About this ebook
There are many detailed photos, several from the player's point of view, not from in front of the banjo. First Lessons® Banjo covers the most basic rolls, the Alternating Thumb Roll and two Forward Rolls, plus the three basic chords and the relative minor chord. All musical examples are presented in tablature, with the melody notes in boldface type so the student knows which notes to emphasize. All arrangements include lyrics, a vital feature for novices learning ear training to pick out the melody from surrounding fill notes. Several tips and suggestions for the proper mental approach are included to improve playing by ear, arranging, and speed-reading tablature at an earlier stage in the student's development. These suggestions are not found in any other banjo instruction book.
The 'finale' arrangement is “Cripple Creek”, a popular banjo standard that, when mastered, should give the novice a great sense of accomplishment. The accompanying audio download includes all tabbed examples, with the rhythm instruments and lead banjo in separate channels. The recording features each song played at three tempos: very slow, medium, and full performance speed with guitar, mandolin, and bass accompaniment. The up-tempo accompanied versions are all together at the end of the recording, making it ideal for listening. This also allows the student to play along with interesting arrangements in sequence without skipping around the recording. Includes access to online audio and video.
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About the author
Jack Hatfield is from Knoxville, Tennessee where he taught banjo full time for seventeen years before moving to nearby Pigeon Forge to perform at venues such as Dollywood theme park and the Dixie Stampede dinner theater. For over thirty years his band True Blue has performed at special events festivals, and conventions in East Tennessee.
Jack started writing for Banjo Newsletter magazine in 1976, authoring the Scruggs Corner, Beginner's Corner and most recently the Concepts and Systems columns. He was a finalist in the National Banjo Championship at Winfield, Kansas in 1989. Jack has also appeared in two feature length films and performed on syndicated television shows on the Country Music Television Network.
However, Jack claims banjo instruction as his forte. He has authored several instruction books published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. He also publishes books through his own company Hatfield Music, an e-commerce business that specializes in banjo instructional materials and accessories. Jack has invented or designed several accessories and practice aides that are available from Hatfield Music.
Jack was on the faculty of the first major banjo camp, the Tennessee Banjo Institute in 1988. Since then he has conducted banjo workshops all over the USA and in four other countries. He presided as Bluegrass Director for Banjo Newsletter's Maryland Banjo Academy banjo camps. In 2004 he founded the Smoky Mountain Banjo Academy banjo camp. He has been director of the annual banjo workshop at the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America convention in Nashville for fifteen years. Jack's workshops and camps have featured the world's most respected banjo authors, teachers, luthiers, and performers. From them he has gained insights and has garnered a variety of teaching techniques and philosophies.
