Got banjo, will travel!
Well, I went ahead and bought an iPod the other day. Now I am trying to figure out how it works. I think I am getting the basics, but there is so much to know that I don't even know what I don't know. The jury is still out, as they say, but I think I am going to like it.
Over the last couple nights, Beth and I have been learning how to play the banjo. I should back up here and explain a bit... over the last 3 or 4 years, Beth has asked me for a banjo for Christmas. "I want to learn something new. I want to learn how to play an instrument," she would say. Her instrument of choice was the banjo. So, this Christmas I decided to surprise the snot out of her and I bought her one. The surprise worked! The look on her face was priceless at Christmas, and she now owns a beautiful five-string banjo and we are learning to play it together. My mom could play banjo a bit and I recall two chords from my childhood, one is E minor and the other one isn't. Luckily, the banjo came with a pocket music book with chord charts, so we have been learning.
Beth is determined to nail this thing and she is making progress each day. Now, for those of you who think the banjo is a "hick" instrument, it is actually a very interesting instrument with a fascinating history. African slaves in the American Deep South created the first banjos, which were based off instruments they were familiar with in their homeland. These instruments are part percussion and part string, and have their own very unique sound. Interestingly, the banjo is gaining more and more popularity, having been used in new recordings by artists as diverse as Matchbox Twenty (the banjo is used prominently in the main melody line of their 2003 #1 hit "Unwell"), The Indigo Girls, The Eagles and Bon Jovi. And if you are still not convinced the banjo can't be enjoyed without a chaw of tobacky in your mouth, you need to check out Bela Fleck . He is the world's preeminent banjo player and his playing is based on jazz influences, not bluegrass or country (which is usually associated with the instrument). I have one of his live CDs, and the guy will leave your head spinning. WOW!
This morning we are off to Wadena to see Beth's grandpa (Ava's great-grandpa!), then to New York Mills for a quick visit to Beth's parents. I am looking forward to the NFL games today. There's nothing like playoff football and I can't wait for kick-off.
TTFN
Over the last couple nights, Beth and I have been learning how to play the banjo. I should back up here and explain a bit... over the last 3 or 4 years, Beth has asked me for a banjo for Christmas. "I want to learn something new. I want to learn how to play an instrument," she would say. Her instrument of choice was the banjo. So, this Christmas I decided to surprise the snot out of her and I bought her one. The surprise worked! The look on her face was priceless at Christmas, and she now owns a beautiful five-string banjo and we are learning to play it together. My mom could play banjo a bit and I recall two chords from my childhood, one is E minor and the other one isn't. Luckily, the banjo came with a pocket music book with chord charts, so we have been learning.
Beth is determined to nail this thing and she is making progress each day. Now, for those of you who think the banjo is a "hick" instrument, it is actually a very interesting instrument with a fascinating history. African slaves in the American Deep South created the first banjos, which were based off instruments they were familiar with in their homeland. These instruments are part percussion and part string, and have their own very unique sound. Interestingly, the banjo is gaining more and more popularity, having been used in new recordings by artists as diverse as Matchbox Twenty (the banjo is used prominently in the main melody line of their 2003 #1 hit "Unwell"), The Indigo Girls, The Eagles and Bon Jovi. And if you are still not convinced the banjo can't be enjoyed without a chaw of tobacky in your mouth, you need to check out Bela Fleck . He is the world's preeminent banjo player and his playing is based on jazz influences, not bluegrass or country (which is usually associated with the instrument). I have one of his live CDs, and the guy will leave your head spinning. WOW!
This morning we are off to Wadena to see Beth's grandpa (Ava's great-grandpa!), then to New York Mills for a quick visit to Beth's parents. I am looking forward to the NFL games today. There's nothing like playoff football and I can't wait for kick-off.
TTFN
