Banjo Player
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Re: Sore Fingers Week 2006
Re: John Dowling as tutor, Banjo
He was simply excellent managing and teaching 21/22 beginners. He taught with a lightness of touch as well as considerable expertise. I don’t know what experience he has as a teacher but he was great with us who were of very varying levels of ability.
The first major point was that he gave us all a folder of all the material – and more – that he hoped to cover. It was well prepared and well set out. He took us through it systematically and carefully without it ever becoming burdensome. The folder particularly covered some of the finer points of banjo playing which mystify the beginner.
The second big point was the quality of his one on one session’s which he had to fit in (instead of 15 minutes I had 25 minutes). He carefully answered and demonstrated all my prepared questions and then moved on further so that my efforts would improve – which was the whole purpose! The third point – and maybe everyone did this – he gave us an exercise involving a simple tune, already printed out, onto which we ‘planted’ the banjo rolls, slides, hammers, etc. The finished version of ‘Good King Wenceslas’ pleased even John. It was most illuminating for us students simply to see how bluegrass banjo works.
Less obvious, but to me very important was that he never showed off his obvious expertise. He demonstrated items then gave us ample time to practice before taking us further with more difficult examples.
He is a fine banjo teacher. Do not loose him. He is a great asset to Sore Fingers Week and humble with it. He was ready, even eager, to take ideas and suggestions from us beginners and turn them over with detailed comments as to how they could, or could not, be incorporated in bluegrass banjo playing.
As a 60 year old beginner I am glad we were separated into instrument groups and not all taught collectively as 60/70 beginners in one room. I have no idea what the other tutors were like but since I am a retired teacher I would like to say that I rate John as very high class as well as being a fine young man. He treated us all with respect and care. He gave no offence whatsoever to anybody; not even a single swear word that I can recall which, I guess, shows great self control.
Your website is correct; “John has all the attributes required to teach bluegrass banjo.”
Richard Hall
Copyright © 2006 John Dowling.
All rights reserved.
Revised: February 1st 2007