Classes in Bluegrass Banjo & Old-Time Banjo

Midwest Banjo Camp offers highly specialized classes with subjects tailored to the expertise of our faculty. Most of our classes are "hands-on," meaning that teachers have a set of skills or a tune or two in mind to impart, and that students should have their instruments in hand during class. Following is a list of popular banjo classes from previous years.  To see our actual class offerings, check out the MBC 2024 Program Schedule. The 2025 Schedule will be posted in late December or early in January.

Old Time
  • Intro to Round Peak Clawhammer
  • How to Play with Fiddlers: Concepts & Strategies
  • Wade Ward's 3-Finger Chording Style
  • The Clawhammer Styles of Fields & Wade Ward
  • Intro to Syncopation, Clawhammer Style
  • The Fundamentals of Drop and Double Thumbing
  • Grandpa Jones Songs & Tunes
  • Mastering the Mechanics of Good Tone
  • Western North Carolina Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer
  • That Old-Time Rhythm
  • The "Chuck"and Other Rhythmic Space Fillers
  • Exploring Cumberland Gap Tuning
  • Banjo Pickin' Girls: Songs from the Coon Creek Girls & Cousin Emmy
  • Round-Peak Retrospective: Contrasting Creed, Jarrell, & Cockerham
  • Can That Tuner: Learn to Tune & Change Tunings by Ear
Bluegrass
  • Fitting in at a Jam: Hearing & Following Chord Changes
  • Intro to Melodic Bluegrass
  • Essentials of Single String
  • The Essential Earl: Licks & Techniques
  • Tone Color & Acoustic Special Effects
  • The Banjo Style of JD Crowe
  • Don Reno Techniques & Tunes
  • Blues Banjo: Improvising Over a Three Chord Harmony
  • Roll Logic: How the Rolls Work
  • Rock 'n' Roll, TV Themes & Other Stuff You Ain't Supposed to Play on Banjo
  • Scruggs-Style Picking in the key of C
  • Up the Neck Scruggs-Style Backup
  • Intro to Jazz Improvisation
  • 3rds & 6ths: Playing Melody & Harmony Together
  • Walking Basslines, Texas-Swing & "Stride" Bass as Approaches to Backup
  • Picking it Solid: Achieving Clarity, Punch, & Timing:
  • From Bluegrass to Western swing: A New Slant on Bluegrass Chord Progressions

Levels and Tracks for Bluegrass & Old-time Banjo

All students at MBC are free to take any class at any time. You can move among levels, move freely between old-time and bluegrass, take classes in different instruments, and generally create a program that works best for you. We now offer four levels or "tracks" for both bluegrass and old-time banjo: novice, lower intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced. Here is how we define our levels:

The  Novice Track

The Novice Tracks in old-time and bluegrass banjo are for students who are just starting out on the instrument, and have well under one year’s playing experience. Recognizing that students just getting underway have unique learning requirements, we offer a course of instruction designed to impart both needed skills and effective practice-attitudes.

Note: If you already know these basics, we recommend diving into either the lower intermediate or even the upper intermediate programs. Even if they are a little over your head, you'll still be taking home vital advice and mental images that will guide your growth on banjo for years to come.

Want to Get Started at Clawhammer? If you could use an introduction to clawhammer, or a refresher on the very basics before coming to camp, check out these two videos prepared by MBC director Ken Perlman: Ken Perlman's Intro to Clawhammer #1 and Ken Perlman's Intro to Clawhammer #2.

Want to Get Started at Bluegrass Banjo? If you could use an introduction to bluegrass banjo, or a refresher on the very basics before coming to camp, check out this video prepared by Greg Cahill.

Lower Intermediate Track

The lower intermediate level is for those players who are above the novice level but are still in the process of mastering basic techniques. The focus here is overwhelmingly on acquiring the skills you’ll need to grow as a player. This track is for students who have been playing between nine months and two years.

Upper Intermediate Track

This level is for students who have been playing for at least two years. Classes in this track are not necessarily technically demanding, but they generally require that students have considerable familiarity with the instrument.

Advanced Track

These challenging classes give our instructors the opportunity to offer students the full depth of  their expertise and experience.

Do I Need to Sign Up for Classes or Levels in Advance?

You do NOT have to sign up in advance or make any special arrangements to attend any particular instruction level. At MBC you are completely free to make class selections as you please.