australianbluegrass.com

Gerry Hale from the Guitar Gallery advises that they now run regular monthly workshops.

The Guitar Gallery is located at 30 Johnston St, Fitzroy, and specialises in acoustic instruments. The focus of the shop has broadened to include a great selection of banjos, mandolins, and dobros as well as guitars. The Guitar Gallery is owned and staffed by musicians who also run a range of workshops and take classes and lessons in guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin in various styles such as Irish and bluegrass.

The tutors have many years of experience as performers and teachers of their chosen instruments. They create a warm and encouraging environment for students, from beginners to advanced.

Workshops run on Wednesday nights 7:00pm  to 9:00pm:

1. the first Wednesday is always banjo workshop
2. the second Wednesday is always mandolin,
3. the thiurd Wednesday is always Dobro
4. the fourth Wednesday is  usually eother fiddle or guitar

A few months ago we posted an article from the Deering Banjo Company’s new  website on how to tension your banjo head. This was quite useful if you happen to play a banjo, but not so if you’re a mandolin player.

This  month Deering Banjos has posted  an article on banjo bridges.

The lyrics like a bridge over troubled waters might well have been written by a banjo player and his search for the Holy Grail of bridges for his banjo! Bridges do play a critical role in the sound of a banjo. Thick ones, thin ones, compensated ones, which is best? That is something every banjo player can decide for themselves but there are a few basics that I hope can help lead you to the best choice for your playing needs.

Read the full article on the Deering Website

In response to enrolled online student requests, ArtistWorks has augmented the entire Tony Banjo curriculum with half-speed versions of his lessons to aid the learning process.

Maintaining proper technique while adding speed is a common challenge for beginner and intermediate students of the banjo. Slow-motion lessons allow these students to master the technique without the pressure to speed-up their playing. The slow-motion lessons are also pitch-corrected so that students can easily play along with them while learning.

The ArtistWorks online visual education format allows virtuoso musicians to Teach the World by presenting their full method, technique or curriculum in HD video to subscribing students of their sites. Simple webcams are used by the students to submit videos to the Artist through the site, for critique and guidance if they want personalized instruction.

Visit the Tony Trischka School of Banjo at www.TonyBanjo.com.

Earlier this month we ran a post on an old banjo found by a family in Melbourne. You can visit it here to refresh your memory – Banjo Owner Needs our Help.

Mick O’Neill from Western Australia’s Bluegrass Parkway has been doing some researchon this article and dug up this piece of useful information for our friends in Melbourne.

From a 1898 Perth Street Directory: Hay St, Perth:  James Fleetwood, banjo importer and teacher

Also, this advertisment from the ‘West Australian’ Dec 11 1897: see link here. BANJOS and Mandolins, for Sale, cheap, shipment just arrived. Fleetwood, banjo teacher, 162 William-st., upstairs. See the

Obviously Mr Fleetwood moved to Melbourne but by the looks of things he started out selling banjo’s in Perth.  1898 Does that make him the oldest known banjo picker in Australia?  Does anyone know earlier players? - Mick O’Neill.

Thanks Mick for your persistence and assistance. We have passed this on to the Melbourne family who made the initial inquiry.

Just what every banjo player needs – another banjo.

News just in from Howard Miller in New South Wales, is that Santa has left him a special treat this year.

It seems Howard has had a yearning for a smaller banjo to keep company with his Stelling 5-string. South Australian luthier Alan Funk, has come to the rescue and produced a baby brother for the family. Howard tells the story:

Christmas is over and Santa put a new Ausgrass 5 string banjo under my Christmas tree, Alan Funk has made a baby brother for my Stelling Superstar arch top banjo, and it is a credit to his skill and enthusiasm. I discussed the possibility of a piccolo 5-string banjo at Harrietville 2009 and there it was in my Christmas stocking.

What does it sound like? Well, being in the next octave it certainly does not need any fancy up the neck nonsense, and so far I have not missed any of the deep notes of the standard five string, although I admit that cobwebs are not on the Stelling. Some tunes really come alive on the baby, others, sure you can play but they are just meant for the lower octave. Cop an earful next time you catch up with me and hear Daybreak in Dixie and Turkey in Straw, like you have never imagined it could sound.

