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PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:33 pm 
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I've been thinking about my friend who keep talking about getting a banjo now that you're hearing them on the radio again, and wondering how many other folks are thinking the same thing. So I put together a draft of a couple online lessons, complete with little bitty mp3 files you can listen to if my explanation doesn't make sense.

The first episode is online now at:

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_01.htm

If you get a chance to take a look, please let me know what you think.

Paul


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 7:05 pm 
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Draft of second episode is up:

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_02.htm

I expect to have at least two more, one on hammering on and pulling off, and one on playing melody/solo. Plus some follow-on examples of specific songs that include everything covered so far, from easiest to harder. . . .

Basically, this won't replace lessons, but it will hopefully help folks who are trying to get started some direction.

Please let me know if you like them or would like to see something changed,

Paul


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:36 pm 
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The draft of lesson number Three is now up:

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_03.htm

We focus on "Hammering on".

I was going to include "pulling off" in this lesson, but I thought it would make it too long. Besides I realized I needed to introduce playing the melody on the 5-string before pulling off by itself would seem very useful. So lesson is mostly about hammering on, and lesson 4 will be about playing simple melodies. Right now, I'm planning for lesson 5 to be about pulling off and playing more complex melodies. If you really absorb the first five lessons, you'll be ready to read a lot of banjo tabs that are just "Greek" to you now.

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_03.htm


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:42 pm 
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Lesson 4 is now online.
We introduce a VERY simple melody (Boil that Cabbage Down) to show the basic principles involved in using notes that are already built into your banjo roll to play the melody.

Then we add a melody with passing tones (This Little Light of Mine) to show how that works.

For both we how how to add a Bluegrass Hammering-On lick to kick a little extra life into the part.

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_04.htm

The fifth lesson, whenever I get it finished, will explain pulling off by using melodies like Cripple Creek's chorus that benefit from it.

Hopefully, by the time you've learned everything in lesson 5, you'll be able to read a lot of banjo tabs for songs in G.

Of course I have to write it first.

I'm thinking that lessons 6 and 7 will be about playing banjo in other keys. Participated in and witnessed too many jams where half the crew had to drop out if we got out of the key of G. I don't have a vision beyond that, since you should have enough background by then to read any tab I'm likely to write. :-)


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 9:33 am 
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Our draft of lesson 5 is up:

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_05.htm

It includes a breakdown of the "Cripple Creek" chorus to show how "pulling off" can contribute to the melody of a banjo part, then shows how to "dress up" the tune using Bluegrass licks learned in Lesson 3.

Lesson 6 will include the verse of "Cripple Creek" as well as tips on using "hammering on" and "pulling off" to create syncopated versions of melodies for your banjo solos.

The problem with planning too far ahead is that once I get into the meat of the lesson, I realize either that I had planned too much material for that lesson, or else that I need to explain things in a different sequence. But I'm hoping in Lesson 7 to show how other chords come into play, including relative minor (Em if you're in the key of G) and Dominant 7th (A7 if you're in the key of G). THEN I'll explain how to play in D and C in future lessons. By that time, you should be equipped to accompany yourself on most 3-, 4-, or 5- chord songs, read most chord charts, and read most tabulatures. If I get time after that, I'll work in other time signatures, other tempos, other rolls, etc.

In the meantime, if you're finding these lessons helpful AT ALL, please contact me and let me know what works, what doesn't and any other suggestions you have:

http://www.creekdontrise.com/contact.htm

Thanks,

Paul


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:04 am 
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By the way, if you survive lesson 5 and you want to try another tab, I have a resource packet with the tab for Wabash Cannonball here:

http://www.creekdontrise.com/contact.htm

It includes the tabs and recordings at half, 2/3 and full tempos to help you practice.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 3:01 pm 
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Lesson 6 is up. This shows slides and how to syncopate melodies to fit into your ordinary roll pattern. It also has Cripple Creek's verse, which we didn't have room for in lesson 5. If you get through the first six lessons and REALLY LEARN THIS STUFF, you'll be able to work out about 80% of the tabs that are out there.

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_06.htm

Future articles will focus on other time signatures, keys, etc. so you don't have to put your banjo away when someone introduces a song that ISN'T in the key of G. :-)


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PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:01 pm 
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Lesson 7 introduces 3/4 rolls and a bit more information about chords.

As I researched this lesson, I was surprised to find that there are very few "standard" 3/4 banjo rolls. Maybe because there's so much emphasis on Earl's iconic 4/4 solos, maybe it's because folks prefer to work out impressive parts that they can play at blistering speeds, and that's not so useful on a lot of 3/4 songs. We show a couple 3/4 rolls that we use and how to incorporate melodies into them. We also show how to make a 2-chord song just a bit more interesting by introducing additional chords that still make sense, harmonically, with the song.

Hopefully, we've given you enough information to read most tabs for 3/4 songs effectively. That said, we will cover the "bluesey" 3/4 songs (like "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry") in a subsequent lesson.

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_07.htm


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PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 4:15 pm 
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Lesson 8 is online. It includes ways to add the right amount of "swing" to slow, bluesy songs, especially in 3/4 (Think "I'm so Lonesome I could Cry" and about a thousand others. We start with a brain-dead simple "Amazing Grace" arrangement and gradually add more complicated rhythms and chord structures. Even if you are not exactly a beginner, you might find it interesting.

http://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/ban ... ing_08.htm


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PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 4:26 pm 
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By the way, I started out with the idea of helping clueless newbies get up to speed on the basics. Because you need to know at least a little about the banjo before you can even start making decisions like "three-finger," "frailing," "Clawhammer," or other?

If you have a favorite banjo player that you HAVE to sound like and you can find a local teacher who is VERY fluent in his or her style of playing, you've got a gold mine. But if you just like banjo in general, you might not want to rush into getting hooked up with a teacher who can only teach one style effectively. With resources like ours, you can at least figure out the basics before you get shoehorned into one style. So getting four or five lessons into this series and THEN looking for a teacher might be helpful. He or she will probably tell you you learned it wrong. That's okay, if you go from one instructor to another, the new instructor will tell you you're doing it wrong, too.

On the other hand, if can you learn the basics all by yourself . . . .

Be sure to Contact Us if you get hung up on anything. Here's our contact page:

http://www.creekdontrise.com/contact.htm


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Paul Race playing a banjo. Click to go to Paul's music home page.Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you enjoy your music and figure out how to make enjoyable music for those around you as well.

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    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for the Creek Don't Rise discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel.



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