TIER: 5 TRAILBLAZER

A welcome introduction to a brand new timing 3:4 timing commonly known as Waltz Time.

• What is Waltz Time

• How it appears in tab

• 4 practice exercises

Discover more than one way to play a banjo song

• Create two versions of the same song

• How to play & sing

• Shifting the balance of elements

• Understand backup and lead banjo

Play a great new song using 3:4 (Waltz Time) Skyeboat song - A very well known tune and theme from TV’s Highlander

• Learn how 3:4 time sounds in a real song

• Learn a brand new tune

• Practice adding dynamics and texture

• Printable Worksheet

What do you do if no one has any idea what song you are playing on the banjo!

• How to improve listeners pleasure

• 4 Ways to let your song shine through

• When your audience is lost, do this.

• Get the round of applause you deserve

Lets move from standard open G and explore the wonderful world of Double C tuning.

• How to get into double C tuning from Open G

• Explore the sound of Double C

• Play the first 4 primary chords

• Practice exercises

Soldiers joy is a very joyful tune despite its sombre lyrics and meaning, A wonderful double C tune that I know you’re gonna love.

• Learn your first Double C tune

• Work on chord shapes

• Incorporate double thumbing

• Further develop your clawhammer skills

Embellishments are like the icing on a cake. So lets get our hands messy and decorate this campfire classic.

• Learn a classic campfire tune

• Learn how to decorate with embellishments

• Further develop musical skills

• Try out the C7 chord

Explore more musical concepts while learning this great tune

• Learn how to play Cumberland Gap

• Work on the Em Chord and Embellishments

• Develop an eye for pattern recognition

• Develop tab decoding skills

One thing we haven’t done yet is play a little with the timing.

• Understand what swing time sounds like

• How to do it

• Modifying music you already play

• Enjoy the sound of swing

More melodic banjo challenges

Ready to add some flair to your frailing? In this first video on banjo embellishments, we’re diving into the hammer-on—a simple but powerful technique that can bring energy and expression to your playing.

Pull-offs are a great way to add smoothness and character to your playing. You pick the first note, then pull your finger off the string to let a lower note ring out — often an open string. It’s a small movement that adds a lot of expression.

In this lesson, we’ll take a look at slides, a great technique for adding smooth, expressive movement between notes on the banjo.

In this lesson, we’re exploring bends — a subtle but powerful way to add expression and emotion to your clawhammer banjo playing.

Another embellishment technique where we pull of a sting that wasn’t plucked.

In this Banjo Adventures lesson, we explore the Phantom Hammer-On — a powerful embellishment that adds flow and style to your playing. A phantom hammer-on happens when you pluck one string, then hammer-on to a different string without ever picking it.

What is the the art of playing beautifully sounding embellishments… you guessed it! TIMING!

• Play better hammer ons

• Play Better Pull Offs

• Play Better Slides

• Improve your embellishment game all round

Using embellishments in some well known tunes to drive home these skills before promotion

• Use all of the embellishments to decorate music

• Build skills and resilience

• Improve fretting hand dexterity

• Improve 8th note timing and rhythm

End of module video challenge, Time for you to demonstrate everything you have learned.