New Clip from Picking Up The Pace on YouTube

Today we posted a new clip from our Picking Up The Pace: More Slow Jamming with Murphy and Casey DVD. Here 'tis. If, for some reason it doesn't show up here, I pasted the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2qCCMUQTNY I especially liked the comments. It's always nice to know that someone thinks you're a "hottie".

Know When NOT to Play!

Recently I was picking with some folks here in the local Winchester area. We were having a good time, but there was a discordant note. Or, actually, lots of them. And they were all coming from one player. The trouble was that the banjo player played pretty loud lead all the time. He played during…

The Murphy Method Celebrates in Nashville!

All four Henry’s congregated in Nashville this weekend for Red’s birthday picking party at the World Famous Station Inn. Here are some pictures of us doing what we like to do best: pick! The  World Famous Station Inn Red’s Birthday Cake The picking gets started! L-R: Chris Henry, Red Henry, John Hedgecoth (Red’s uncle), Gary…

You Have to LISTEN Before You Can PLAY

We recently received a question from a guitar student who wants to learn to flatpick in jam sessions. Here's part of his note to us: “I've been playing guitar for a bit over 40 years... I can play rhythm without batting an eye and play totally by ear... Bluegrass is my all time favorite and…

Misfits Jam: Another Point of View

Here’s another report from Saturday’s Misfit Jam. This is from Bob the bass player/guitar player/singer. Bob has already been immortalized (?) in at least one of my Banjo Newsletter columns. He’s been taking lessons off and on (mostly on) for ten or fifteen years. And in spite of his grousing below, he has developed his…

New website testing

Today I have a favor to ask of you loyal TMM Blog readers. I'm working on redesigning my own website for a class that I'm taking, and adding a working store to it. If you'd care to take a minute to check it out and let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate it.…

The Old Dodge Van

We recently sold our old Dodge band-van, one that had carried us to many performances years ago. The van had been with us for 23 years, but it was time for it to find a new home. Talk about nostalgia! We bought this van new in 1985, when Casey was 7 years old and Christopher…

Misfits Jamming on their Own

  Some of my newest Misfits got together on Saturday to jam---without me---and I asked a couple of them to share their experiences. I hope some of you who are taking lessons from a teacher will consider getting together with some fellow students. All it takes is one person (or in this case one couple)…

Some more WATCHING and LISTENING

I promised that you'd get a follow-up report on the show we played recently with some friends, and here it is. To begin with, Murphy and I walked into the performing venue (the local Moose club) to find that thanks to Charlie and Charlotte, the sound system was already set up and working---a real plus…

Lesson Tip

Here's something that came up at a lesson yesterday that I thought I'd share. One of my beginning fiddle students, who is taking up fiddle for the first time at age 71, bless her heart, was having a not-too-good lesson. Her playing was not as smooth as she wanted it to be and her bow…