Bill Keith Banjo Workshop - Part 1 of 9

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2003

Called "Bluegrass Banjo 101", but it's more like "Advanced Melodic Banjo and Music Theory"

I'm honored that the videos are also on Bill's website at http://www.beaconbanjo.com/workshop/index.cfm

Note: It seems that the conversion from my MPG to YouTube's Flash Video causes the audio to go out of sync with the video as the video progresses. I hope it's tolerable with these short sections of less than 10 minutes.

More videos at http://greyfoxbluegrass.com/gfblog/category/videos/ and
http://frobbi.org/picking.html

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• banjo
• bluegrass
• music
• workshop

[robbif]

I'm proud to say this 9-part video series is now also hosted on Bill Keith's website, BeaconBanjo.

[robbif]

Thanks for the comments. Bill is unbelievable. You can find this video in only 2 parts on Google Video.

[barefootsoul83]

who is this guy complaining that "melodics killed the banjo"?!!? is he smoking crack or something?!?!! Someone burn him some Munde albums!! Melodics SAVED the banjo!!

[rasjvon]

@DirkJefferson ur thoughts should stay in yer small brain........there is room for everyone...he changed banjo forever..lemme guess...u think van halen killed guitar too right?

[Hikikomori013]

I was just thinking that this style would really sound good with Baroque music and then he throws in some Bach.

He's really impressive.

[nimkii4444]

Bill Keith is a world class musician who has provided a great deal of encouragment to other musicians who play the banjo. He was one of Bill Monroe's favourite banjo players and every subsequent banjo player in Monroes band played somewh at in Keith Style. To say that Bill Keith i in any way harmful is terribly misleading.

[DirkJefferson]

Keith was harmful. He pioneered a dead end. His Melodic style got so overblown in the 60s and 70s, it just about killed interest in the banjo. Thankfully new players like Ron Block have revived what the melodists had killed. Ron plays NO melodic.

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I have a CD by Bill Keith, and would you believe he plays "Jolly Ice Cream Man". Par for the course.

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Keith used to be great. Listen to him on the '62 Bluegrass Breakdown with Bill Monroe, or his '67 LP with Billy Baker & Del Mccoury.

[DirkJefferson]

Depends where you are in the US: I'm in the Northeast and banjo playing up here is almost all the claw-hammered, socialist, solidarity with the depression, TVA, New Deal, Pete Seeger type. Most of the "Cambridge pioneers" up here would not be caught dead with a resonator backed, Scruggs-picked banjo. It would be seen as too red-neck.

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Don't worry about the theory. Just learn the licks and the songs. Theory can often ruin your feel if learned prematurely.

[dwnhllr1959]

Learning the "theory" behind the instrument is the BEST way to learn.....it'll free up your imagination as you become more 'technically proficient' - excellent teaching method.

QUESTION - I've noticed a LOT of folks are playing the 'resonator' type banjo instead of the older 'clawhammer' type - is there some specific 'benefit' to that type? Beginner banjo player (long time guitar player). THANKS!

[PoliceWatch08]

Sorry to say. Bill Keith is a great musician for sure.

But as a teacher he is so far away from any average banjoblayer.

Very technical and theoretical approach.

He often floates alone in his own higher spheres ...

Greatings from Switzerland

[PatrickSHutchinson]

I love The Scruggs style,but this is a wonderful style too,truly there is room for various styles of bluegrass banjo.