The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide, Volume 1 [Spiral-bound]

David Frey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

Volume 1 -- For Students, Musicians and Teachers of Plectrum Banjo -- Amateurs and Artists Alike

The First Complete Teaching Guide for the 4 String Plectrum Banjo! Instruction includes chord melody technique, single string technique, music theory, banjo band style, Dixieland (Trad) Jazz Style, Tune Charts with Chord Diagrams, Shortcuts and Tips, Practice Routines. Plus much much more!

Lesson plans usable by both teachers and students. Volume 1 of a 2-volume. Companion CD's also available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...[A] complete instructional format that is guaranteed to improve your playing, no matter what your current playing level." -- Buddy Wachter, Personal Testimonial

"I will use them with my plectrum banjo students, and strongly urge them to obtain their copies. Many thanks!" -- Author/Teacher Jim Riley's Personal Testimonial

"The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide will guide the novice and the advanced student... in a direct path to excellence." -- Larry Kennedy, Personal Testimonial

About the Author

DAVID FREY was born at a very young age. He began to study the banjo with Leanoard Moors in March, 1969. Dave performed with the Marin Banjo Band from 1970 until 1974 and with the Oakland Banjo Band also in 1974. In 1975, he founded the Southtown Strummers with Bill Houston also on banjo, Greg Stevens on piano, Phil Anderson on banjo and string bass, and Jim Brennan on tuba. Dave still leads this group. Dave joined the Jazz Salvation Company in 1983, performing on a regular basis at Jazz Festivals and Clubs, with members: Tom Barnebey - cornet, Bill Badstubner - trombone, Duane Ewing - clarinet/soprano sax, Red Thomas - piano, Jim Brennan - tuba.

Dave was a founding member of the Fourth Street Five in 1990 with members: Robert Young - cornet & reeds, Ron Dubin - trombone, John Howard - reeds, Jim Brennan - tuba. The band played at Old Vic's on Fourth Street in Santa Rosa every Thursday night from June through September in 1990, '91, and '92. The band also played on the first Sunday of every month at Lena's Restaurant from 1992 until October 1994, then at Grazianos in Petaluma from January through June 1996. They recorded their first CD at Bay Records in Berkeley in July, 1997.

Dave joined the 16-piece San Francisco Starlight Orchestra in 1991. The orchestra continues to perform on the first Saturday night of every month at the Strawberry Recreation Center, Tiburon, CA.

Dave became a member of the Dress For Less 3 in March, 1991 to perform at the Ross Dress For Less department store on Farmers Lane in Santa Rosa. The band includes Tom Barnebey on cornet and Robert Young on bass saxophone.

Dave recorded with Ted Shafers Jelly Roll Jazz Band on their Stomp Off album in 1993.

Most recently, Dave was the summer substitute with the Cell Block 7 from Lodi, California from 1996 through 1999, and a substitute with the Hot Chamber Music Society and Gold Coast Jazz Band in 1997.

SUSANNE SANGIACOMO became a dedicated plectrum banjo player in 1994. Previously she had studied and played five string bluegrass style banjo. Sue's desire to play the tune "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee" turned her toward the plectrum banjo. She began to take lessons from Dave Frey and inquired about where to get thorough plectrum banjo instruction manuals. Sue quickly discovered that no definitive plectrum banjo instructional sources were in print. Utilizing her skills as a writer and editor of training manuals for a number of Fortune 500 companies, Sue took on the monumental task of organizing and editing Dave Frey's plectrum banjo lesson plans in order to create something that was cohesive and useful. She was able to develop those plans into a complete, easy to read plectrum banjo training Guide. The project ultimately took over three years to complete.

As a beginning banjo student, Sue could quickly see the instructional "gaps" in the Plectrum Guide. Working with Dave, she successfully made the Guide flow from chapter to chapter to its conclusion. The end result is a collaboration between player and student that creates an instructional guide unique in the plectrum banjo world.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 300 pages
• Publisher: S L S & Co (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967361117
• ISBN-13: 978-0967361116
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #607,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best plectrum book, bar none (I have them all)!, May 31, 2000

By 

Howard Clark (Brookston, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide, Volume 1 (Spiral-bound)

I ordered the Ultimate Book as soon as it came out, and I have gained more plectrum skills in the past few weeks than in the 5 years previous! It is absolutely fabulous. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, student or teacher, it is the perfect plectrum banjo book.

