Fretmentor’s Blog is for Everyone
Here you will find music related articles of interest to all musicians and music lovers. We provide product reviews, concert, places and event summaries, historical topics, profiles on current or past artists, music theory and more.
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Author Archives: fretmentor
Leo Fender – “Quiet Giant Heard Around The World”
A Memory-Filled Journey Into The Life Of Guitar Legend Leo Fender On November 1, 2017, a new book entitled “Leo Fender: The Quiet Giant Heard Around the World” will be released. I have had the chance to briefly review this … Continue reading
Country Music Hall of Fame
The Country Music Hall of Fame A Visit Down Memory Lane My wife and I spent the weekend in Nashville for our anniversary. We live an hour and a half south and believe it or not, had never been to … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, Fiddle, Guest Columns, Guitar, History, Mandolin
Tagged Bill Monroe, Country Music Hall of Fame, earl scruggs, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Nashville, Tennessee
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Meeting Alan Munde
An Interview With Banjo Legend Alan Munde On the weekend of January 28th, 2012, I had the honor of hosting banjo legend Alan Munde at my Fretmentor workshop for banjo, guitar, mandolin and fiddle players. Additional instructors at this event … Continue reading
Tuning Your Banjo Head Using A Drum Dial
What is a drum dial and how can you use it to set up your banjo head correctly? Fretmentor student, Justin Lambert, explains the process of tuning your banjo head with a Drum Dial, in today’s guest blog. Drum Dial … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, Guest Columns, Recording & Technology
Tagged banjo head tuning, drum dial
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To Pedal or Not to Pedal – Part I
Experimenting with Pedal Boards Part I By Andrew Bauman After years of playing the acoustic guitar, I finally branched out a few years ago and bought my first electric guitar. My “starter” amp came with some built-in effects – distortion, … Continue reading
Posted in Recording & Technology
Tagged effects pedals, electric guitar pedals, pedal boards
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Sierra Hull, Mandolin Virtuoso, Takes Her Trio to the Lyric
Sierra Hull’s Trio Is A Hit Sierra Hull introduced her newest music project “Weighted Mind” February 11, 2016, at the newly renovated Lyric Theater in Downtown Stuart. She was joined onstage by Ethan Jodziewicz (double bass) and Justin Moses (banjo, … Continue reading
KT Tunstall & A Bahamas Cruise
KT Tunstall Concert & A Cruise To The Bahamas Talk about going to see a concert in style. On the weekend of May 16-17, 2015, a very special woman in my life and I took a romantic two night cruise … Continue reading
Meeting The King of The Blues
The Night I Met the King of the Blues I remember it as though it was yesterday. On April 2, 1992, an old friend and I attended the BB King concert at the now defunct Carefree Theatre, located in West … Continue reading
Posted in Concerts & Festivals, Guitar, News & Events
Tagged BB King, King of the Blues, Lucille
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Serious Music Students?
Raise Your Hand If You Are A Serious Music Student I regularly teach community education music classes through the Palm Beach County School system. The classes at Palm Beach Gardens High School are primarily for beginning students, many who have … Continue reading
Posted in Classes & Workshops, Other, Uncategorized
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Jingle Jammin’
It’s Not Too Early … To Learn Holiday Tunes That time of year is right around the corner. The Christmas holidays are fast approaching and while you may be asking why I am writing about it so early, it is … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Music Technique
Tagged Acoustic Christmas Music
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Matchbox Blues
Matchcovers & Music What is the Connection? Over the past number of months, I have been busy working on a new blues instructional program for fretted instruments. One of the songs incorporated in my lesson plan is “Matchbox Blues”, which … Continue reading
Posted in History, Other, Uncategorized
Tagged Cavern Club, John Lennon, Matchbox Blues, matchcover collecting, The Beatles
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Slowhand Still Up To Speed
The latest feature for Fretmentor’s Blog is to hear about the experience of other music lovers, students and performers . Today, I have invited a guest (Andy Baumann) to contribute his review of the Eric Clapton concert he attended recently. … Continue reading
Posted in Concerts & Festivals, Guest Columns, Guitar
Tagged Blues, Cream, Derek and the Dominoes, Eric Clapton
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First Time’s A Charm
A recent feature for Fretmentor’s Blog is to hear about the experience of other music lovers, students and performers . Today, I have invited a guest (Doug Cone) to contribute a story on his experience performing music for the time … Continue reading
Music Festival Jammin’
A new feature for Fretmentor’s Blog is to hear about the experience of other music lovers, students and performers . Today, I have invited a guest (Chick Veenstra) to contribute a story about his attendance at his first music festival. … Continue reading
Posted in Concerts & Festivals, Guest Columns, Other
Tagged bluegrass jam, Music Festivals
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Road To Nechville
Have you ever been to Nechville? I bet you didn’t know it’s located in Minnesota. Nechville, however, is not a Town but a wonderful toy store for the banjo enthusiast like me. Since 1989, Nechville has been manufacturing professional banjos … Continue reading