I have played music in one form or another since I was 10 years old. From Junior High band to successful rock bands and “disco” show bands, I have done it all. Recently, I have added banjo to my arsenal of stringed instruments. I have played guitar and bass guitar for years, but have always love the twang and ring of the 5-string banjo. Here are 7  reasons I think that you will benefit from playing bluegrass music and especially the banjo.

1 Playing banjo is good for the spirit! It is true, as Steve Martin has often said, “The banjo is such a happy instrument–you can’t play a sad song on the banjo – it always comes out so cheerful.”

2 Learning to play banjo is the best lesson in discipline you will ever learn. Hours of practicing the forward, backward and reverse rolls are great training for patience AND persistence. Note to those with spouses and significant others: When you have practiced enough to drive them crazy, you are on the right track. Keep practicing!!!!

3 Toting the banjo. Toting a 12 pound banjo and case will improve your physical conditioning. Be sure and stay evenly balanced by carrying a bag of song books, stands, picks and other goodies in the other hand.

4 Playing the banjo with others. I have found that bluegrass jams are a great way to make music and make friends. The communal aspect of the jam circle and it rituals are really intriguing to see in action. It is amazing that a group of folks that may have never met can get together and play tunes some may not know and produce very listenable music. The “JAM” rocks!!!

5 Buying, Selling, Trading banjos. Many musicians spend a lifetime with one special instrument. However, most are not so monogamous with their banjo. In self-defense, it is good to acquire the skill sets of the Western “horse trader” and learn how to buy low, sell high and trade right. These skills are often transferable to the business world, especially for automobile sales and trading stocks.

6 Banjo as a second instrument. Don’t ever let your banjo know you are really a guitar player. It is best if they do not meet …. However, learning banjo will improve your guitar playing and timing in general.

7 Giving back with the banjo. Be sure and share banjo happiness with others. Get some friends together and take your music to the nursing home or children’s hospital in your area. This is a wonderful opportunity for giving back and your will be blessed to see the appreciation in the eyes of those you are playing for.

I will leave you with this thought: Nothing says ‘dropping out of society’ like learning the banjo. – Daniel Roth

If you have a benefit for playing the banjo, let us know!!!

This might be old news to a lot of you, but one of the “must-have” tools in your songwriter’s bag of tricks is The “Nashville Number System”.

This system, as the name implies, was developed by the seasoned session players in the Nashville studios in the 1950’s. The problem was standard music charts were written in one specific key. If the singer needed a different key, the transposition of the chords took too much time in an expensive studio environment.

Solution! The Nashville Number System!
Here’s how it works – The 7 notes of the major scale are assigned – you guessed it – NUMBERS!
For example, the key of C major scale consists of C D E F G A B. With the NNS the notes are C=1, D=2, E=3, F=4, G=5, A=G, 7=B. So a familiar tune with 3 chords of C-F-G is 1-4-5 in the system. I know that this sounds ridiculously simple, but believe me, this is a great way to learn the relative chord structure of songs and very useful for studio work and jams.

Note – there are many links out on the web on the system and there are more complicated versions. If you want the ultimate book on this, get Chas Williams book from Amazon on the subject.

If you are serious about your songwriting and getting cuts, learn this system.

If you have not heard of The Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, you owe to your self to check it out. This festival is relatively new on the circuit, this upcoming year will be the 9th Annual. This is quite an eclectic event spanning a weekend in September in the “Twin Cities” of Bristol TN/VA. The music mix ranges from American, Bluegrass, Celtic and more. Visit the site for more information. Performers this year include Patty Loveless, Sierra Hull, The Dan Tyminski Band, The Packway Handle Band, Tim O’Brien and many, many more! Dates are September 18 – 20, 2009. Let me know if you have been there and what you think. Let’s spread the word on this one…