Bluegrass banjo for dummies

368 Pages·2015·17.42 MB·English

by  Evans

Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ
07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Media and software compilation copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. All rights reserved.
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under
Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the
prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for
permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax
[phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com,
Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or
registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used
without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any
product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE
THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST
EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE
ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS
BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED
OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN
SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES
CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR
SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL
WHERE APPROPRIATE. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE
AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING
HEREFROM.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact
our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the
U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone]. For technical support, please
visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-
demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book
may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to
media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you
purchased, you may download this material at
http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley
products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014957115
ISBN 978-1-119-00430-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-00429-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-
1-119-00426-4 (ebk)
Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies®
Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/bluegrassbanjo to
view this book's cheat sheet.
Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Getting Started with Bluegrass Banjo
Chapter 1: Bluegrass Music and the Banjo
Uncovering Banjo History
Bluegrass Banjo Yesterday and Today
Joining In: Jams, Festivals, and Camps
Becoming a Bluegrass Banjo Player
Chapter 2: Finding the Perfect Bluegrass Banjo
and Getting the Gear You Need
Identifying Different Kinds of Banjos
Recognizing a Great Bluegrass Banjo
Taking It with You: Essential Gear
Chapter 3: Hitting the Ground Running: Tuning,
Reading Music, and Making Chords
Tuning In
Reading Chord Diagrams and Tablature
Understanding Chord Progressions and Song Forms
Chapter 4: Fretting and Picking
Fretting and Forming Chords
Preparing to Pick
Picking with Patterns: The Pinch
Part II: Let’s Roll! Scruggs-Style Banjo Essentials
Chapter 5: Picking Techniques: Roll Patterns
Playing Roll Patterns
Using Roll Patterns in Songs
Chapter 6: Fretting Techniques and Putting the
Hands Together
Heading into the Slide
Bringing Down the Hammer-on
Perfecting the Pull-off
Adding Soul with Bending Techniques
Chapter 7: Getting Bona Fide: Playing Licks and
Classic Tunes
Playing and Using Licks
Playing Classic Songs
Chapter 8: Working Up Your Own Scruggs-Style
Solos
Finding the Melodies
Matching Rolls to Melodies
Adding Fretting Techniques to Solos
Assembling Solos from Licks
Heading Up the Neck to Play Solos
Part III: Playing in the Band: Backup Essentials
Chapter 9: Getting Started: Playing Down-the-Neck
Backup
Using Basic Roll Patterns in Backup
Using Two-Measure Forward Rolls in Backup
Mixing Backup Techniques
Playing Fiddle-Tune Backup
Chapter 10: Taking It Higher: Playing Up-the-Neck
Backup
Mapping Out Up-the-Neck Chords
Using Vamping in Up-the-Neck Backup
Making It Hot with Up-the-Neck Picking
Part IV: Progressive Banjo: Melodic and Single-String
Styles
Chapter 11: Melodic-Style Banjo
Understanding Melodic Technique
Playing Melodic Tunes in G
Playing Melodic Tunes in C, D, and A
Chapter 12: Single-String Banjo
Understanding Single-String Technique
Playing Single-String Tunes
Part V: Keeping Your Banjo in Top Shape
Chapter 13: Setup Essentials: Getting the Best
Sound from Your Banjo
Setting Up for Great Tone
Perfecting Your Banjo’s Playability
Chapter 14: All Strings Considered: Choosing and
Changing Strings
All About Banjo Strings
You Can Do It! Your Complete Guide to String Changing
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 15: Ten (Or So) Groundbreaking
Bluegrass Banjo Players
Earl Scruggs (1924–2012)
Don Reno (1927–1984)
J. D. Crowe (1937– )
Veronica “Roni” Stoneman (1938– )
Bill Keith (1939– )
Tony Trischka (1949– )
Murphy Henry (1952– )
Béla Fleck (1958– )
Alison Brown (1962– )
Jens Kruger (1962– )
Kristin Scott Benson (1976– )
Noam Pikelny (1981– )
Chapter 16: Ten Strategies to Make You a Better
Player (Right Now!)
Sweat the Details
Take It Step by Step
Find a Good Teacher
Play with Others
Use the Metronome
Flow with Your Rolls
Listen, Watch, and Learn
Use Your Ear More Than Tablature
Practice Using Looping Techniques
Track Your Progress
Part VII: Appendixes
Appendix A: A Guide to Chords, Notes, and Major
Scales
Finding Chords
Finding Notes
Finding Major Scales
Appendix B: Audio Tracks and Video Clips
Listening to the Audio Tracks
Watching the Video Clips
About the Author
Cheat Sheet
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
Introduction
You may have first heard the magnificent sound of bluegrass banjo 40 years
ago in a movie or on TV. Or maybe you just heard it for the first time
recently, with its fast and furious flurry of notes sending the latest acoustic
rock anthem or country hit into musical overdrive. Now, you just can’t get it
out of your head. Nothing inspires the musical imagination like the banjo, and
once you’re hooked, sooner or later, you have to do something about it.
If you’re ready to take it to the next step, you’ve come to the right place!
Whether you’re 8 or 80, and especially if you have no prior musical
experience, Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies will help you unlock the secrets
of great banjo picking in bluegrass style. Whether you’re a total newbie or an
experienced player looking for fresh ideas and new techniques, get ready to
have more fun playing banjo than you ever thought possible. With the help of
Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies, you can achieve your banjo dreams!
About This Book
Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies is a step-by-step, practical guide to playing
the five-string banjo in the world’s most popular and widely heard style.
From the music of Earl Scruggs to Béla Fleck and Mumford & Sons, the
brilliantly fast fingerpicking techniques that define bluegrass banjo are heard
today not just in bluegrass, folk, and country music, but in everything from
jazz and classical to jam-band alt-rock styles.
Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies can take you wherever you want to go with
the five-string banjo, whether it’s playing old favorites on your front porch,
holding your own in a bluegrass jam session, or exploring the advanced
techniques used by today’s professionals. Along the way, you’ll master a
truckload of well-loved bluegrass banjo tunes and master the skills needed to
sound great playing with others.
Haven’t got a banjo yet? No worries! You’ll soon know what to look for in a
quality bluegrass banjo and get the accessories you need to jumpstart your
picking. From playing your first chords, to getting started with picking and
fretting patterns to mastering more advanced Scruggs, melodic, and single-