The tools and the progress:

Click on the picture to enlarge it

Inventory:
Books:
McNeil Chord System for Plectrum (Long Neck) Banjo by Charles McNeil (1955 printing)
The Banjo Player's Bible by Alfred Greathouse (1981 printing)
The Ultimate Plectrum Banjo Player's Guide, Vol. 1 and 2 by David Frey and Susanne Sangiacomo
Riley's Routines for better Banjo by Jim Riley
How to Play Plectrum Banjo by Donald F. Stevison
Now You can Play the Banjo by Don Van Palta (part of video series)
A notebook with song transcriptions from Don Van Palta
A notebook with private lesson sheets from Jim Riley
Tapes:
Learning Plectrum Banjo by Buddy Wachter
Now You can Play the Banjo by Don Van Palta
Video and Audio cassette song lessons from Don Van Palta
Audio cassete recordings from Jim Riley lessons
Buddy Wachter Banjo Pathways instruction video
Other:
Metronome
Electronic Tuner
Tyler Mountain TMP-60 Plectrum Banjo
Banjo (or Guitar) Stand
GHS Fast Fret String Lubricant (not shown)
Music Stand

Lesson Song Progression

I believe a good teacher will give a lesson and use it to gauge what to give at the next lesson based on the results of the previous lesson. Sometimes showing up at the lesson given only a week to learn it is hard. I think that students should be vocal if they think the teacher is going too fast or too slow. Jim has given me as many as three songs to learn in a week. Most of the time it is only one. I try to be ready to play the song or songs at the next lesson. I think Jim has adjusted the songs because I still am having problems with playing 'Five Foot Two' smoothly but I can rip into other songs with no problems. Also, some songs are great for working out problems that impact other songs. Some songs are taught to emphasize particular techniques. Songs 6 and 7 emphasize a right hand technique called 'strum strum plink-a-plink.' Knowing this technique has helped me with learning other songs.

Note: Try to play all of the songs you have learned frequently. There's always room for improvement on every song and you will never know when you will get to perform it.

Because of studying books one and two of Don Van Palta's course, Jim was able to get me started on chord melodies almost immediately. Here's the progression of songs I've been learning. I include audio to selected songs.

The dates of the actual lesson are not included. These are in order as of the end of June, 2004 and on occasion either Jim or I have had to skip a week. The recording dates of the songs I link to audio MP3 files are included.

1. I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover (chords only)
2. Camptown Races
3. Five Foot Two
4. Somebody Stole My Gal Recorded 10/11/04
One Year Version of Somebody... Recorded 03/02/05
5. The World is Waiting for the Sunrise
6. Minor Key Melody Blues (composed by Jim)
7. Red Red Robin
8. Frankie and Johnny
9. Chim Chim Cheree
10. Ice Cream
11. Drifting and Dreaming
12. Whispering
13. That's My Weakness Now
14. Old Folks at Home Recorded 10/11/04
15. Shake That Thing
16. Love Me Tender
17. Put your Arms Around me Honey
18. I Want to be Happy
19. Melody of Love
20. Runnin' Wild
21. Grandfather's Clock
22. Baby Face (for learning how to play tremelo)
23. Yearning
24. Blue Skies
25. Alabamy Bound (with Avalon) Recorded 02/27/05
26. Button Up Your Overcoat
27. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
28. I Want a Girl
29. China Boy
30. Everywhere You Go
31. Aloha Oe
32. The Bells of St. Mary's
33. Blueberry Hill
34. Sentimental Journey
35. Crazy
36. 12th Street Rag
37. Bei Mir Bist du Schoen

Some extra songs:
Liebestraum - I learned it from a Don Van Palta arrangement in Jazz Banjo Magazine. 03/03/05
C-F Medley - Three songs I learned from Jim, Ice Cream, I want to be Happy, and Five Foot Two. 03/03/05

Here are some pictures of my acoustic instruments, including the Gold Tone banjo I got at Allenberry this year with the Farquhar bridge:
[Note: I sold the Gold Tone at the 2005 FIGA Convention since I would not give it the attention it needed after buying the VegaVox.]

New! My VegaVox I - Made by Martin in the 1970s. Nice! Click on the thumbnails

New! 2005 FIGA Convention Pictures! Click on the thumbnails

This page is still under construction