Earl's Secret - Banjo Intensive
* Breaking the code - Melody enveloped within rolls.
* Tab can steal our joy. You long to play with feel and understanding.
* Hands on - we’ll make lots of (controlled) noise.
* Perspective, Principles, Strategies, Tools for success.
* Want Bluegrass melodies that bounce and swagger?
* Earl’s Secret is a manifesto of concepts and principles (hidden but now revealed). It’s also a set of concrete examples that you can act upon at
home.
Nashville TN SPBGMA - Saturday afternoon
January 27, 3:30 - 6:30
In our private suite #2134 Sheraton Music City Hotel
Click here for PayPal $50.00
.
What to expect
This is it! The Holy Grail of banjo pickers! It sounds so wonderfully complex, this magical
tapestry of cascading notes, weaving through the chords and the lyrics. You can learn ‘em the
hard way if you want – note for note, lick for lick. But we’ll try and re-orient our musical mind
around better priorities. We'll use a form of forward roll to unfold it all, but the principles can
then be applied to all the other rolls. First things first.
It’s about a few simple rules of the game. It’s about creating a new
paradigm. It’s about orienting our ear first around the cadence, then the chords and notes.
(With the other stuff in place, the notes almost take care of themselves.) It’s about some hard
work to plow the field so the seed can sprout (brain training and an automatic hand)
but then . . .
oh then, the songs start to come easy and you can almost . . . or maybe you really can - just
kick that thing off and pretty much nail it first try!
Now that’s something worth working for.
I’ll give you the insight, the strategy, the learning techniques, to design your own original and
very credible banjo solos. It’s a big part of Earl’s style, broken down so you can understand
and employ it yourself. No More Tab – Not just copying licks by ear – but Real Playing like Ear!.
Tuition $50.00
Click here to pay tuition ($50.00) via Square.
This is a great session standing on it's own . . .
but it's also a great primer for the more in depth work we'll do on the Zoom sessions later in the spring. We'll count your fifty bucks towards that too.
Roster is strictly limited.
I want to be able to give each of you personal input that large groups can't do.
So, get in while the gettin's is good.
We'll be making a whole lot of noise as we experiment with our banjos so be ready for a hands on experience.
To qualify you should:
1. Be able to make standard banjo rolls
that are continuous and foot tapping worthy.
2. Hear and apply chords that make sense with (track with) singing type songs.
3. You can listen to a short series of single
melody notes and figure them out on
your banjo fairly quickly, or at least be able to track 'em down. Do, Re, Mi, or just the first line of any old bluegrass song could be a good examplt to test yourself. We'll play longer melodies but this will help you to judge your qualification.
4. You don't have to be any kind of special. I just want you to have banjo rolling pretty much in the bag and be able to find some notes. We'll build you up from there.
Gilbert Nelson
aka Dr. Jambo
Gilbert Nelson is your host. He leads jammers to green pastures. A passionate player and teacher of the music. Gilbert can hone in on where you're at and guide you in ways to break forth with more knowledge and pathways to improvement. He knows how to bring out the best in you and he leads banjo camp by example with inspiration, energy, and insight.
Assisted by: Leigh Nelson
aka General Leigh
Affectionally known as "General Leigh" Leigh is Gilbert's "backup brain" She's part musician, part organizer and problem solver. Leigh knows jamming. She's a master with gentle and knowledgeable instruction making learning fun. Leigh plays Bass Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin and she's learning banjo now. She’ll even sing for you if you’re nice.
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