I live in a small town in Indiana, the middle of plectrum banjo nowhere, and have been trying to learn to play plectrum for the last five years. Despite years of 5-string playing, I just wasn't getting anywhere...particularly without a live teacher.Then along came The Ultimate Plectrum Guide. The chord diagrams are the best I've ever seen. They are used in a unique way to indicate timing, picking, and even whether to pick up or down. The organization of the book is superb. First of all the explanations are precise, including "Dave's Rules", neat little generalities that stick in your mind the way he intended them to. Exercises are meaningful...when Dave says play it 20 times, if you play it 20 times you will have learned it. The book starts with the basic chords, and just when you have had enough chord playing, they interject a secondary subject, then back to chords, etc. By the time you reach the end of the beginner's section, you can play all but the most arcane of chords with various picking styles. But then you come to part 3: "Adding Some Polish". Single string picking, turnarounds, etc. "Chord melody vs. improv vs. Background", "You're working too hard -- shortcuts" and "Transposing on the fly". Really great stuff.

Part Four, "Music Theory" is terrific, my wife is taking piano lessons and reading through this section clarified things her teacher was unable to. It is practical music theory, which sounds like a conflict in terms, but it is presented in such a way that you can put it to use immediately...building chords, transposing, converting to chord melody, etc.

Section 4 "Intermediate Banjo Playing" is about playing in groups. The first chapter, "When to cheat and how to do it", is full of techniques for playing above your head. The second, "What'd he say?" is a lexicon of band jargon so you don't feel stupid when you first sit in with a group.

Part 6, "Advanced Banjo Playing" really is, subjects like "single string and embelishments", "Differing Scales", modes and the harmonized scale, and "Inside chords and beyond". Then comes the Appendices! Every chord diagram you can conceive of, transposition charts, etc., etc.

This book is not only the very best plectrum banjo book, it should be the model for every "how to play anything". It is a whole new approach to writing music books, a superb teacher (David Frey) combined with an outstanding writer of technical manuals (Susanne Sagiacomo, who was actually learning to play) created honest-to-God synergy and advanced the art of music instruction by a whole order of magnitude.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, May 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide, Volume 1 (Spiral-bound)

Covers all the bases from beginners to playing in a jazz band. Highly recommended to all especially those who can't find a instructor for this elusive instrument. It also is a nice supplement to the Buddy Wachter video courses. Also recommended...Vol 2. Well done Dave and Sue!

5.0 out of 5 stars The best plectrum book, bar none (I have them all)!, May 31, 2000

By 

Howard Clark (Brookston, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide, Volume 1 (Spiral-bound)

"The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide" reallyis. It is not only the very best plectrum banjo book, it is a wholeorder of magnitude better than any music instruction book I've ever encountered.

I ordered the Ultimate Book as soon as it came out. I live in a small town in Indiana, which is in the middle of plectrum banjo nowhere, and have been trying to learn to play plectrum for the past 5 years. Despite many years of 5-string playing, I just wasn't getting anywhere. Then along came "The Ultimate Plectrum...Guide", I have gained more plectrum skills in the past few weeks than in the previous 5 years! It is absolutely fabulous. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced player, a student or a teacher, it is the perfect plectrum banjo book. The chord diagrams are the best I've ever seen. They are used in a unique way to indicate timing, picking, and even whether to pick up or down. The organization of the book is also superb. The explanations are precise, including "Dave's Rules", neat little generalities that stick in your mind the way he intended them to. Exercises are meaningful...when Dave says play it 20 times, if you play it 20 times you will have learned it. The book starts with the basic chords, and just when you have had enough chord playing, they interject an interesting secondary subject, then back to chords, etc. By the time you reach the end of the beginner's section, you can play all but the most arcane of chords with various timing and picking styles.

Next is part 3: "Adding Some Polish". Single string picking, turnarounds, etc. "Chord melody vs. improv vs. Background", "You're working too hard -- shortcuts" and "Transposing on the fly". Really great stuff.

Part Four, "Music Theory" is terrific, my wife is taking piano lessons and reading through this section clarified ideas her teacher was unable to get across. It is practical music theory, however, which may sound like a conflict in terms, but it is presented in such a way that you can put it to use immediately...building chords, transposing, converting to chord melody, etc.

Section 4 "Intermediate Banjo Playing" is about playing in groups. The first chapter, "When to cheat and how to do it", is full of techniques for playing above your head. The second, "What'd he say?" is a lexicon of band jargon so you don't feel stupid when you first sit in with a group.

Part 6, "Advanced Banjo Playing" really is, subjects like "single string and embelishments", "Differing Scales", modes and the harmonized scale, and "Inside chords and beyond".

Then comes the fabulous Appendices! Every chord diagram you can conceive of, transposition charts, etc., etc.

This book is not only the very best plectrum banjo book, it should be the model for every "how to play anything". It is a whole new approach to writing music books, a superb teacher (David Frey) combined with an outstanding writer of technical manuals (Susanne Sagiacomo, who was actually learning to play) created honest-to-God synergy and advanced the art of music. If you've read this far, buy it! END