Paul Fairbanks — Ithaca, NY, USA

More About Me

I am happy to work with banjo students at all levels and abilities. Most of my students are adults from the Finger Lakes area, but I have also worked with many young people.

My approach to teaching is to find out what each student wants to accomplish. Typically that includes being able to jam with other players, so the focus is often on understanding how songs can be played with some simple chords. I'm a firm believer in having fun with bluegrass and the fun really starts when you can play songs with other musicians!

I have developed an approach to right hand rolls that can be used to play the melody line of a song, which is often one of the big mysteries of the 5 string. Along with this method, I have lots of materials, tabs, and exercises.

I cover all the basic Scruggs rolls, licks, bells, and whistles. I don't, however, insist on playing every thing just like Earl. To the contrary, I think we all need to find our own "inner Earll!"

I do incorporate some music theory into lessons, including how to find chords "up the neck," how to understand major and minor chords, and how to play backup. For more advanced players, I can offer suggestions on more complex chords, chord substitutions, and melodic style banjo.

My teaching schedule is still dependent on my 8-5 job, so most lessons are in the evenings or weekends. I don't insist on a fixed weekly schedule. In fact, several of my students come every other week (affording them time to absorb and master material). I can also do "jump start" lessons every week for those students (often soon to be college grads) who are wanting to cram in as much banjo information as possible before they leave the area.

Feel free to drop me an email if you're interested in finding out more. And most of all, have fun playing music!!