FREE STUFF HERE

Wow you guys! 

I'm thankful to say you are finding my materials and grabbing them up.  My eBook is off and running and the video lessons are a big hit! 

I want to give away some stuff now. 

I'm going to make it a little bit of a treasure hunt for you though.  So here's what you get -

• My eBook - 65 pages of instruction, pictures, and tablature that you can print off if you'd like.
• 28 audio exercise files to go along with the book

You get this for FREE  - that's a $19.99 value for just clicking "Like" then commenting on my FB page.

I'll also pick 1 winner to get my CD (downloadable mp3 files).  And I'll pick a couple of people (US only for this) and I'll send you out my Banjo Lemonade case sticker.

So here we go.

 Banjo Lemonade FB page


Remember - first hit "Like", then comment in the top post about which player is your favorite.  I'll randomly select the winners on Friday the 20th. 

Game on  - 

Let me tell you about Curious.com

 Curious is a fun place to learn!

Check out Curious here


You may be going WHAT?  Ok here goes.  Curious is a website that is a compilation of video lessons for learning to do anything under the sun.  I mean anything.  Want to learn to play banjo, check out my lessons at Banjo Lemonade, want to learn to do some jiujitsu move, some workout, cooking, making paper airplanes, learning to paint, fly real airplanes, etc.  It just goes on and on, you can learn anything on Curious.

So if you you use the link I've provided above you can sign up and you will get $25 in free lessons.  No catch here.  Just $25 in free lessons of any kind you would like.  You can take my lessons or any others using this.  My lessons are either free or 99 cents.

So what are you waiting for?  $25 bucks in free lesson vids that would normally cost you money is a good deal.  Have fun with it. 

Let me know what fun ones you take.  I've already done several fun crafts with my daughter using these lessons, and I've tried out a few new recipes that are keepers too. 

Easy Clawhammer Banjo eBook is here!

I've just finished my eBook!  What are you waiting for?  If you've wanted to learn how to play banjo there is no easier method than mine out there.  This eBook is PACKED full of useful information, tablatures, exercises, and 28 audio exercise files. 

• 65 page eBook
• 28+ audio files, there are some bonus files
• 5 songs in tablature and audio (and instruction on how to play and variations)
• a multitude of tablature exercises
• packed full of advice and tips

Whether you just got a banjo for Christmas or you've been playing for years in another style of banjo and want to learn Clawhammer, this eBook has what you want.

From Day 1 you will be playing banjo.  Early on you will learn how to sing while playing.  By using my easy method you can take virtually any song and play it with ease.   Check it out.

Once you purchase, you will receive a link where you can download both the book and the accompanying audio files.  

Purchase now

If you purchase and provide me with feedback through commenting here or emailing through the website, I will send you out a FREE GIFT. 

New Year New Banjo Player

Well it's 2015!  YIPPIE


Pictured left is a Bob Carlin 350 banjo :-)




So one of your resolutions was to practice your banjo more.  I actually asked this question on my FB page and several other places.  Overwhelming majority said they just wanted to play more. 

Well if you want to play more I have a few tips that may make this resolution easy for you to keep. 

1. Keep your banjo accessible.  Is your banjo sitting in a case in a closet?  If so, try and move it out into the open somewhere.  Hang it on a wall and have some functional artwork, or put it on a stand in your living room.  Just have that baby out where you will see it and it WILL call to you.   "Hey you, play me you jerk I'm getting lonely".  
2. If you don't have the time to put in a 30 minute or hour long session break your time up into 3 10 minute sessions or wake up a half hour early (LOL, yeah right just like you'll wake up early to exercise).  
3. Plan on only learning only a handful of tunes each year.  For you to get good and cozy with a song (to the point where you feel comfortable improvising) you need to play it at least 1000 times.  So get in deep into each song before trying to add more songs.  People often get in too much of hurry and think somehow that memorizing more songs is a good thing.  I think the opposite is really true.  The way I teach you to play you can easily play along with any song if you know the chords, while you take the time to get intimate with the songs you really love and want to learn.  
4. Consider getting MOBILE with your banjo.  Going to shoot hoops with friends at a park?  Why not throw the banjo in your trunk and grab it afterwards and play for awhile under the trees?  Going on vacation - make room for it, the banjo is more essential than underwear in my opinion.  You can always hit up a store and get a pack of underwear, can't get a banjo very easily.  If you need a cheaper model that you won't worry about having in your car or at work I can help you (since I'm a banjo dealer).  Which leads me to this.....
5. Consider purchasing a cheaper banjo to leave at work, leave at relatives homes that you frequent, etc.  Or just buy one to use as your bang around camping sort of banjo.  
6. Finally, KISS.  Keep It Simple Stupid.  I cannot stress this enough.  Don't make everything so complicated.  Banjo playing can be as simple or as hard as you want.  Make time for it, make room for it, love it, pet it, name it George for goodness sakes.  

I hope this can help you to keep your resolutions to yourselves to become that banjo player you want to be in 2015! 

As always I leave you with a verse.

Mandy

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Easy Clawhammer Banjo Part One The Basics

     My first instructional ebook and mp3 exercises will be available soon.  This book will take you from never touching a banjo all the way to playing your first songs.  I have tons of pictures, exercises, tab, and mp3's to go along with it. 

If you just got a banjo, are getting a banjo soon, or know someone who got one this would make the perfect gift. 

The book will be out mid-January but I'm taking pre-orders now for $5.00 off the regular price.  So you can pre-order it now for $14.99 and you'll be the first to get it! 

Pre-order the Ebook here.

All I want for Christmas is a banjo........

If this is you or if this is a family member of someone who wants a banjo this is the post for you!

