Fans and students of the five string banjo have been enjoying the recent album, Una Más, released earlier this year by two of Europe’s premier banjo players, Lluis Gomez of Spain and Jean Marie Redon of France.
Una Más, or One More, features compositions from this pair of heralded banjoists, both following in the more contemporary mode of bluegrass, with a couple of old time fiddle favorites thrown in for good measure. Some of the tracks find Lluis and Jean Marie playing twin banjos in harmony, while others find them soloing separately on each other’s instrumental pieces.
The record is a delight for modern banjophiles, and a transcription book has just been made available with the opening themes and harmony parts for all 9 tracks that have double banjo. All the tunes are presented in clear, easy-to-read, metered tablature with rhythm markings, and the authors have included occasional left hand markings where appropriate.
Across the 9 tunes you’ll find examples of Scruggs-style 3 finger banjo, along with melodic and single string examples. Una Más, the book, runs to 28 pages and will present a fine challenge to any banjo picker looking to expand their horizons. But if you have a 5 string buddy to play with, learning the twin banjo arrangements should be both demanding and entertaining.
You can contact Gomez online about obtaining a copy of the book.
