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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Category Archives: Banjo
Fretmentor’s Second Annual Banjo & Guitar Workshop Featuring Jens & Uwe Kruger – March 26-27, 2011 in Lake Worth, Florida
Jens & Uwe Kruger … They’re Back for a Second Time. Two of the great performers, instructors and entertainers of the banjo and guitar will return for an encore. On March 26-27th, 2011, Fretmentor will host the Second Annual Banjo … Continue reading
Fretmentor’s Acoustic Christmas
Yes, its that time a year again. The time we go into the attic and pull down the Christmas lights and ornaments. It is the time we go to our local retail store and hear Christmas tunes from the past. … Continue reading
Bluegrass Legends
JD Crowe and the New South Perform at the Lyric Theatre On Saturday, March 20, 2010, I had the pleasure of seeing JD Crowe, one of the greatest banjo players of all time, perform with his band JD Crowe and … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, Concerts & Festivals, Mandolin
Tagged Bobby Osborne, JD Crowe, JD Crowe and the New South
1 Comment
Jens & Uwe Kruger & Fretmentor’s 2010 Workshop
April 9-10, 2010 Jens & Uwe Kruger’s Banjo & Guitar Workshop For months now, I have been working out the details for Fretmentor’s First Annual Banjo & Guitar Workshop – Featuring Jens & Uwe Kruger, to be held in Southeast … Continue reading
Banjo Rap
Does The Banjo Get A “Bad Rap” At Times? Is the banjo and instrument that sometimes receives undeserved or critical judgment from non-musical observers? At times, I notice references made on television or in public, to the banjo or banjo … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, History
Tagged ballad of jed clampet, banjo history, banjo music, banjo players, dueling banjos, earl scruggs, foggy mountain breakdown
10 Comments
Motor City Bluegrass?
I remember that first festival as though it was yesterday. Of all places, it was held outside of the Motor City. That is right, just outside of Detroit, Michigan. The home of Motown and automobile production, was taking a back … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, Guitar, History, Mandolin, News & Events
Tagged Bill Monroe, bluegrass festival, bluegrass music, Doug Dillard, John Hartford
8 Comments
Greatest Musicians – Do Polls Only Go So Far?
Over the course of a year or so, I added polls to my website www.fretmentor.com, for readers to vote on who they believe is the best banjo, guitar or mandolin player of all-time. Of course, some of these polls had … Continue reading
Posted in Banjo, Guitar, History, Mandolin
Tagged banjo players, guitar players, history of performers, mandolin players, music pioneers
4 Comments
Stelling’s Staghorn
What does the Virginian, Old Woody, Sunflower, Staghorn, Crusader, Bellflower and Master Cross have in common? These are some of highest quality banjos made by Geoff Stelling at Stelling Banjo Works, located in Afton Virgnia. I like to think of … Continue reading
Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin – Which is the Easiest to Play?
Whether I am performing on stage or teaching in the classroom, I frequently get the following question “Which instrument is the easiest to play; the Banjo, Guitar, or Mandolin?” Banjo For the banjo player, there are various styles that you … Continue reading