SKU: MB.99126M
ISBN 9781513465791. 8.75x11.75 inches.
Provides the intermediate clawhammer 5-string banjo player with a fresh repertoire of 21 traditional and 5 original tunes as played by the author with the Boiled Buzzards Old Time String Band. The book briefly addresses clawhammer basics with a few pages of exercises and scales before presenting the tunes. The banjo tunings in this book are: double C tuning gCGCD , modified double C tuning eCGCD , G tuning GDGBD , A tuning aEAC#E , D tuning aDADE , and Double-D tuning drop 5th f#DADE . Written in banjo tablature only with suggested backup chords. Voted one of the top 10 clawhammer banjo players by Banjo Newsletter readers, Levenson advises the reader that the tablature in this book is to be used only as a guide and to play the tune as you hear it, not slavishly as written. This approach allows the reader to play within his/her style and level of ability. Includes access to online audio.
SKU: MB.20844
ISBN 9780786684236. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Dynamics of Banjo Sound is an adventure into the many interrelated aspects of banjo sound. Banjo owners, players and repair people can benefit from the wealth of knowledge that Tom Nechville has put into this volume. The results of Nechvilles lifetime of banjo experimentation are compiled here in a clear, straightforward way. Tom offers setup secrets and common sense answers to your banjo questions to make your banjo sound and play the way you want it to.
SKU: MB.21025M
ISBN 9780786691968. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Easy to play five-string banjo arrangements of twenty-four childrens favorites by banjo master Ross Nickerson. Not only are these songs fun to play but from an instructional standpoint they are perfect for helping you develop the ability to bring out the melody in the bluegrass banjo style. Accenting the melody within the steady rhythmic roll of banjo playing is one of the biggest challenges facing banjo students and these familiar melodies are ideal for your development of that skill. Each song is arranged and performed using proper three-finger bluegrass technique. The arrangements are carefully designed to bring out the melody, but easy enough for a beginner or intermediate player to learn quickly. The tablature in the book is large and easy to read with accent marks for melody notes, as well as right and left-hand fingering indications. This book is not simply a tablature book. Childrens Songs for Banjo Made Easy also features instruction on learning the chords to each song, chord progression charts for each song, special learning tips for each arrangement, a full page of advice on memorizing the songs and more. Also, in the instructional section of the book Ross includes a page of suggestions on the best use of practice time and how to develop the skills needed to succeed with each piece. Includes online access to a high quality studio recorded audio of all the songs played at three speeds and a bonus track of Ross performing.
SKU: MB.20803M
ISBN 9780786690916. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
The Getting Into Bluegrass Banjo book and audio by Alan Munde is the accumulation of successful teaching concepts developed in his 40 plus years as a professional bluegrass musician and teacher. Munde presents a straight-forward and well-founded course of bluegrass banjo essentials. Designed for those who have never played a stringed instrument to those taking up bluegrass banjo as a second instrument. Includes access to online audio. Getting Started - Covers the parts of the banjo, hand positions, first picking patterns, pull-offs, hammer-ons, slides, exercise songs, ending with the professional sounding Levelland Mountain Breakdown. Review of Rolls, New rolls, and combinations of Rolls, with Examples - Offers the most used rolls in bluegrass banjo playing with often-played examples of each. The player learns many of the licks used in the style with an example of how to combine them to make a solo. Roll Logic - How to place a melody into the several different roll patterns. Tools and Techniques - Helps develop left hand techniques through the use of intervals of thirds and sixths.Creating Solos to Songs - At the heart of the book is this revealing section with many examples of how to create many, many solos to the song Jesse James.Songs - Put to use all you have learned on these great standards Ground Hog, Wildwood Flower two versions ,Nine Pound Hammer, Worried Man Blues, Lost All My Money, Old Country Church, Kneel at the Cross, and Train 45.
SKU: MB.21599M
ISBN 9780786690848. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
OCarolans best-loved harp tunes are notated in a contemporary style that makes them accessible to all instrumentalists. This ideal collection with accompanying audio lays bare 20 classic Irish compositions for melody and backing players using standard notation and chords. For all 5-string banjo players, fretting and picking-hand fingerings are included in the transcriptions which match the play-along tracks. This is Hanways fourth collection demonstrating Celtic fingerstyle banjo in G tuning. It is part of a Celtic 5-string series that includes Mel Bays Easy Irish and Celtic Tunes for 5-String Banjo: Best-Loved Jigs and Reels 2012 and Mel Bays Easy Irish and Celtic Melodies for 5-String Banjo: Best-Loved Airs and Session Tunes 2013 . Tom Hanways pioneering work, Mel Bays Complete Book of Irish and Celtic 5-String Banjo 1998 , was acclaimed by Bluegrass Unlimited magazine 1999 as the bible for any 5-string player with an interest in this joyous music. The current collection breathes life into the Gaelic classical melodies of Ireland. Access to online audio download.
