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Exploring music with the 5 string banjo is the result of several years of writing. It aims to bring something new to the already profuse material on the 5 string banjo. It stands apart from these other books in that it is aimed at the serious musician, whatever his or her level may be. 150 + A4 pages of text, tables, diagrams, tabs and music notation.
Beginners are advised to use this book in addition to a structured learning program, preferably guided by a teacher.
Many of the five string banjo's potentialities have remained untapped so far. This is somewhat surprising given its uniqueness, with its skin soundboard and that peculiar short string on top. Its current use in folk music however, is not surprising. Many instruments that are now more 'seriously' regarded had their debut in folk music. This book is all about unlocking some of the five string banjo's potentialities.
For a while there I was contemplating the somewhat whimsical title 'Learn the banjo in 50 years', but that would give the wrong impression since this is not really intended to be a teaching system of sorts. This book is more about exploring musical ideas, some quite novel, and relating these ideas to the current music theory sylllabus. In addition to this, some well established music principles are discussed from what I believe to be more reasonable perspectives. Hopefully this will inspire readers to enrich their current music vocabulary and maybe even venture outside the realms of classic five string banjo styles into different musical areas.
There is enough variety of topics in this book to appeal to a wide audience. For some topics a basic knowledge of music theory is required; for others the theory gets more advanced. There is material for the beginner as well; some fundamental concepts are touched upon in a fresh light, which should complement the musician's current understanding of music theory. Grasping music theory takes time, and people will be at various levels regarding this, but it is not rocket science after all; most of the work is done putting the theory into practice (the 99% labour versus 1% knowledge thing).
Musical ideas need to be based on solid theory, so the first section is essentially a crash course in standard music theory applied to the banjo. The aim is not to teach these systematically - other books are better suited and more qualified to do this (Pat Cloud's books come to mind) - but to give the reader some fresh insights and translate these ideas to the banjo.
Things get a litle more practical in the second section, discussing topics such as basic shapes, alterations and progressions. The first of these, basic shapes, divides the banjo into three main areas and presents a compendium-like overview of scales, harmonies and licks for each of these areas. This section also employs a rather novel way of using charts to create chord progressions.
The third section is the most systematic of all and goes right back to basics using tetrachords as building blocks. It then gradually moves into more advanced areas such as minor scales, alterations and progressions. There is a practical advantage here: the five string banjo is ideally suited to explore tetrachords, giving the musician the opportunity to utilise the banjo's 5th string to the fullest. [It may seem to the reader that this section belongs to the beginning, but there is a reason for putting it here; a fair amount of background is needed to build the language needed in order to convey new ideas, however basic these ideas may be].
The last section discusses more individual topics such as rhythm and phrasing (using examples from John Hartford), African patterns and a study on rolls (the non-edible type).
Though heavily based on theory, all practical examples are the result of practice and experimentation, material from which readers can construct their own exercises and derive fresh musical ideas. Always keep in mind that the five string banjo in its current guise is a relatively new instrument and has been in existence little more than a hundred years. Compare this with the six hundred year old history of the violin, which b.t.w. originated as a folk instrument as well. This fact, together with the banjo's unique layout and playing technique, provides fertile ground for experimentation and inventiveness.
Intro
Section I: Music theory applied to the 5 string banjo
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Section II: Shapes and Progressions
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Section III: Tetrachords
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Section III: Tetrachords (continued)
Section IV: Individual topics
Outro |