On Banjo with Alison Brown
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Course Structure On Banjo with Alison Brown
Each lesson builds on the last, taking you from zero to hero!
Master banjo with Grammy winner Alison Brown. Over 140 lessons from fundamentals through advanced Scruggs, melodic, and single string techniques.
Section 1
Learn banjo fundamentals like how to tune your banjo, play basic rolls, and enjoy your first beginner-friendly songs. Explore essential chords, rolls, and tabs to begin playing classic banjo tunes. Build your banjo foundation with rolls, slides, hammer-ons, and early bluegrass techniques.
Section 2
Explore Scruggs-style banjo with more roll patterns, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and classic tunes. Build strong banjo skills through forward rolls, licks, and essential techniques. Learn foundational Scruggs elements and play classic songs with clarity and confidence.
Section 3
Explore new keys like C and D, along with essential banjo kickoffs and song examples. Build skills in the keys of C and D while learning practical kickoffs and bluegrass tunes. Learn to play in C and D, expanding your range with songs and classic banjo intros.
Section 4
Strengthen your ear and learn to create solos on classic bluegrass banjo tunes. Explore ear training and soloing techniques through familiar bluegrass melodies. Build your ear and soloing skills by charting and playing timeless banjo songs.
Section 5
Expand your banjo skills with up-the-neck arrangements of jam standards, new licks, and solo techniques. Develop upper-neck fluency through chord shapes, licks, and familiar bluegrass tunes. Strengthen your fretboard knowledge with clear guidance on upper-position solos.
Section 6
Learn to support vocals and instruments with tasteful banjo backup and rhythmic fills. Explore dynamic banjo backup techniques for both songs and instrumental breaks. Learn reliable backup playing approaches to accompany and compliment mandolin, guitar, vocals, and more
Section 7
Explore melodic style banjo by learning the G scale and playing tunes like “Oh Susanna.” Build melodic banjo skills with the G scale and familiar melodies like “Sailor’s Hornpipe.” Learn the G scale and bring a melodic touch to tunes like “Turkey in the Straw.”
Section 8
Explore single string technique, triplets, and melodic tools for advanced banjo playing. Build precision with single-string scales, triplets, and expressive soloing tools. Learn single-string skills to expand your range and blend styles in advanced solos.
Section 9
Explore classic banjo licks in G-C and D-G, plus chromatic and triplet variations. Welcome to the candy shop! Learn tons of useful licks in multiple styles to expand your vocabulary. Learn useful banjo licks in common progressions to add color and variety to your playing.
About On Banjo with Alison Brown
Alison Brown has created a definitive video library that includes hundreds of online banjo lessons. Students have unlimited access to Alison's entire banjo method, plus banjo tablature, play-along tracks, and other study materials. What ultimately sets these banjo lessons apart from other online offerings however, is the ability to submit a video for review using the ArtistWorks Video Exchange learning platform. Alison reviews each submission and records a video response, offering tips about how to progress. All students can access the Video Exchange library, which is constantly expanding and may contain the key to unlock your playing.
About Alison Brown
Alison Brown is one of the most multi-faceted minds on today’s roots music scene. As a banjo player, she has thrown out the textbook when it comes to how the banjo is played, and the result is a sound that blends the rugged drive of bluegrass with the harmonic sensibilities of jazz, earning vast acclaim and a GRAMMY award in the process. Alison began her professional music career performing alongside Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Michelle Shocked before forming her own group, The Alison Brown Quartet, in 1993. Since then, Alison and her band have been winning over traditionalists and mainstream music fans alike with her unique style. They have toured extensively throughout the US and abroad with stops at some of music’s most prestigious venues and festivals. Alison has recorded 12 critically-acclaimed solo albums and has received a GRAMMY and multiple GRAMMY nominations. She has also received the USA Artists Fellowship in Music and a Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. In addition, Alison is the co-founder of the internationally recognized roots music label Compass Records Group, which Billboard Magazine has called “one of the greatest independent labels of the last decade.” When she’s not on the road performing, Alison calls Nashville, TN her home and has been teaching at ArtistWorks since July 2023.
What students are saying!
New to Banjo and music
Alison is truly a great artist but more importantly she can relate the beginner from tuning to basic cords. All too often instructors demonstrate what the song should sound like an...
She seems like a nice
She seems like a nice lady. Very calm in explaining her lessons. I get lost now and then but keep repeating the lesson. I am older, not as limber in my hands but can’t help but sm...
Alison Brown is AMAZING!
I've long been an Alison Brown fan, so it's awesome to see her here on ArtistWorks. I can't wait to learn from her once the course opens up! :-)
Not for me, and no response to my request
Alison is a great instructor, but her teaching does not mesh with my needs, no fault of hers, just style and my wants. So AW does not permit one to change to a different instructor...
So far, so good!
I have been in the course since it opened end of July, and I have learned so much already. I decided to take up the banjo as a retirement hobby and have spent the last year and hal...
This is Great!
I think Alison Brown brings something to the banjo world that no one else does. She is a master of the Bluegrass Banjo playing style that we all love. But I've heard much more from...
Excellent!
Alison is a excellent teacher. Very inspiring and encouraging. She makes it feel like she's right there in the room with you every step of the way.
Alison is Fabulous!
Just diving back into 3 finger banjo after about a 50 year pause. Between Alison's brief, but thorough on-line lessons and those I am attending at Swallow Hill Music in Denver, I f...
On banjo with Alison Brow.
Alison dies a fantastic job breaking things down and making learning the banjo fun. The format is such that I can keep reviewing segments, slow them down and practice. Very satisfi...
A Perfect Course!
I received a banjo--out of the blue--in the fall of 2023 for my birthday at just about the time Alison's course appeared on ArtistWorks--kismet, right? As a banjo newbie I can prom...
4.9 (54)