5 comments about Mel Bay You Can Teach Yourself Banjo (You Can Teach Yourself).

1. Well, after short-cuts and fooling myself I was learning, this book set me right on track. Its clear, easy, and the progress is very well charted in order to advance steadily without any boredom. I set myself a comfortable timing, and work each lesson until I'm ready for the next, and it works. I can recommend this for an easy and real fun start to pickin a banjo. Thanks to Janet Davis



2. This book is very thorough for a beginner . I play guitar and want to learn banjo as well . Janet Davis begins each lesson slowly , then she will play the song in normal speed .
   The DVD is great , but does not cover every song in the book . I would highly recommend buying the companion CD . The CD covers every lesson .



3. I started banjo about a year ago, and bought other books first- Peter Wernick's BlueGrass Banjo in the Oak Publications series, all of which books are great; Tony Triska's book and video, also very good; and Earl Scrugg's book, essential reading for bluegrass pickers. I just got this book yesterday and started looking it over. I now wish I had started with this one.
   
   Janet's teaching style is to progressively teach fundamentals and immediately apply them to repertoire, which is more fun, satisfying, and reinforcing than just reading about them and using them in a smaller number of songs. There are a lot of tunes in here! When you finish you will be able to play a number of tunes for yourself, family and friends, and with others. I can see progressing much more quickly with this book than the others because of that.
   
   There is enough material in here to keep a beginning student busy for at least 6 months to 1 year I think. You also get up the neck and melodic style introductions in addition to Scruggs style. And definitely get the CD at least-not only does it illustrate what these licks and songs are supposed to sound like, but contains teaching explanations, and it has both slow and fast speeds so you can judge your progress. The advantage of the CD is also motivational- you can listen to the lessons ahead of working them, and think "soon I'll be able to play that!"- and with practice you will be able. If you are lucky to find a guitar student or player to back you up, you will have loads of fun!
   
   Yes, it IS a beginner's book only- read the title- "You can teach yourself banjo". For more advanced techniques and material, you can and should look elsewhere. Forget the cover, and rip it off if you have to- there is good beginning fundamental material in here in a friendly and workable approach!



4. I tried several instructional dvds before I found this one. They were confusing and did not go at a beginners speed. I decided to try Mel Bay's book and I am glad I did. Janet Davis is a great teacher. You have a dvd that comes included with the book to watch her play a slow version and faster version of many songs(not all songs are on the dvd). The beginning of the book shows you the basics like hand placement and lap position for your banjo. After you have learned this you learn to play roll patterns which are the most crucial element in learning to play banjo. Once you have mastered the most popular roll patterns you move onto chords, licks, slides, pinches and pull-offs. You will be surprised at how easy Janet Davis makes it to play banjo. I have playing banjo now for 4 months and I can already play a number of songs including; cripple creek, cumberland gap, blackberry blossum, good night ladies, boil them cabbage down and she'll be comin around the mountin. If you want to learn the banjo quickly and effectively you have to purchase this book. You will not be dissapointed. Happy pickin'!



5. This book is perfect for any beginner banjo student, no matter what musical background they have. I teach banjo professionally and this is the text book I use for all of my new students.

2 comments about A Book of Five Strings: Strategies for Mastering the Art of Old Time Banjo.

1. i have enjoyed both books by this author, definitely more for the clawhammer or frailing players then the 3 fingerstyle. That said i play 3 finger and have been able to incorporate some of his ideas into my playing and he has great wisdom and stories.



2. Extraordinary, a mix of banjo practice and music theory that is outstanding. If you want to learn 5 string folk banjo this is the book to have.

5 comments about The Complete Bluegrass Banjo Method.

1. This is the first banjo instruction book I have purchased and, even though I have bought others, I am still very impressed with how he painstainly teaches every lick so clearly. This book makes me feel like I can truely become a banjo musician and not just a strummer. He teaches rolls, back up in regular and up the neck position, melody, and much much more. The CD that comes with it is super. The only thing I wish is that he would play some of the songs more slowly, but at least the tab is extremely accurate and allows for the learner to really "get it" over time.



