bluegrass Banjo. I would say that those two will still suffice, though there may be others, but it is good to find a teacher to help you learn some good arrangements like these.

It is also good, even before you get the teacher, to monkey around with as many simple melodies as you can. When you look for a teacher, here is a good litmus test.

Ask them to play a simple song like Happy Birthday, or Take Me Out to the Ball Game. If they can't, that means they can't ad lib, and all they will be able to do for you is show you arrangements. They may play those arrangements well, but the goal is, to be able to just pick up your banjo and play.

Say it is the 4th of July, and someone wants Yankee Doodle Dandy. You are at a party in the back yard, and they bring you your banjo. What do you do? You need to know that you start on the 3rd note of the scale, "I'm, a Yankee Doodle Dandy" is, 3, 2, 2, 1, -7, 1, 2, -6. You of course can't memorize this information for every song, but you have to be able to hear it immediately, and that is achieved with people who are considered by many to be tone deaf even, with about 4 to 6 months of exercises.

I know so many banjo and guitar players, who spend a great deal on resources such as books and DVDs, as well as music camps and workshops, hoping to develop their improvisation skills, but are still not able to play a simple melody with chords, such as God Bless America, without having to really work hard at it.

These simple tunes should be easy, and if they aren't, a student needs to develop basic musicality. It is very easy to do, and I will do some videos on this subject when I get another banjo.

I have a Goodtime with a broken neck, and though I can teach with it, it warbles out of tune, so I would be ridiculed on Youtube by every critical perfectionist in the world, so I will wait for another banjo. I was borrowing my buddy Russ' Liberty, but I gave that back, and am momentarily banjoless.

As I said before, I really don't even consider myself a banjo player at this point. I was in the 70s, but through the 80s and most of the 90s, I didn't even touch a 5 string. I practiced so much back then that I still have a lot of my chops, but the fact is, guitar has been my bread and butter, and as a professional musician, I can only afford so many instruments. I don't gig out with a banjo, so I have really not made that a priority, but I still love picking, when I get one in my hands, so I hope this scenario changes in 2011.

We shall see.

The links to the Cripple Creek lessons aren't working for me. Has anyone else had this problem? Being the beginner that I am, I'd like to learn CC before I tackle FMB.

Efraim, just e-mail me at, bourassastudio@gmail.com

I'll send you a PDF file of the links in order.

This is so great, Rob! I just picked up my Banjo about a week ago and I've been doing nothing but playing and reading Earl Scruggs' book. I've checked out loads of video online for inspiration and lessons. Yours seems to really "resonate" with me! Stupid pun, I know. Thanks Rob and everyone else who's helping us beginner's out!

Mr. Honey

You are welcome Mr. Honey.

Yes thanks so much Rob, I came across these today, they are excellent, anyone that has you as a teacher is very lucky. You make things so easy to understand.
Mike

Here is what I've learned from Rob's Cripple Creek lessons:

youtube.com/watch?v=cLYq0YPCXcM

Mike, you could have him as a teacher if you have Skype. :)

You are welcome Mike, and thanks for the kind words.

Great job to the Belarusian banjoist.

Thanks for the plug Land Sailor.

Bob, I appreciate the lessons you have posted. They have helped me to use a metronome with my playing and also I have been able to make good progress on FMB.
Thank You!

You are welcome. Glad to hear it.

I don't have skype but just a quick download I would assume, so what after that?
Mike

Here is a video that I use for the folks who receive gift certificates. It shows how to use Skype.

youtube.com/watch?v=9O9uKG937X...deo_title


A great use for Skype is giving it to your friends and family. You can use it instead of the telephone, and the calls are free.

You can call me to test it if you wish.

Ok I'll check it out, I'll probably email you with some questions. Thanks

Okay, So here's my take on FMB after going through Rob's amazing videos! yuppielove.org/2011/03/08/hill...st-video/ I fumble once every time around, but in different spots. So I know I can get clean through it one day. Any comments/suggestions or ridicule is welcome, haha!

That wasn't bad, I'm not close to that yet but trying. Watched a few more of Robs lessons and they are so easy to follow, but I have to start focusing on a more balanced practice routine, I always skip the cords that I have trouble with, and it's not gonna happen doing that. I always want to play songs not practice LOL.But if I practice every day I will eventually be able to play songs with ease.Maybe LOL. Good job on FMB. I hope in a week or two to be able to get the whole way through it, and that"s a lot of hope.

Mr Honey, very good for 3 weeks in. My hat is off to you. I wanted to learn that from Rob myself, but decided to start with Cripple Creek. I think I'll work on that for another week or so, I'm almost there, and then tackle Foggy Mtn Breakdown.
Keep it up

drefoss, DON'T SKIP OVER ANYTHING YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH! Keep working until you have it down. The songs will come once you have a good foundation to build on. (Just like anything else)
I think that might have been my trouble with guitar playing over the years, and why after 40 of them, I still sound like I've only been doing it a year or so, and don't have as much interest as I once did.
I am definately taking a better approach with the banjo.
Pick on.
Ken

Thanks guys, I'm having a blast learning banjo. Drefoss I totally agree with k-dawg, you're not doing yourself a favor by skipping the basics. I know what you mean about wanting instant results though, but getting the fundamentals down is key. I have played guitar for about 20 years going into learning banjo, so I had pull off and hammer ons etc. down to begin with. Thanks again

Yeah I know you guys are right, I have been working on my cords every day now but for only 15 or 20 minutes at a time( for about a week) then AD&D kicks in and I'm off picking the few songs that I know. The F cord is one of the hardest for me but even after a week the last couple of days I have managed to hit it clearly once in a while, I think maybe I should get a Banjo strap so I'm not holding the banjo neck to help balance it, therefore giving me more freedom with fretting. Does that sound reasonable?

Ahh yes. Banjo strap is essential. Put it on, keep adjusting it until it feels right, and you'll know when it is, because you will have stopped making adjustments.
I think 15-20 at a sitting is about right. Get up, take a break, and then come back.
Keep fighting the dreaded A-D-D.
Ken