SKU: MB.99480M
ISBN 9780786690466. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
The world of melodic jazz banjo soloing is revealed in this comprehensive method which leads a student from basic intervals to advanced theoretical concepts and finally to a firm foundation in jazz fundamentals. Included are over 90 exercises and examples written in both tablature fingerings and standard music notation which show how scales and arpeggios are used and how they apply to real playing situations. Every five-string banjoist can benefit from the information contained in this breakthrough volume whether they aspire to jazz or just want to find out more about the possibilities and structure of the banjo.Starting with basic intervals, Straight-Ahead Jazz for Banjo shows the structure of all basic chord types and qualities and matches these to the scales that generate them. The books basic concept model is to treat the five-string banjos potential in an inclusive technical context so that the student can make use of open and fifth strings to create a smooth legato style. Each of the 90 exercises are recorded with a metronome and progress to 16 additional examples of original jazz phrases in a variety of keys. Topics include functional major and minor key harmony, diminished and augmented scales and how they are used, and the integration of altered scale substitutes in the art of jazz improvisation. It stresses listening and learning in a logical structured manner with an example of a daily practice plan. The unique emphasis of the book is on the fingerings which make the instrument work for you technically and thus open up added possibilities for the development of a students personal style. This long-awaited volume will surely bring new focus and perspective to any banjo style and will be a classic reference for many new generations of banjoists. Includes access to online audio.
SKU: MB.21028M
ISBN 9780786689224. UPC: 786689226. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Fiddle Tunes for Banjo Made Easy is a collection of must-know, easy-to-learn bluegrass instrumental standards. Ross records each song at three speeds and also includes a rhythm backup track. The slow speed is ideal for hearing the notes clearly and being able to play along in rhythm; the medium speed is a perfect goal for the beginning and intermediate student while the faster speed demonstrates what the song can sound like with a hard, driving push. The tablature is large for ease of reading and includes accent marks for melody notes where needed. Ross also provides tips and suggestions for each song to save you valuable practice time. These are tips on the more challenging spots that Ross has learned firsthand from teaching these privately for many years. In addition, there is a whole page of instruction on learning the chords to the song, how to play the song using only the chords, chord charts written out for each song and tips for memorizing and playing without tab. Fiddle Tunes for Banjo Made Easy is not just another tab book; it covers all the bases and gives you a realistic balanced approach for learning the songs the EASY way. Includes access to online audio.
SKU: MB.30629
ISBN 9780786698639. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Designed for the left-handed banjo player, this handy book includes right-hand fingering photos, notation and diagrams for all of the basic 5-string banjo chords in G tuning (GDGBD). The sections are arranged alphabetically, grouping all chords with the same root in each section. .
SKU: MB.20743M
ISBN 9780786694471. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Banjo Picking is the ultimate banjo method to develop tone, timing and rock solid rhythm for the picking hand, thorough in scope from the beginning level to the challenges of extreme banjo. With lots of exercises, tunes, photos and helpful text, tools for learning bluegrass, classical, jazz, folk, urban classic fingerstyle or other music, no finger picking banjoist should be without it. The online audio recording can equip banjoists with all they need to develop skills, repertoire and confidence. Includes access to online audio.
SKU: MB.20595M
ISBN 9780786691296. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Long-time banjo picking ace Alan Munde brings his considerable banjo arranging skills to some of the most played songs in the bluegrass tradition. In these stylistic revealing arrangements, running from straightforward roll approach to the delicately beautiful melodic fingerings, Munde lets the melody of each piece stand out to its fullest. Great Picking Tunes for Banjo includes all-time winners Red Wing, Turkey in the Straw, Arkansas Traveler, Down Yonder, and Home Sweet Home, bluegrass favorites Blackberry Blossom, Cumberland Gap, Black Mountain Rag, John Hardy, and Bury Me Beneath the Willow, fiddle favorites Whiskey Before Breakfast, Flop-Eared Mule, Boston Boy, St. Annes Reel, and 8th of January, plus a host of other jam session standards. In tablature only. Includes access to online audio.
SKU: MB.30518
ISBN 9780786696109. UPC: 786696109. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Youve played Over the Waterfall, marched along to Soldiers Joy and perhaps even found your fortune while trotting along on that Old Spotted Pony. Now its time to take the next step; beyond the waterfall to the land of lesser-played tunes.Inside this volume are 40 challenging, unusual, interesting and dare I say- extraordinary tunes. As it includes standard notation, clawhammer banjo tablature, suggested chords and fiddle bow markings, this book is truly suitable for anyone. A number of old-time songs also include lyrics, so you can sing these great songs in the old-time style.Most of the tunes include notes about their history and recording references are provided if you wish to hear how they were played and sung way back when. I encourage you to take the time to do that. It may jump start your stalled old-time music collection or as some folks say, start you a new one.
SKU: MB.30092M
ISBN 9780786693900. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
Theres no getting away from it, the 5-string banjo is about as American as apple pie. This poses something of a conundrum for those who love the instrument, but dont wish to be confined to bluegrass music. My own motives for straying musically were born out of necessity, but now the enjoyment and exploration of new musical styles are what guides me. This book and accompanying online video are intended to help anyone who also wants to take their banjo playing to new exciting places. Includes access to online video.
