HD Online Player (Banjo Movie Full Hd 720p)
Virginie Fayad
I've been playing for about 8 months through just paying tabs available online. However, I've seem to hit a wall and haven't seen much improvement. Would Iike to know if there are good online lessons or resources to get to that next level. Thanks!
Topics:Roots and Influences - Bill Napier, Larry Sparks, and Clarence White to piano, Bill Monroe, and electric guitar players. We'll move on into some of my solos in a bonus lesson but at the front end we'll look into some of the players that helped create my style.
The Ron Block Banjo Workshop app is up and running! It has plenty of lessons up for your banjo journey, and more will be continually added. Go to the web app to browse at the Learn tab, or sign up and subscribe at the Plans tab.
Growth
I've spent decades looking into ways to continually improve my own playing by studying other players, reading, watching instructional videos, transcribing, and even taking online lessons myself. I've taught lessons and workshops for years. The Ron Block Banjo Workshop app will be the place I share my years of learning with you.
Community
There's a community tab where I'll come in every week to chat and answer questions. It's also the place to give feedback on your experience, your progress. I've spent a lot of time in online discussion on the Banjo Hangout and other places, but there's no place I'd rather talk about banjo than right here.
TOPICS: Roots and Inflluences - George Shuffler, Larry Sparks, and Clarence White to blues and country players. We'll move on into some of my solos with Alison throughout the course, but at the front end we'll look into some of the players that helped create the guitar style I use with AKUS, and how I change my playing for other situations.
All Forums
Other Banjo-Related Topics
Other Banjo-Related Topics
ARCHIVED TOPIC: Lessons: online or in-person?
Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link:
Should I take online lessons with a picker I really admire, or in-person lessons with a player who is, you know, fine?
I'm a self-taught clawhammer player and I'm starting to feel like I've plateaued. I'd like to get better at playing with others, plating up the neck, and breaking out of the bum-ditty and ideally learn some other old-time picking styles.
I'd very much prefer to take lessons in person for probably obvious reasons. The local guy is perfectly good. He's an infinitely better clawhammer player than I will ever be. But his style is pretty much THE standard clawhammer that everyone does. It's fine, but not inspiring.
While looking for teachers though, I found that one of my favorite pickers offers online lessons via zoom or whatever. Him I do find inspiring. He incorporates lots of different styles and techniques into his playing: clawhammer, two finger, "Seeger" style, three finger,etc. Just a lot more the kind of picker I wish I could be someday. But online lessons just seen like they would basically suck and I'd be paying a lot for something only slightly better than YouTube videos.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the situation?
I've done both and enjoyed both. In person is great because you can actually play with the person that you are getting lessons from. Online gives you access to some very talented folks that might not be in your area. I am currently taking online lessons with a well known three finger style player and I am learning a ton. In other words, I wouldn't let the lessons being online be a hindrance to getting the teacher you want.
In my opinion, which is probably not worth much, if the local guy excels at the foundational clawhammer style, is infinitely better than you'll ever be and is technically better than the online guy who combines styles, then I would choose him to start with. For one, he can probably see and correct any bad habits or incorrect technique you've developed as a self-taught player. For another, if he's a technically superior player, and a good teacher, then he can probably help you become the best player of "standard" style clawhammer you can be.
With your standard clawhammer technique improved, you'll probably be in a better position to attack the other styles such as two-finger and three-finger that you want to work into your playing. It may well be that you'll do better with teachers proficient in those styles instead of the online guy who combines them all in his playing. Maybe after you've taken lessons in all the individual styles, you can work with him on putting them together in one.
Or maybe after learning the other styles, you'll be able to hear and understand what the online guy is doing and work it out for yourself! Or develop your own combination style that's every bit as rewarding.
I do both and like both - I feel like the opportunity for someone you really admire online might pass by faster than the chance to find someone for face to face. I'd do the online and see how it goes and if it's not for you, look for face to face.
First of all, playing ability and teaching ability are different skills. Often a mediocre player had to work very hard when learning to play. Very little came naturally. So they may really be able to show a person more about playing than a more talented player. I have talked with some very good and talented banjo players. Things just do many things naturally while the average player has to struggle.
Look at the left hand sidebar under Learn. It will take you to a menu where you can search more in depth for a local teacher. I found two bluegrass banjo teachers in the Tampa area, one in Tampa and one in Clearwater.
There are different formats for online lessons. Best, in my opinion, would be real-time lessons via Skype or some similar service. There are also organizations like ArtistWorks and Peghead Nation that offer prerecorded lessons (usually from well-known teachers like Tony Trischka), often with the possibility of getting non-real-time feedback from the instructor.
I've taught a few Skype lessons myself, and the main issue (which they share with the prerecorded-lesson format) is that the teacher and student can't play together. (With Skype, there's a slight time lag for the video and audio to go back and forth between the two computers.) For beginning students that can make it harder for a teacher to pull the student into the correct rhythm. For more advanced students who are starting to improvise, it makes it impossible to practice improvising during the lesson itself.
You might go to Royce Burt's website. He lives in Plant City. He is a banjoist and a fiddle luthier. You could ask him to recommend a banjo instructor in your area. He is probably familiar with the better banjo players/instructors in your area.
I have used SKYPE for lessons and it is probably a good solution. All you need is computer access. Face-to-face with a qualified instructor is best, but a good instructor can be hard to find.
IMHO, If you are an absolute beginner, you don't need weekly lessons right away. If you have one or two lessons on playing basic rolls it will keep you busy for a while. You have to develop timing, dexterity, and strength. These basic rolls are the foundation for playing. But having someone check your playing once a month or so helps. Constructive criticism can help you avoid practicing incorrectly.
Geoff Hohwald's book/CD "Banjo Primer" is excellent for beginners. When learning, it is best to address one problem at a time. So if you are trying to develop your playing skills, it is best to start with simple versions of commonly played tunes. When you can play those tunes decently, move on to something more difficult.
There is a lot of instructional material out there. Some websites teach tunes, others teach you HOW to play banjo. If you use a website, subscribe to a website that teaches you HOW to play banjo, not one that just sells tabs.
After you have can play decently, move on to more difficult tunes.
There has to be a bluegrass association in the Tampa area. Attending one of their meetings might provide useful information.
I take lessons on pegheadnation.com . It is advertised here and I do enjoy them. I have worked through Bill Evans Beginner Banjo course and am now studying Evie Ladin's Clawhammer Banjo and Bill's Bluegrass Banjo . The good thing is you can learn at your own speed and you can play the lesson over to see what you have missed and there are play along opportunities in the lessons. Yes I could probably find a teacher around where I live but I can do the. online lessons at my own time.
First as mentioned above, there is a lady listed in Wesley Chapel doing private lessons on the forum search system.
Second. I use Artisrworks and have like the lesson progression, and the when I have time flexibility. Around Christmas they usually offer a few day 50% off price that is hard to beat. They also offer 3 month to 1 year memberships.
I am sure there are many other fine online options that other members may chime in with.
If you go the Artisrworks route, let me know first and I can send you a referral code that will get us each 1 free additional month.
That being said, I wish I had invested in at least a few private lessons to get stated. Good luck on your journey.
Here's the main info page on Tony Trischka's banjo school at Artistworks. You can click each lesson category to see a current list of all the lessons. The arrow icons let you play free sample lessons.
Whether you subscribe to Banjo Ben, Tony Trischka or some other instructor's online school, be sure to get around to downloading all the material you can while your membership is active. At Artistworks, you can download tablature but can only watch the videos.
582128177f