instructional16

Ask Dr. Banjo:
"Which beginner video to get?"

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Eric writes:

I'd like to get one of your instructional videos and wonder which one you'd recommend for a beginner: the Level One or "Ultra Easy". What's the difference between the 2 tapes? I took a couple months of lessons using a Goodtime II banjo, but only learned simple chords and started to learn tab reading. My instructor didn't teach rolls or 3-finger picking with picks during the lessons because he wanted me to learn the basic chords first and then progress to right-hand coordination.

Thanks for the advice and the music. Hot Rize got me started in bluegrass and your banjo got me interested in playing the instrument.

Dr. Banjo writes:

Good to hear you're working on the banjo, and that I helped get you interested. I think you might as well start with the Getting Rolling (Ultra Easy) tape since it is cheap and you will definitely get $20 of value from it. You won't learn a lot of technique, but it is great help to learn to play along and make chord changes in real time. You can work up to doing basic rolls along with the tape, and it will help you feel like you're playing real music (which will be true!).

The other tape I think is also a fine value at $40, and is a much more thorough intro to bluegrass banjo, including more rolls, licks, simple and then harder full-song arrangements, how to figure out a solo on your own, etc. A pretty well-packed 2-hour tape, comparing well to the cost of lessons, and always available for replay.

May as well get both!

Pete Wernick

See you again soon here at drbanjo.com!

“Ask Dr. Banjo” was created to encourage banjo education. Please feel free to contact me (Pete@DrBanjo.com) with any questions, and I’ll try to answer it on the next “Ask Dr. Banjo”. Also, check out the additional instructional material available on the site.

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