Most everyone who has studied bluegrass banjo will say that one of the most demanding aspects of mastering the style is learning the many ways to back up a vocalist or another instrumentalist in a band setting. Earl Scruggs, of
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The Pick Band offers end to lost finger picks
Losing track of your picks can be maddening when the urge to play or practice hits, especially for new banjo or guitar pickers who haven't developed routines to manage them. And if you have cats in your house, forget about
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Gospel Plowboys welcome new banjoist, Peden Williams
North Carolina-based bluegrass Gospel group and Mountain Fever recording artists, The Gospel Plowboys, have acquired a new banjo picker, Peden Williams of Concord, NC. The 23-year-old is replacing Plowboys' banjoist, Charles Honeycutt, who had to step down from the position
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My Bluegrass Heart – Béla Fleck
After a career that's taken him from abject grassicana with the New Grass Revival to jazz, fusion, funk, classical, and world music alike, Béla Fleck returns to his first love with his first fully realized bluegrass album in some 20
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15 year old Gibson Davis subs for Kristin Scott Benson with The Grascals
Kristin Scott Benson laid her dad, Fred Scott, 84, of Union, SC, to rest this past weekend. One thing that she didn't have to worry over was the shows that she would be missing with her band, The Grascals. Band
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Ask Sonny Anything… what did you think of the Earl Scruggs Revue?
We just lost one the most prolific songwriters ever in Tom T. Hall. Did the Osborne Brothers ever play any shows together? And did you all record any of his songs? Thanks for your time! Sean M Yes on both counts. We did
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Honest Lies video from Tray Wellington Band
Things are moving fast in young banjo player Tray Wellington's career. A recent graduate of the Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music Studies program at ETSU, he already has a record deal with Mountain Home Music, and a new album
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A visit to Průcha Bluegrass Instruments in Prague
This visit with Jaroslav Průcha is a contribution from Matt Scutchfield, a music vlogger, journalist, graduate of Berklee College of Music, and current associate concert producer at The Wild Rose Moon Performing Arts Center in Plymouth, IN. He is of Eastern
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Ask Sonny Anything… why did you play a 6 string banjo?
Sonny is again unable to respond to questions this week, so we are re-running another of his most popular columns. Let’s hope he is back at it next week. Is it true you lifted up your banjo on stage into a ceiling fan
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Portuguese banjo man Andre Dal
I don't consider myself as a solo performer because first and foremost, Portugal is a country where bluegrass music is almost unknown, and it's very hard to book gigs as a band, and even worse as a solo banjo performer,”