2. I got a Banjo this past father's day and this book has been awesome. With the accompanying CD, you can progress at your own pace through learning chords, picking rolls, hammering-on, pulling off and playing up the neck. It explains barre chords and chord formations in a really easy-to-understand way and also includes a section on taking care of your banjo. I'm not in any danger of channeling Earl Scruggs anytime soon, but this book has done a lot to give me some good foundational understanding of playing 5-string banjo. Highly recommended for beginners.



3. A great book. Takes you step by step through how to learn banjo. It doesn't teach you very many songs, but it does teach all the techniques you need.



4. I am a guitar player who uses these kinds of method books to dabble in other stringed instruments (e.g., dobro, lap steel, etc.). Sokolow's Complete Bluegrass Banjo Method provides as good a foundation on the banjo as you can get from a book. While it includes sprinklings of music theory, chord charts, and other concepts, it focuses primarily on the right-hand rolls that are at the heart of bluegrass banjo. It introduces basic rolls and proceeds through accompaniment and solo banjo exercises, using a handful of old-timey songs as the basis for presenting the ideas. He encourages you to sing many of the songs while learning the rolls; not my forte, but still useful for sharpening your technique. As you go along, he injects other little goodies (tag endings, moveable licks) to keep things interesting. My favorite thing is that the supporting CD is listenable! These books generally have a CD that features an infuriating host and cheesy sound. Sokolow is a solid player, sticks with basic acoustic guitar accompaniment, and sings in a pleasing baritone voice (when vocals are involved). What a relief!
   
   Overall, this is a well organized, effective intro banjo method at a great price.



5. Perhaps I missed something in the book description, but the accompanying CD only included sound clips. No video! Without that, the book has limited use for my purposes as a beginner.
   
   AB

5 comments about Clawhammer Style Banjo.

1. This book is the most well organized, clear, and fun book on clawhammer I have ever encountered. If you are a clawhammer banjo teacher, as I am, this book is absolutely essential for you and your students. I especially apprecite Ken's attention to detail, the accurate rhythmic notation (which is often less then desirable in clawhammer books), and the generous amount of songs within the book. If there's a clawhammer equivalent to Earl Scrugg's book, this is it.



2. Ken Perlman's book has been around for almost 30 years and, with the sentimental exception of Pete Seeger's "How to Play the 5 String Banjo", is clearly the leading "how to" book on this unique style of play. However comprehensive and well written a book is if you don't get the earliest lesson down pat you're gonna be dead meat when things speed up down the road. If you don't have a competent teacher and are trying to learn from any book alone clawhammer, more than any other picking style, will beat you into the ground.
   
   Fortunately for those of us too cheap to hire an instructor Perlman has produced a 2 DVD (originally VHS) set that bests most teachers for clarity and continuity in following the text of this excellent book. I can't recommend highly enough just how effective the book and DVD combination is. You'll save years of struggle and have a great time learning this most fascinating style of play. A great book made much better with the available video.



3. As a bluegrass player this book totally demystified the process of clawhammer. I highly recommend getting the DVD with the book. I was up and running in no time. I'm still working thru the book as we speak, but I feel like a I have a good grip on it. Ken starts off very slow and dissects the action and rythmn of clawhammer banjo. The best part is that this book keeps giving, plenty of tunes and much to learn after you get the basics.



4. This book takes you to an incredibly advanced level from the very basics. It is hands down the best instructional book I've ever read- not just for clawhammer, but out of all books I've read for guitar, Dobro, autoharp, etc... You will be a wonderful frailer if you buy this book and stick at it.



5. Pete Seeger's famous little book got me started frailing and picking, but it was this book that really taught me how to play clawhammer. I can't recommend it highly enough. Besides teaching the basics, Perlman presents a full repetoir of well-known traditional songs- enough for a couple of sets. I can't recommend this book (and Perlman's other banjo books) highly enough.

