Advice on Banjo Back up Play Along CDs
Advice on Banjo Back up Play Along CDs: some prioritiesGood luck with the Backup CDs. Remember to read the instructions on charting out the chords and playing along with the tracks based on the chords and chord...
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Practicing Basic Banjo Rolls Student questionHi Ross:I am member and have been getting much material from your great collections. My question is that I have never practiced the basic banjo rolls and other rolls. I...
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Reply to a student reporting on learning timing on banjo and other common hurdlesThanks for the positive feedback. Banjo timing problems or understanding how to improve your banjo timing can often be solved by...
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Banjo Double Hammer-on Pull-Off Lick
Question I'm still struggling with the lick in sitting on top of the world. Would you mind a detailed explanation how to play the lickwith the 2 hammers, pulloff ? exactly what the left and right hands are supposed to...
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Question I'm still struggling with the lick in sitting on top of the world. Would you mind a detailed explanation how to play the lick with the 2 hammers, pulloff ? exactly what the left and right hands are supposed...
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Play Along CDs for Speed Building Book
Banjo Practice AdviceQuestion about the best products to learn from someone who is frustrated with keeping up with the tracks in the How to Build Your Speed on the Banjo BookThe new backup play along CDs are probably...
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Learning to play Chords and Chord Shapes
Practicing chords on banjo Question: As I'm practicing chords and my chord progressions on banjo, Should I try to find the chords closest to each other on the neck. or try to pick up and down the neck or try pick...
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Advice on retuning the banjo after putting a capo on
Having trouble tuning when putting a banjo capo onStudent QuestionI am having trouble with my banjo going way out of tune when I put a capo on, one of my banjos is fine but the other two I avhe quite a bit of trouble...
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How to Capo the Fifth StringA question on capoing the fifth stringHi Ross!In your years of playing the banjo , do you find it usefull to have a 5th sting sliding capo bar? I not sure if I should have one mounted ,if...
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Practicing Banjo with CDs/Back Tracks
Student Question What should I Practice?...Since I’ve ordered a lot of your material in the past year, i.e, Banjo Encyclopedia, Backing Tracks, Play along CDs, Banjo Speed Book, Scruggs Style Book, etc., I need some...
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Getting Better Control of Your PickingStudent question Hello from Australia, Ross!Love your Banjo Encyclopedia and have found it a great help. I have been playing (or trying) for a few years now, and for the amount of...
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10th fret bending on Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Bending or choking the stringStudent QuestionHow to improve the 10th fret choke on Foggy Mountain Breakdown?BACKGROUND: I have a $300.00 "Bluegrass" model Mastercraft banjo and I'm learning the high break to "Foggy...
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Learn Timing and how to count time Tips from Ross Nickerson answers to studentsA couple of tips.Learning to count time is very important on the banjo and easy if you just take the time to practice it.Learn some basic...
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Playing in the the key of D and playing by earHere are some suggestions I just sent to a student preparing to attend an upcoming workshop of mine. I don't always have time for this but was inspired tonight. The...
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How do you become more advanced?
How to progress faster learning the banjoStudent QuestionHow did you go from beginning to professional?There is one thing that I would like to offer as a question and that is, have you considered writing an article...
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Workshops for Banjo / Questions and Answers Student commentsHi Ross,Just a short note to thank you for the workshop over the weekend. The afternoon was one of the best musical investments I have made, and I would...
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Beverly Hillbilly D Chord Part
Learning the Beverly Hillbillies theme on banjo Student Question: The D chord part in The Ballad of Jed ClampetI bought your books How to Build Up speed and The banjo song book. I am a newcomer but have got the hang...
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A question on banjo chord forms in different keysStudent QuestionI understand the concepts of playing back up as explained in the encyclopedia and other books I have but I can't find anything specific concerning...
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Advice in the picking and fretting hand
Advice for weak spots in the right and left hand: Banjo Finger Exercises Student Question: Hello Ross,I started learning the banjo several weeks ago and so far progress is pretty much stalled at the beginning. I...
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Playing the Melody by Ear on Banjo
Playing the Melody on BanjoA question on how to learn to pick out the melody notes. So you have any suggestions that would help me learn how to just pick the melody notes out when learning a tune or is it just learn...
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Pull-off and Push-off tips/follow up
A featured email question from a student and answer by me, or some advice I have given someone who has requested it.Many of the questions I receive are questions that many students learning the banjo have. I hope the...
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Question: Pulling down or pushing up?Rosswhen i first learned to play i was taught to push off from 3-2 (third string) and have always done that but lacked consistency in sound- and sometimes my middle finger hits the...
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Head tightening, torque wrench and banjo set up
Question, concerning banjo head tightening. I know that Steve Huber (in his dvd) talks about tightening the head to a G# but I can't hear any tone on the head myself so I won't be able to use that procedure. I think...
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How Not to Tense Up Playing Banjo - How to RelaxSpecial Banjo Instructor Advice Column - Getting in the Zone!Student QuestionGetting in the Zone! By Ross NickersonI had a very nice email that included compliments on...
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Practicing the left hand for fun
Special Banjo Questions Column -Getting Better at Banjo / Fun with the Left HandQuestionI'm getting better at banjo but the left hand is tough for me right now. I remember you emphasizing it in your workshop. It seems...
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Songs on Banjo that sound good slow
Student QuestionHere's a question for the "Ask the Banjo Teacher" forum. Being that I started learning the banjo later in life and have a problem playing some of the songs "up to speed" do you have any suggestions for...
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Should I Put One Finger or Two Fingers on the Banjo Head
Should I Put One Finger or Two Fingers on the Banjo Head article by Ross NickersonShould I put two fingers on the head? when playing banjo? One finger down? If so, which finger? When picking what's the difference...
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What Gauge Banjo Strings Should I Use?
What Gauge Banjo Strings Should I Use?Banjo Strings come in many gauges, light, medium, medium light and heavy gauge.I use a medium light set but there a many choices and I have tried lot’s of different combinations....
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What is the Easiest Banjo to Play?
What is the Easiest Banjo to Play?You might be asking yourself what style or what type of banjo is easiest to play. Since all the styles have their challenges it might be best for me to describe the different...
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