Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus (Book + Online Audio)

I had been picking banjo for about three months using several other resources (the Scruggs book, the Janet Davis book, Banjo Ben Clark's website, plus a teacher) and doing pretty well at learning the motions. I could play Cripple Creek, Old Joe Clark, Blackberry Blossom, etc, from muscle memory but I could tell something was missing - I was learning to pick a lot of arbitrary notes without really understanding how they were put together. I finally realized that what I was missing was the melody - it was buried under all those mysterious notes.Then I remembered evaluating Erbsen's book when I first started. I skipped it because I didn't think I would like the approach - the tablature is just a bare melody! But it turns out this is exactly what was missing from my banjo education. He gives you the melody for each song, then step by step shows you how to build all the other notes and rolls around it to make it sound like a banjo. You start out improvising right away, but there's plenty of structure so it doesn't seem scary (stuff like "try an alternating thumb roll instead of a pinch"). It turns out this is exactly how professional musicians create banjo solos! (google "Melodies and Rolls: Creating a Bluegrass Banjo Solo" by Bruce Stockwell).I've been working through Erbsen's book page-by-page, and it's like someone suddenly flipped on a light switch. Banjo music makes sense now! I wish I had started with this book; it would have saved me a lot of wandering in mental fog. The other books seem to be built inside-out; they start with all the fluff and assume you'll somehow find melody inside. Bluegrass Banjo For the Complete Ignoramus teaches you how banjo songs are constructed.Aside from the methodology, the book has a few other characteristics to recommend it:* Unlike other books (which typically just have one demonstration of each song), the CD includes several different versions of each song (99 tracks in total), played slowly so it's not too hard to play along at each level of difficulty (ie, Cold Licks -> Warm Licks -> Hot Licks). Put a track on repeat and play along with it over and over until you match the timing. But don't always play the same rolls as the recording - by using different roll patterns you get neat harmonies.* The pieces in the book are actually fun songs with good melodies. They're all classic tunes you will find at bluegrass and old-time jams; if you're at all familiar with the genre, you will recognize most of them immediately. But before trying to play each song, I highly recommend looking it up on youtube and hearing what it's supposed to sound like at speed in a "full band" setting, especially with a real singer. Listen to different versions until you find one you really like, and then listen to it over and over until you're humming the melody in your sleep.* It's entertaining to read. Erbsen provides a short historical note for each song so it feels like you're taking a little tour of living history rather than playing a bunch of notes on the page. For me, this is part of the appeal of folk music.That said, Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus is not the only book you need - just the first. It's designed to bootstrap both your motor skills and your understanding of banjo music in a short 63 pages. There's no discussion of vamping or playing backup or alternate keys or any of a million other things you will want to know next; it's not supposed to be a comprehensive guide of everything banjo. If you want to play like Earl (and who doesn't?), you will eventually need the Scruggs book - but it's not really for beginners. For learning songs, I really love Banjo Ben's combination of tab and video lesson (and price!). Of course, you can find tab for almost any tune on The Banjo Hangout. And I'm really, really looking forward to Erbsen's Bluegrass Jamming for Banjo... but if you're looking for a place to begin, this is THE book to start with.

To sum up this book in one word I would say: methodical.I've been a musician for 2/3 my life and I've completed many tutorial books for various instruments. This book is by far the most effective learning book that I've come across! I just ventured into playing the banjo, so I'm elated that I stumbled upon this one in particular. The main reason for it's charm is the way that the author surgically dissects the elements of good banjo playing down to its very core, then individually presents all the progressive layering needed to make the banjo's magical sound. The book is very well focused on increasing the difficulty smoothly and incrementally with each new song; there are no big steps, but rather, a steady incline. Many a books lose their focus in this regard, leaving most musical novices feeling left behind. The author concretely displays how playing an instrument should be organic, instead of robotic. He gives you various ways of playing each song, and it is up to you to decide how to mix these ways of playing together into a well-crafted piece. This, in essence, is what makes music FUN and it separates the distinction between "playing an instrument" and being a musician...believe me there is an undeniable difference.Here's a few minor flaws with this book (the book still deserves a solid 5 stars):- It would be beneficial if the author included the singing parts of the songs in the audio tracks. True, the lyrics are presented, but taking that extra step by presenting how to sing the lyrics will aid in memorizing the melody lines and all around feel of each song.- Writing out the tablature for the newly presented drills would be advantageous. He does do this for some of the drills, but in my opinion, he didn't take it far enough. This shouldn't worry anyone with a musical ear, because the audio tracks clearly present the each drill that is to be worked on.Remember, this is a beginner's book! Don't expect to be a pro after completing this book. But, I'd be surprised if there was a more effective method to learning the banjo...or any instrument for that matter!