A new force is in the Grass, the banjo plays as fast and sweet as a quality mandolin, matches the finish and appearance of my Stelling, and holds perfect tune out of the case. I am amazed at how much volume comes out of a light, small instrument. I am impatient to get in a jam session with a number of standard tuned banjo’s and really cut through with the almost angelic tones of this Instrument. Don’t look for too many options as far as capos go, I personally avoid them but common keys of A, D and C, can be accessed with a bit of finger magic. Ask me sometime, to play a tune in five different keys without a capo, I have to admit, only some tunes.

Isn’t GREAT to see the Australia insert on the peg head? Alan makes evrything and it really is good. A Great New Year to all – Howard Miller

Deering Banjo Company reports that they have been asked for many years for a way to amplify the sound of their banjos but without feedback problems and with out losing much of that wonderful acoustic sound. In answer to this request, Deering has introduced two new models.

The first is the Deering Sierra Acoustic / Electric with factory installed humbucker pickups so you can now rock the stage.

It made sense to create an acoustic electric out of our top selling, professional level banjo, the Sierra.  Now pros and aspiring pros alike can have the best of both worlds in one package. This Sierra was designed from the ground up to provide the sweet acoustic sound and the ability to amplify that sound, no matter the venue.  The humbucker has the power to drive amps and pedals and explore new avenues for that player who wants to push the envelope.  Guitar players feel at home with our new Sierra A / E as for years they have enjoyed this option with acoustic guitars.  Now both guitar and banjo players can enjoy the best of both worlds and not have to lug two different instruments from gig to gig.  No dials and knobs to fiddle with on this banjo just plug in and go - Deering Banjo Company.

Deering has also introduced the Deering Goodtime to the electrics.

As most of our banjo models, the GT A/E is borne out of a need heard from our players. The need we often heard was the player wanted to enjoy their acoustic sound and yet still be able to amplify it when need be without the normal feedback problems and electrified sound most experienced using off the shelf pickups. Kavanjo has now provided the tool that we can install here at the factory and deliver to our dealers in an all-in-one unit created to solve these problems. Normally this option is reserved for higher-end instruments but when artist Terry Baucom tells us  that he could play on stage with this Goodtime banjo it sounds so good, we knew we had to make this banjo available to everyone - Deering Banjo Company.

For more details visit the Deering Banjo Company website at DeeringBanjos.com

The Tony Trischka School of Banjo has begun on-line beta testing with banjo players from around the world.

Tony Trischka is perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 35 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians. He was not only considered among the very best pickers, he was also one of the instrument’s top teachers, and created numerous instructional books, teaching video tapes and cassettes.

Tony’s entire video curriculum will be posted and testers will be taking the lessons, recording themselves practicing, then uploading a video for Tony to review. No matter where Tony is, he will respond and posts his comments and further assignments to the site along with the student’s video submission available for viewing, only to members, in the Feedback Center.

Students are creating their Student Page where they can share photos, fun videos and tell fellow banjoists a bit about themselves, their careers or their experiences. Rich with socializing, the Tony Trishcka School of Banjo unites banjo players worldwide, not only in the Forums, but through the Chat Instant Messaging where members can have a conversation in real time with musicians who are signed into TTSB.

Throughout the site, other social features enhance the learning experience as members can leave comments or messages for members on their Student Page or react to a Master Class or just leave a passing comment in the Shout Box on Home Base. TTSB is bringing the banjo world a little closer by gathering players of all levels into one central place to immerse themselves not only in banjo, but in a breakthrough approach to distance learning that combines an extensive video curriculum and socialized learning. Members to the site learn from Tony Trischka, but they learn from each other as well.

Grand opening is set for late July or early August 2009

Kel Kroyden Banjos announces Aaron McDaris Signature Banjo

Aaron McDaris Signature Banjo is a Mahogany Don Reno Style 75 Kel Kroydon® Banjo. It features a hand picked aged mahogany neck with AMB’s Centaur cut peghead shape, 20 hole Dannick tone ring, nickel plated hardware with Reno Style inlay on a Rosewood fingerboard. Combined with the set-up knowledge of Charlie Cushman along with the impeccable craftsmanship of Robin Smith, Aarons banjo is one of the finest 5 string banjos made today.

In 1997, Aaron toured with a local band named Second Exit that soon became SPBGMA’s international band champions. This exposure allowed him to get an audition with and land a job with national band, the New Tradition. From the New Tradition Aaron moved on to the Larry Stephenson Band, the multi-award winning band the Grascals and is now playing with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.