Tips on what to look for in a banjo and things to consider. 

• price - what sort of budget do you have, do you want an entry level banjo, do you want to forgo the inevitable upgrade to a more expensive banjo later and skip that step, are you unsure if you'll stick with it.  all good things you need to know the answer to before you purchase. 
• banjo type and style - 2 basic types of banjos are open back and resonator banjo.  open back banjos are typically played in the clawhammer or old time style, while resonator banjos are typically played in the bluegrass/scruggs style of play.  NO set rule here so this is a matter of preference in my opinion.  either style can be played on either banjo and or both styles can be played at the same time on either banjo.  i play both styles on all my open back banjos (don't own any resonator banjos at this time because I prefer the lighter weight of the open back). 
• bang for your buck - ok this is extremely important here.  what am i actually getting at with this is do you want to pay more for a name?  just like any purchase you make you want to make sure you are actually getting all the bells and whistles for the best price.  what woods is it made of, what is the tone ring made of, what type of tuners are on it, and on and on and on.  all of this is important from the beginner to expert models.  
• what comes with it - yes this is important too.  who wants to spend a bunch of money on a banjo and not get a case with it?  you can get freebies if you shop around.  free cases, straps, tuners, lessons, and more.  
• shop around - again back to the name thing - we all know that shopping around is the best way to make a decision.  do so, research on the internet, see what's available to view on youtube.  do all this before buying. 

If you want advice from me on any of this I'll be happy to help you.  Keep in mind that I am now affiliated with Gold Tone and do sell their products.  I chose to align myself with them after years of playing their banjos.  I believe they offer quality products at great prices.  I can give you a great banjo, freebies, and lessons from me.  I can also help you compare Gold Tones to other banjos and will always give you my honest opinion about them. 

So in closing I want you to make sure you are making an informed decision before purchasing your first, second, or third banjo.

Mandy

We love because he first loved us.

~ 1 John 4:19

Are you nervous playing around others? Let's talk....

Ok so for most everyone I know public speaking makes them nervous. Really the same goes for most when it comes to performing anything in front of people.

Some folks are fine playing around family, but that nervousness gets ramped up tremendously once they play for an audience of strangers. Here are some strategies that are helpful in making that transition a little easier.  Notice how I said "a little".  More on that below.

If "have banjo will travel" is not something you are saying to yourself and putting into action, then maybe you are just holding yourself back because of that nagging fear of the unknown.

1. Play for your family as much as you can - this may sound like a given but I know folks who avoid others like the plague when it comes to their instrument.  They will go hide in a back room while practicing (all the time).  So get out of that back room and play some for your family.  
2. Get outside on your _______ and play. Porch, your backyard, a park bench, your car with windows down, your truck tailgate, etc.  People will hear you trust me.  Your neighbors, the mailman, the kid riding their bike around the block, walkers at the park, etc.  Having strangers hear you is the first step.  But Mandy you say - what if they don't like me????  To that I say will the world end if they don't like you?  NO it won't.  Putting yourself in that slightly uncomfortable and new situation will force you to overcome that fear.  I believe that you will find a lot of encouragement rather than a lot of discouragement from the public at large.  Of course - first think about what and where you are deciding to play.  Don't go into the library and play for instance.  Don't go next to a kids birthday party at the park and play drinking songs.  Don't play in your yard at 1:00AM.  Don't do silly things. But this is your first step into the real unknown and fear causing emotion of - how will they respond to me.  
3. Find a jam session, create a jam session, see folks that are playing and ask to join in.  PLAY WITH OTHERS.  This is your second real step at how to get rid of that natural feeling of - can i really do this.  Play soft backing to begin with along with what they are playing.  Or if you are leading then play your song proudly.  Everyone was a beginner at one time.  Confidence goes a long way, practice will take you the rest of the way. 
4. Seek out public opportunities to play in front of people.  Is there a local festival happening where folks walk around the park and see many different booths?  Something like that is perfect.  Take a blanket with you and sit under some tree within the festival and start playing -better yet get a couple of people you've been playing with at the jam (or wherever) to come play/sing with you.  Before you know it you will have a small crowd of people near you wanting to hear more.  I have done this countless times folks.  Just do it.  Just be ready to answer the question - Can you play ________? insert a song you do not know here.  Just politely say I don't know that one but how about this and start playing.  You will always run into that because you can never possibly know every song out there.  
5. Now that you are doing all of these things it's time to take it a step further.  Get yourself or your group a gig.  Doesn't have to be a paying deal, but offer to play for the seniors in your community, or at a small event that someone you know is running, a birthday party, your imagination is the limit with this.  Talent contests, open mic nights, there are just a plethora of opportunities for you.  If you attend a church this is a great place to take this step also because some/most of the people are familiar to you.  
6. Now that you are doing this - what can stop you?  

There may or not be a time in your life when you completely get over that little bit of nervousness that comes with performing in front of people.  It's not a big deal really.  I always get a little nervous and I think that is just natural.  But by using these techniques I think you can greatly decrease the amount of nervousness you encounter.  The joy that performing for others brings greatly outweighs the small amount of nervousness anyway. 

So I hope you will get out there!  And one more thing to remember.  Not everyone will LOVE or even LIKE what you are doing.  So what?  Are you friends with every single person you encounter - NO.  Not everyone likes the banjo.  But at the same time I can't tell you how much positive feedback I have encountered.  Plus the banjo itself is a great conversation starter since it's not a guitar.  It's got character!!  

Mandy

P.S. My website is now converted as a dealer website for you to purchase all your banjo needs! Come visit Banjo Lemonade and take a look.  I also sell guitars and other instruments, accessories, and everything you need.  

Mark 5:1(NIV)

19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”