5 comments about How to Play the 5-String Banjo, Third Edition (Banjo).

1. I hadn't realized just how much I had worn out this delightful, Pete Seegerish banjo manual until my daughter wanted to take up the instrument. We dug out my 1962 red-covered edition and between the stains, rips and tatters, I saw all the things that made me love it way back when. It's probably not the perfect way to learn for absolutely everyone, as Pete himself would certainly agree, but it is the perfect way to learn the banjo while being warmed by the insight and soul of this wonderful American.



2. pete seeger has given us a over view of many styles of banjo play-ability along with some historical background.Many tabbed songs from the 19 teenth and early twentieth century. Not just bluegrass but frailing/clawhammer(old time) styles also, along wtih some jazz and other timing variations. Very light in it's approach
   with his whimsical comments through the book.



3. There wasn't any way I could tell when I ordered this book that it was written for C tuning banjo. I was interested to learn with G tuning. The book was helpful but not what I was looking for.



4. This edition, with its facsimile handwritten notes inside the covers, has that something extra over and above the books value as a banjo tutorial.
   
   It's nice to have it there on the shelf and the enjoy looking at from time to time, and there's also a feeling of carrying on something traditional for future generations.
   
   Music is a wonderful social thing; something we can share with family and friends, and today's electronic generation have maybe lost that. Books like this encourage us to start over. Even if you're not going to take up the banjo in the end you can at least learn the songs and pass them on.
   
   I'd encourage you to buy this book as an investment for future generations if for no other reason.



5. I agree with other reviewers that this book has historical merit and is interesting to have on your shelf. But inside the cover Pete Seeger says himself that the one useful revision of this book would be to rewrite it for G tuning. Why did he or a colleague NOT do so? When buying this book over the internet it is not apparent that the whole book is written in C tuning. Hence the book as an instruction manual on how to play the 5 string banjo was pretty useless for me. I would rather have spent my $$s elsewhere.
   
   Carole M

5 comments about The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo.

1. I am a fledgling (at best) banjo player. I have read and researched many books, articles, and websites pertaining to banjos. This is an excellent book. I wish I had found this one first. I may not have purchased some of the others(?).



2. I first found out about this book from Patrick Costello's YouTube video instructions, which match up well with this book. When I got the book in my hands, I was very excited. It matched exactly what I wanted to learn, and how. It starts you with the basic frailing strum (bum-ditty), and quickly has you playing a song to get the feel for the rhythm of this style of playing. There are plenty of songs to keep you busy for quite awhile, and Patrick's storys in the "Tao" portion of the book will have you smiling.



3. If you really want to learn to play the banjo, this is far and away the best book out there. Patrick Costello is a superb instructor -- entertaining and thorough in his teaching. It doesn't get better than this! You will learn to play the banjo!



4. As a student of the 5 String banjo I was pleased to discover the author's video submissions to You Tube. In this way for the past twelve months or so he has been giving free instruction in the craft of clawhammer style frailing. This instruction has been helping players at all levels to improve. His teaching methods are very effective and the whole affair is light hearted and full of humour. His book The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo is written on the back of the demand created by the free videos and carries the same massive sense of humour and fun while bringing the reader into the realm of proficient banjo playing. It carries entertaining anecdotes of the author's own journey towards becoming the expert that he is and sets out the way of progress for the student in a manner that boosts confidence and sense of achievement without to much technical theory.
   I think this is without doubt the best tutor book for frailing the banjo that I have read and I have tried quite a few in the past. I fully recommend it to anyone that wants to learn to play this instrument.



5. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn to play the banjo in the frailing style, even if you have no musical experience at all. Patrick Costello's method of teaching makes learning easy and fun, and you do not even need to be able to read music!
   
