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A Book of Five Strings: Strategies for Mastering the Art of Old Time Banjo - Softcover

 
9780974419022: A Book of Five Strings: Strategies for Mastering the Art of Old Time Banjo
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Explore real old time banjo with a master of the craft!

The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo by Patrick Costello introduced you to the joy of playing the five string banjo. His amazing follow up book shows you how to take your playing to the next level.

A Book Of Five Strings by Patrick Costello is the ultimate manual for anyone who wants to: * Gain better control of right and left hand techniques * Develop an understanding of music theory * Play bluegrass and blues using old time banjo techniques * Frail in 3/4, 6/8 and other time signatures * Improvise * Play in any key without retuning * Find any note, chord or scale on the fretboard * Master double-thumb and drop-thumb techniques * Arrange fiddle tunes for old time banjo

A Book Of Five Strings is your personal guide to mastering the techniques that are the core skill set of old time banjo. Music theory, improvisation, rhythm, scales and other topics are covered along with left and right hand exercises. Your coordination, timing and overall control of the fretboard will improve dramatically. There are even tips on how to use your old time banjo skills in bluegrass and blues settings.

A book Of five Strings is filled with important practice tips and challenging exercises. Patrick mixes the technical skills needed to play the banjo with insight and encouragement that will challenge you to free up your creativity. This is the book you have been waiting for if you want to play any song, anywhere with anyone.

A Book Of Five Strings is a must-have for all teachers, students and lovers of old time banjo.

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About the Author:
There is a difference between a folksinger and someone who sings folk songs.

To become a folksinger you must go beyond performing and actually live and share the music.

Patrick Costello is a folksinger.

Growing up in rural Chester County Pennsylvania and the suburbs of Philadelphia, Patrick Costello spent his formative years learning the language of music from seasoned musicians in places as diverse as "Dutch Country" cornfields and Philadelphia subway stations. Patrick was introduced to the banjo, old time music, the blues, fingerstyle guitar and much more by an army of old timers who just wanted to pass on the core skills of their craft.

As a musician, teacher and author Patrick is dedicated to sharing the spirit of folk music. He continues to pass on the legacy of sharing and fellowship that inspired him with friends, students and customers all over the world.

Patrick now resides in Crisfield, Maryland on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his fifth book. The How and the Tao of Folk Guitar Volume Two: Getting Good is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2005.

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Practice, Perspective & Speed

Before we dive into the core techniques of old time banjo I think we should take a moment to talk about three very important issues that are front and center with new players.

Practice

The mistake people make when it comes to practice is that they either make it too much of an issue or treat it as work. When we sit down to practice and tell ourselves, "I must attain this" or, "I am doing something important" our heads get so full of judgments and opinions that there isn't any room for anything else. The will to achieve or prove something winds up working against us.

When you sit down to practice don't worry about playing this tune or that melody perfectly. As you will see later on in this book the melody of a song is actually the easiest and most flexible part of the equation. Once you "get" old time banjo the odds are pretty good that you will never play a song exactly the same way twice.

Instead, focus your attention on fundamentals such as the frailing strum, chord changes and other basic techniques. Work on these faithfully for a short period of time every day. Then stop worrying about practicing or gaining anything. Just play your banjo and sing some songs.

Don't treat this like work. Take joy in it.

Perspective

I run into people all the time who make the mistake of deciding that they will never reach a certain level of skill before they ever strike a note. I don't think I have to explain how detrimental this kind of attitude can be to someone's progress.

The thing we sometimes forget is that the notion of success and failure really depends on your perspective. What might seem like a minimal achievement to one person could be a great success in the eyes of someone else.

Judging yourself against other people is always going to leave you feeling inadequate in some way or another. I'm a good banjo player and I love what I do, but if I compared my achievements and training to that of a concert violinist I could start to feel inadequate. What we forget is that the violinist in question may also be comparing himself or herself to somebody else. Don't be distracted from your own personal journey by falling into this trap. Allow the learning process to work.

It's the same kind of thing when a beginner compares himself or herself to an experienced banjo player. Seeing someone perform with what appears to be effortless skill when you are struggling with the basics can leave you feeling like you will never be able to get that far.

What we forget in that situation is that even the greatest banjo player in the world was at one time a beginner. What you are seeing is the end result of a lifetime spent making music. If you really think about it the only thing a hot picker really has on you is time.

Be yourself. You are not lacking in anything. You may at times feel that you are not measuring up to someone else but when that happens all you have to do is change your perspective. Look at your progress from a rational point of view. Ask yourself if you really know the whole story or if you are just making excuses. Trust me, if all you can ever do is sing and play two or three songs people are going to watch you and say, "I'd give anything to be able to play like that!"

Speed

The problem with speed is that banjo students tend to make the mistake of thinking that playing fast is somehow different than playing slowly.

If you watch a truly accomplished player in action you will notice that whatever the tempo of the song is he works with the same easy pace. Whatever the speed of the song he or she never really appears to be playing fast.

To quote Mitamoto Musashi, "Really skillful people never get out of time, are always deliberate, and never appear busy."

In other words, once you have developed your skills playing fast isn't really any different than playing slow. The note values stay the same, the rhythmic structure doesn't change and your technique doesn't change. The only thing that changes is the tempo.

Practice deliberately. Don't be in a rush to show off or get the song over with. My general rule of thumb is to never play a song any faster than I can sing it. Build up your skills and after a while you'll be able to play fast and even ridiculously fast songs or breaks with just as much grace and ease as slow tunes.

Good first. Fast second.

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  • PublisherPik-Ware Publishing
  • Publication date2004
  • ISBN 10 0974419028
  • ISBN 13 9780974419022
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages120
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