A bluegrass banjo instruction manual that Ben uses to teach his students: 

"Beginning Bluegrass Banjo: 

A Programmed Repertoire of Ten Essential Solos"

 Thirty five pages, with clear instructions designed for Ben's beginning bluegrass banjo students, with tablature for how to play 10 classic bluegrass banjo solos. This web page has the 30 Mp3 tracks corresponding to the Manual, just below, as a free downloads

                                 Introduction  

Lesson 1: Banjo anatomy, and your first banjo

Lesson 2: Tuning the bluegrass banjo

Lesson 3: Getting ready to play

Lesson 4: How to read the tablature in this book

Lesson 5: Suggestions for beginners

The Tunes:

Lesson 6: Cripple Creek

Lesson 7: Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Lesson 8: Blackberry Blossom

Lesson 9: Ballad of Jed Clampett 

Lesson 10: Old Joe Clark

Lesson 11: John Hardy

Lesson 12: Salt Creek

Lesson 13: Turkey in the Straw

Lesson 14: Clinch Mountain Backstep

Lesson 15: Whitewater   

 

To order this manual, email me at benfreed@optonline.net

 

download free Mp3 tracks that the manual refers to:

1.      01-AudioTrack 01.mp3 the “note matching” method of tuning the banjo

2.       02-AudioTrack 02.mp3 tuning by listening to the octaves

3.      03-AudioTrack 03.mp3 tuning by listening for the “racetrack song”

4.       04-AudioTrack 04.mp3 counting the timing

5.       05-AudioTrack 05.mp3 putting the right and left hand notations together

6.       06-AudioTrack 06.mp3 “hammering on”

7.       07-AudioTrack 07.mp3 the “slide”

8.       08-AudioTrack 08.mp3 the “push off”

9.      09-AudioTrack 09.mp3 sustain

10.  10-AudioTrack 10.mp3 using a metronome

11.    11-AudioTrack 11.mp3 Cripple Creek played fast

12.  12-AudioTrack 12.mp3 Cripple Creek, played slow

13.   13-AudioTrack 13.mp3 Foggy Mountain Breakdown, played fast

14.   14-AudioTrack 14.mp3 Foggy Mountain Breakdown, played slow

15.   15-AudioTrack 15.mp3 Blackberry Blossom, played fast

16.   16-AudioTrack 16.mp3 Blackberry Blossom, played slow

17.   17-Audio Track 17.mp3 Old Joe Clark, played fast

18.    18-Audio Track 18 Old Joe Clark, played slow  

19.   19- Audio Track 19 John Hardy, played fast 

20.   20- Audio Track 20.mp3 John Hardy, played slow  

21.   21- Audio Track 21.Mp3 Salt Creek, played fast

22.   22- Audio Track 22.Mp3 Salt Creek, played slow  

23.  23-Audio Track 23.Mp3Turkey in the Straw, played fast

24.   24-Audio Track 24.Mp3Turkey in the Straw, played slow  

25.    25-Audio Track 25.Mp3 Clinch Mountain Backstep, played fast

26.  26-Audio Track 26. Mp3 Clinch Mountain Backstep, played slow  

27.   27-Audio Track 27.mp3The   Ballad of Jed Clampett, played fast

28.   27- Audio Track 28. mp3 The Ballad of Jed Clampett, played slow

29.   29-AudioTrack 29.mp3 Whitewater, played fast 

30.  30-AudioTrack 30.mp3 Whitewater, played slow

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Praise for my instructional manual: 

Ben: I think all this is really exceptional!! I am working on the beginning banjo songs I ordered from you and about most of the way thru. 
Also, I recently ordered the 99 tab booklet and have recorded the mp3 off the internet to hear the songs I would like to learn. 
I am currently taking lessons from John Hickman but I would like you to know that I have really speeded up learning the banjo because of you.  Of course, practice helps too!! 
Your teaching method is the best I have found anywhere. Even John says I have made the most progress of any of his students except one and he already was on his way while I didn't even know how to put the finger picks on but I do have a music background in piano so that helps, I imagine.
 Thanks again for all you do to promote the banjo....   M. in Oklahoma

 

To order this manual, email me at benfreed@optonline.net 

 

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