   After the introduction by Patrick, (and Pat, his 'Dear Old Dad'), there are tips on how to tune your banjo, and advice on the correct technique for holding and playing it, and then you are shown your first chord. You will then be able to 'frail' your very first folk song! After the first couple of songs, Patrick explains how to read the tablature which is used throughout the rest of the book. There are many tunes in the book to learn to play, lots more chords to be learned, and different techniques to practice. Towards the back of the book there is a lot more 'in depth' stuff which I have not attempted yet!
   
   Learning the banjo is great fun, and Patrick Costello's friendly and relaxed manner of teaching makes this book an absolute must for beginners. At the end of the book he relates little anecdotes which are both amusing and encouraging.
   
   The book is A4 size, with 168 pages full of instruction along with the words to the tunes you can learn. There is even a bit about reading music if you are interested in that!
   
   I was a complete novice when I bought my banjo 5 weeks ago and have found this book invaluable. I live in the UK and could not find it in any of my local music shops so looked on Amazon and bought it from there! It arrived in possibly a shorter space of time than if I had ordered it from a shop in the UK anyway! And it is worth its weight in gold. Highly recommended!

4 comments about Banjo Case Chord Book (Banjo).

1. Well, if you've been playing banjo for a while, you may not need this. But if you're starting out (like me), you'll find it invaluable. It's a slim line book that will fit in your banjo case behind the neck (yes, its that slim). And its just pages of chord diagrams. The sections of the book are different tuninings (ex: G tunining, C tuning, etc.) So if you've tuned to a different key, you can quickly see how to make any chord. It also covers multiple ways to make the same chord, in case you're up the neck. I'm going through "Earl Scruggs and the five string banjo" to learn to play, and this little book is the perfect accessory to reference.



2. A lot of banjoists won't think they need this chord book. Chords and old time banjo playing especially are not recognized as friends. If you play old time, then you get a lot of non sense from guitar players or even people trained to play tenor or classic banjo about chords.
   
   However, I find this chord book pretty useful for trying to build backup patterns, even if they are done not by strumming chords, but by playing rolls and frailing patterns where I am not actually making the whole chord but playing the notes of the chord.
   
   I played guitar for about 35 years before I played banjo. I developed a repertoire of songs based on chords. Having this chord book helped me to learn some of the chords that might seem normal in a guitar players repertoire that seem distant for old timey banjo players. For example, I did an arrangement of my friend Raeford Starke's song "Roughed" up that has a BM7.
   I could not have figured it out without this book.
   
   You will also find that a practice especially jazz players do with a chord book can be useful by trying to play arpeggios of the notes of a chord. This can get you a lot of notes and how they go together. It can give you a good bunch of ways to harmonice or play leads around tunes.
   
   Just because you play old time banjo, does not mean that you should be ignorant of music!



3. This book really helps in learning chords and very helpful for learning the chords to play in a different chord



4. This is great to refer to when you don't want something too bulky sitting in your banjo case.

5 comments about Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & CD set).

1. Fantastic Book! I've tried many others, but this is the only one that provided the easy building process for songs that allows a Banjo player to not get lost in all the fancy stuff and still hear the melody as you progress to adding more and more fluff.



2. I finally caved into my insane desire to learn how to play the banjo a couple months ago. With my banjo came a how-to DVD, and I bought three books in addition: "The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo," "Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo" and of course "Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus."
   
   I managed through the first 10 minutes of the DVD before it became too advanced for me. And the other two books I bought were pretty much immediately too advanced. But Wayne Erbsen's book is not only accessable for an absolute beginner with no previous experience with a musical instrument, it's quite a bit of fun too.
   
   The writing is simple, light-hearted, and whole-heartedly enjoyable. It actually sometimes feels as if Wayne is right there with you teaching you how to play.
   
   In addition, each song is displayed in "tablature," which tells you which strings to flick and which strings to fret at the same time. In the long run it's definitely a good idea to learn how to play through standard music sheets, but for a true beginner like me, tablature is the only way to go.
   
