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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
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| How to give a banjo workshop. | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20th, 2006 03:56 pm |
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1st Post |
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Philj200 Approved 
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I need some ideas for a workshop I'm helping host in November. (The guy who was slated to give the banjo session backed out and that leaves a hole.) Figure 90 minutes. 1. Brief history of the banjo 2. Banjo types 3. Styles of play/with examples/tunings clawhammer (whcih I still call frailing) basic and whamming (a Pete Seegar derivative) bluegrass 4. Banjo in relation to other folk instruments 5. Q&A (which can be scary) 6. Assuming a few of the people who sit will have instruments play a song, have them all play and perhaps go around the room for solos. (Cripple Creek comes to minf as it has a simple melody and can be played in a number of styles.) I would really appreciate any suggestions to expand and improve the above. Or a volunteer who can get to Port Jervis NY (11/17-19)
____________________ My MP3 Section: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1143/ My Myspace area: http://myspace.com/philj200 |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20th, 2006 08:18 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Patrick_Costello Approved
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You can't do the job with a script. Use a script and the workshop becomes a show. Nobody learns anything at a show. A quick breakdown of your notes: History of the banjo: Nobody cares, most of what is touted as fact is pure moonshine and the white guy talking about the African-American experience routine will just make you look like a ninny. Banjo types: It's a five-string banjo workshop. right? Why talk about types? Nobody cares, most of what is touted as fact is pure moonshine and a five-string banjo is a five-string banjo. The only people who say otherwise are only trying to sell banjos. Styles of play/with examples/tunings: Nobody cares, most of what is touted as fact is pure moonshine and . . . you get the idea. One technique (frailing is the only one that works) in one tuning. Any more than that and the workshop becomes a show. Nobody learns anything and people think that playing the banjo is "hard". The tuning thing . . . well, ask yourself how futile it is to approach the banjo trying to learn five tunings at once. Banjo in relation to other folk instruments: It can work if you use the other instruments as an extension of what is being taught. See the second frailing banjo video on howandtao.com for an example of this. I'm not being mean here. I'm just trying to get you to think realistically about the job. Ed Parker, a karate guru I got to hang with for an afternoon ages ago, used to start workshops by saying: "I am not going to show you my art. I am going to share it with you. If I show it to you it becomes an exhibition, and in time it will be pushed so far into the back of your mind that it will be lost. But by sharing it with you, you will not only retain it forever, but I, too, will improve." Go share your art. Not just the technique, but your love of the craft. Your "job" here isn't to read the standard approved banjo catechism. You're going to be introducing people to the single most joyous and happy instrument in the whole wide world. What to they "need" to make music? *A picking pattern (preferably frailing because it's easy to teach, easy to learn and it works) *A sense of rhythm (how to count to four) *Open G, C and D7 chords *A bunch of songs they can "bump dit-ty" through. (see howantao.com) You can do it, so go do it. Gather the banjo stuents in a rough group and roll with the punches. As soon as one student starts to "get it" put him or her to work helping somebody else out. By the end of the workshop everybody will have enoigh information to make music for the next five years. -Patrick
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21st, 2006 12:06 am |
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3rd Post |
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Philj200 Approved
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I just sat through a Old Timey banjo workshop given by Steve Arkin and he did pretty much what I proposed and it was excellent. I pan on doing more group interaction and have a (hopefully) fiddler and a guitar picker around to help. Ed Parker... that name rings a bell . I have (earned a long time ago) a brown in Gen Sei Rhy Karate, a Japanese hard style as well as a shodan in Kendon and am currently a Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan sifu. When I'm not theatening banjo parts with my bandsaw. Last edited on Thu Sep 21st, 2006 12:07 am by Philj200 ____________________ My MP3 Section: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1143/ My Myspace area: http://myspace.com/philj200 |
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| Posted: Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 02:25 pm |
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4th Post |
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vrteach Approved 
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I think your script sounds like a good organization, although it is possible you will need to be flexible depending on what sort of mix you get attending. If most people show up with instruments, you should probably cut back on the history/styles. If you get a group without instruments then maybe a little more focus on showing them what to listen for would be of interest. I have found that folk music fans are quite interested in the history of the banjo, and where the facts of that history is fuzzy, they are interested in that also. I also find that they are surprised and interested that there are different types of banjos, and different ways of playing them. But then, my presentations are "presentations" not workshops, so my audiences have been pre-filtered to largely consist of music-listeners, not music-makers. I think that workshop attendees like coming away with something physical. If you have access to a printer or copier for your event (I expect you will), you may want to provide a couple of tunes, chord charts, or tuning charts. Mike Iverson has some useful beginning & intermediate materials available on his web site (http://www.bluesageband.com/Tabs.html), as does Patrick C, of course. A page that gives them information on web-type resources might be good also.
____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.org |
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| Posted: Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 05:09 pm |
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5th Post |
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Philj200 Approved
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Thanks Erich, I noticed Mike Iverson uses what appears to be a Vega longneck as I do most of the time these days. This is a hands-on weekend and most people are bringing an instrument. THat's what we're asking for in the promotional material. I can assume without much risk that there will be enoung banjos in the crowd to make interactive exchange of technigues possibly. If not, the people who show up will have history, which I think is both important and interest; styles with songs in each and Q&A. That should do it nicely.
____________________ My MP3 Section: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1143/ My Myspace area: http://myspace.com/philj200 |
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