Banjo For Dummies: Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction

Contents

• Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 4
• Part 1 : The Amazing Five-String Banjo 5
• Chapter 1 : You Want to Play What?: Banjo Basics 7 Getting into Banjo 7 Loving that amazing sound 8 Becoming a true believer 8 Identifying Different Kinds of Banjos 9 Five-string banjo: The subject of this book 9 Tenor and plectrum banjos: Look for anothe
• Chapter 2 : Tuning Your Banjo 23 G Tuning: Getting Your Strings in Order 24 Relative Tuning: Tuning the Banjo to Itself 25 Reference Tuning: Getting a Little Outside Help 27 Using an electronic tuner 27 Tuning with an electronic tuner at a jam session 30
• Chapter 3 : Starting to Play: Fretting and Strumming 35 Talking Banjo Talk 36 Positioning Body and Banjo 37 Strapping on your banjo 38 Sitting down to play 41 Standing with your banjo 42 Fretting with the Left Hand 44 Fingering G, D7, and C Chords 46 The
• Chapter 4 : Playing by the Rules: Songs and Tablature 53 Breaking Down the Parts of a Song 54 Feeling the rhythm 54 Finding the melody 59 Reading Tablature 65 Finding notes 65 Tracking down the rhythm 66 Playing Pinch Patterns 68 Being a Great Team Player
• Part 2 : Let's Pick! Basic Banjo Techniques 75
• Chapter 5 : Getting Right with the Right Hand 77 Clawhammer and Bluegrass: Down-Picking and Up-Picking 78 Clawhammer Right-Hand Basics 79 Finding a good right-hand position 80 Playing your first clawhammer notes 81 Using clawhammer banjo as accompaniment
• Chapter 6 : Sliding, Hammering, and Pulling: Adding the Left Hand 103 Slipping into the Slide 104 Getting down the slide: The basics 105 Trying 3rd-string slides 106 Undertaking 4th-string slides 106 Focusing on 1st-string slides 107 Nailing the Hammer-On
• Chapter 7 : Working Up Your First Tunes: Clawhammer and Bluegrass 129 Stylin' It: Playing Real Banjo Music 130 Starting with the right hand 131 Adding the left hand 133 Tackling a Few More Tunes 136
• Part 3 : Playing Styles Past, Present, And Future 141
• Chapter 8 : Playing the Old-Time Way: Clawhammer and Traditional Styles 143 Digging Deeper into Clawhammer Banjo 144 Fretting 1st-string clawhammer pull-offs 144 Stretching out with double thumbing 145 Discovering Four Clawhammer Classics 146 Playing "Old
• Chapter 9 : Playing Three-Finger Styles: Scruggs, Melodic, and Single String 161 Playing Scruggs-Style Banjo 162 Flowing with the rolls 162 Making your music hot with some licks 165 Progressing to Scruggs-style songs 170 Making Music with Melodic Banjo 17
• Chapter 10 : Playing Up-the-Neck Backup: Chords and Vamping 195 Playing Movable Major Chords 196 The barre shape 196 The F shape 198 The D shape 199 Moving from the F shape to the D shape 200 Playing Movable Minor Chords 200 Converting F-shape major chord
• Chapter 11 : Playing Historical Styles: African, Minstrel, and Classic Banjo 209 Exploring African-American Banjo Roots 210 Converging Cultures: The World of Minstrel Banjo 211 Uncovering the historical background 211 Getting into minstrel banjo 212 Disco
• Chapter 12 : Networking into Banjo Culture 221 Taking Private Lessons 222 Overcoming lesson anxiety 222 Finding the right teacher 223 Playing Music with Others 226 Finding a good jam 226 Getting ready for a jam session 227 Joining in a jam 228 Observing g
• Part 4 : Buying A Banjo and Keeping It In Good Shape 239
• Chapter 13 : Finding Your Banjo Bliss: A Buyer's Guide 241 Establishing Your Banjo Boundaries 242 Making the Leap: Resonator or Open-Back? 243 Pumping up the volume: Resonator banjos 243 Going the old-time way: Open-back banjos 245 Finding a Great Beginne
• Chapter 14 : Getting the Right Stuff: Banjo Gear 267 Picking Up the Stuff You Really Need 267 Cases: Becoming King of the Road 268 Strings: You can't pick without 'em 273 Picks: Giving your fingers playing power 277 Straps: Take a load off! 278 Capos: Pla
• Chapter 15 : Taking Care of Your Baby: String Changing and Basic Maintenance 291 Replacing Banjo Strings 292 Deciding when your strings need a changin' 292 Changing strings 1 through 4: A step-by-step guide 293 Replacing the 5th string 299 Setting the Bri
• Part 5 : the part of Tens 311
• Chapter 16 : Ten Tips to Make Practicing More Fun 313 Practice Regularly 313 Set Goals 314 Warm Up 315 Use Tablature Sparingly 315 Get the Right Hand First 316 Gradually Increase Your Speed 316 Take Songs One Measure at a Time 317 Play the Right Repertoir
• Chapter 17 : Ten Great Banjo Players You Need to Hear 321 Earl Scruggs (1924-2012) 321 Pete Seeger (b 1919) 322 Bela Fleck (b 1958) 322 Bill Keith (b 1939) 323 Mike Seeger (1933-2009) 323 Don Reno (1927-1984) 323 J D Crowe (b 1937) 324 Tony Trischka (b 19
• Part 6 : Appendixes 327
• Appendix A: Banjo Chords and Notes 329 Chords 329 Notes on the Banjo in G Tuning 332
• Appendix B: Audio Tracks and Video Clips 335 Discovering What's on the Audio Tracks 335 Looking at What's in the Video Clips 340 Customer Care 342
• Index 343