   In addition to tablature, what really helped me is how Wayne describes the music. You begin with the "skeleton" of the song, which is always a short, basic melody. But each song has extra "licks" that you can play to "dress the skeleton." In other words, you begin with the basics of the song and after practicing until you're good, you can try the "warmer" licks by adding things like roll patterns to make the song sound more impressive and more distinctly bluegrass. And the best part is, the book comes with a CD so you can hear if you're playing correctly.
   
   I learned much more, and had much more fun with Wayne Erbsen's "Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus" than anything else I've tried so far. It won't make you a bluegrass master, but it's a great place to start.



3. THIS MUST BE YOUR FIRST BANJO BOOK. It's a short on technique but long on something priceless -- motivation. You see, Erbsen teaches banjo by teaching you how to fake familiar songs. Instead of playing "Cripple Creek" over and over, or practicing rolls 'til your fingers bleed, you learn very short versions of some folk standards while learing how you can play simple but recognizable versions of your favorite songs -- bluegrass or otherwise.
   
   It works! I'd been playing for about a month when one day, just noodling around, I came up with a crude version of "Route 66." Now THAT was gratifying.
   
   I've since played "Cripple Creek" a few thousand times and practiced rolls until my fingertips were (almost) bleeding. I'm fairly sure I wouldn't have bothered if it hadn't been for Erbsen.



4. MY SON IS ENJOYING THIS BOOK/CD. HE SAYS IT IS EASY TO FOLLOW AND PLAYED SOME OF THE SONGS THE FIRST TIME HE LOOKED AT IT. ITS HUMOROUS STYLE OF TEACHING IS VERY RELAXED AND ENJOYABLE.



5. Not only was I an ignoramus, I was (and still am) a klutz, but Wayne Erbsen has taught me to play the banjo! I didn't think anyone could do it. This book is wonderful!

5 comments about Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo: Revised and Enhanced Edition - Book with CD.

1. This book was exactly what they said it was prior to my order. I will continue to do business with amazon.



2. Very Good Responce received product quick and perfect condition
   Amazon one of the best in the business
   Rohi Emran



3. This is definitely the package for those with a desire to learn the Earl Scruggs method of playing the 5 string banjo. It does not make you practice, but it does encourage you to do so. Great product!



4. This book is ok... but you will purchase it with "Foggy mountain banjo" CD to have some samples. The CD included show some techniques to improve the right and left-hand rolls and tips, and some licks, but that's not a how-to-play earl scruggs songs. Tablatures are right, and the history of bluegrass banjo and scruggs' biography is superb.
   
   This is a good book to get a solid right-hand, learning all the rolls and pattens used in Earl's songs, but remember to get a CD with the songs listed in tablatures.



5. this is an origional book and the tab isnt the same as in the new books, notes sit above the line instead of thru it.

5 comments about Banjo For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. my daughter bought me this for Christmas as kinda of a joke. I have been a musician for 40 years and play a variety of stringed instruments and I found this book a great help in learning some of the rolls and such that most banjo players use. Easy to understand and lots of chord charts.



2. I purchased 2 intro to banjo books. This one is CLEARLY the one to get!



3. EXCELLANT CHOICE FOR A NEW "PICKER". SHOWS HOW TO PICK SCRUGGS STYLE AND CLAWHAMMER. STARTS SLOW AND EASY FOR THE BEGINNER AND MOVES INTO ADVANCED PICKING. REALLY WORTH THE MONEY TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY.



4. I'm a beginner and found this book very helpful. It covers everything you could want to know about banjos, from tips on purchasing one to playing every thing. I am delighted with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn to play this instrument.



5. "Banjo for Dummies" is by far the best banjo-tudoring instruction manual that I have viewed for teaching banjo playing. It is very clear and easy to follow. It is my opinion that this is an excellent product and a great teaching tool! Thank you.