Banjo For Dummies

Here's the quick way to get pickin' with the best of 'em

The banjo is both a staple of old-time music and an instrument that makes frequent cameos in today's chart toppers. Whatever your musical leanings, Banjo For Dummies will show you how to pick your way around your instrument, even if you have zero musical background! With a little practice--and the easy-to-follow instructions in this book--you can learn your way around the banjo, try out various musical styles, and discover what banjo culture is all about.

Think of this For Dummies guide as your personal banjo tutor, as you learn how to buy, tune, hold, play, and have fun with your five-string. You can also go beyond the book with online video lessons and audio files that will get you picking even faster. Follow the guidance of respected banjo performer Bill Evans and soon you may find yourself jamming with a band or rubbing elbows with the pros at your local bluegrass festival.

• Learn the basics of banjo: how to strum chords, pick notes, and read tablature

• Add new styles to your repertoire, including clawhammer, three-finger styles, vamping, and classic banjo

• Play bluegrass music and learn how to network at festivals

• Choose the banjo and accessories that work for you, and discover how to keep them in good shape

Banjo For Dummies is for anyone who want to learn to play the five-string banjo or brush up on banjo-playing skills. No experience required!

Autorentext

Bill Evans is an internationally celebrated five-string banjo player, teacher, historian, and recording artist, who has helped thousands of banjo players globally get the most out of their instruments. He's also performed throughout the world and his CDs have topped both folk and bluegrass charts.

Klappentext

• Start from scratch on the five-string banjo
• Learn how to make your right and left hands work together

• Explore bluegrass and old-time banjo styles Join the banjo revolution! Thanks to its prevalence in folk and bluegrass, the banjo is almost the very essence of Americana. And now a new generation of musicians from the country, pop, and jazz worlds have made the sound of the banjo new again. This book is for anyone who wants to pay their respects to tradition as well as those who want to create the next chart-topper ... or both! Packed with the essentials you need to knowfrom top techniques to choosing the right instrumentyou'll learn, and be able to show off, just why the banjo is never out of style! Inside...

• Tackle the basics with chords and simple picking patterns
• Explore historic, traditional, and modern styles
• Get connected with the banjo world
• Go beyond the book with online lessons

Zusammenfassung
Here's the quick way to get pickin' with the best of 'em

The banjo is both a staple of old-time music and an instrument that makes frequent cameos in today's chart toppers. Whatever your musical leanings, Banjo For Dummies will show you how to pick your way around your instrument, even if you have zero musical background! With a little practiceand the easy-to-follow instructions in this bookyou can learn your way around the banjo, try out various musical styles, and discover what banjo culture is all about.

Think of this For Dummies guide as your personal banjo tutor, as you learn how to buy, tune, hold, play, and have fun with your five-string. You can also go beyond the book with online video lessons and audio files that will get you picking even faster. Follow the guidance of respected banjo performer Bill Evans and soon you may find yourself jamming with a band or rubbing elbows with the pros at your local bluegrass festival.

• Learn the basics of banjo: how to strum chords, pick notes, and read tablature
• Add new styles to your repertoire, including clawhammer, three-finger styles, vamping, and classic banjo
• Play bluegrass music and learn how to network at festivals
• Choose the banjo and accessories that work for you, and discover how to keep them in good shape
  Banjo For Dummies is for anyone who want to learn to play the five-string banjo or brush up on banjo-playing skills. No experience required!

Inhalt

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 another book 10

Knowing the Parts of a Banjo 12

Looking at the neck 15

Checking out the pot 16

Picking up string vibrations 17

Becoming a Banjo Player 18

Making wise purchase choices 19

Tuning and holding your banjo 19

Fretting chords with the left hand 19

Playing authentic right- and left-hand patterns 20

Practicing some real tunes 20

Jamming in good company 20

Meeting other banjo lovers 21

Keeping your banjo sounding great 21

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

Using another instrument as a reference 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 G chord: Real easy 47

The D7 chord: A little harder 47

The C chord: More challenging still 47

Checking Out Chord Diagrams 48

Reading a chord diagram 48

Interpreting up-the-neck chord diagrams 50

Chord Progressions: Playing Your First Song 51

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 71

Lead playing: Shining the spotlight on yourself 71

Backup playing: Allowing others to stand out 72

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 85

Bluegrass Right-Hand Basics 87

Choosing and fitting thumbpicks and fingerpicks 87

Acquiring a good right-hand position 92

Playing roll patterns 97

Using bluegrass rolls as accompaniment 100

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 108

Playing open-string hammer-ons 108

Giving fretted hammer-ons a chance 110

Pulling Off the Pull-Off 111

Digging into open-string pull-offs 112

Mastering fretted pull-offs 112

Sizing up special clawhammer pull-offs 114

Bending the Chokes 114 Playing the Foggy Mountain ...