Playing the banjo at E Street Cafe in Encinitas, CA.
Yes, I teach banjo lessons in Davis, CA as well!
Banjo is one of my favorite instruments.
Nothing like a jam session with banjo, guitar, fiddle, and stand up bass to keep the vibes good and people dancing and laughing.
Banjo is a great instrument for people that haven’t had much musical experience because it’s really easy to pick up and learn the basics in very little time!
You don’t even need your left hand to play a G chord, and within a lesson or two, you might already be able to jam with your friends or play some familiar tunes.
When I was living in New Orleans, I would go to the bluegrass jam session at the Hi-Ho Lounge and play with 5-10 other pickers, pluckers, strummers, and fiddlers every Monday. It was great fun and challenged me to improve my own playing and enjoy the simple melodies and folk songs with some great players.
Banjo seems to be becoming a more popular instrument to play thanks to the resurgence of bluegrass music. The popular Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco and bands like Mumford and Sons and The Devil Make Three feature a healthy dose of banjo in their music.
I currently have openings for beginner banjo students in Davis, CA!
Contact me if you’d like to set up your first banjo lesson.
Out-of-towner who’s looking for a banjo teacher?
I’ve had students come to Davis for banjo lessons from:
Sacramento, West Sac, Woodland, Dixon, Vacaville, Winters, and Rio Vista (among other places)
What kind of banjo should I get?
If you don’t have a banjo yet, you can probably find a used one on craigslist or banjohangout.com. Unless you have a lot of money, a cheaper one will be fine…but beware, some cheaper banjos fail to stay in tune and can make practice less than fun, so find one that looks good, has good reviews online, and sounds nice when you try it out.
If you don’t know how to play yet, you could ask the seller to play something on it for you.
I play a Deering Goodtime Open Back Banjo and I love it! You might also find one with a resonator (the big drum on the back). They are louder, and heavier and have a bit of a different sound than the open-back banjos. Both sound nice…just depends on your preference.
Getting a banjo book
I would recommend getting a beginner book that has all of the roll patterns in it, and some songs that you like. I love my Melbay Complete Bluegrass Banjo Method, but there are many others that are good too. Get something with type big enough that you like…Watermelon Music in Davis has some good banjo books that you can check out.
Taking Lessons
Even a few lessons can get you on the right track towards learning and enjoying the banjo. Contact me today to set up a lesson if you’d like!!