Catherine Bowness Banjo Lessons

I've been playing the banjo for 13 years, beginning in my hometown of Marton, New Zealand. I very quickly fell in love with the instrument and have spent a lot of my time practicing, performing, teaching, recording and collaborating with other musicians ever since. As a teenager, I was given the opportunity to travel to the United States where I attended banjo camps and got to study with some great banjo players (Tony Trischka, Noam Pikelny Alan Munde). In 2011, I graduated from the New Zealand School of Music with a BMus, majoring in Jazz Performance on the banjo. I moved to Boston shortly afterwards to pursue a career in music and have kept a busy teaching schedule privately in Boston and worldwide via Skype. I also perform throughout the United States with my bluegrass band, Mile Twelve. I'm very thankful to have met a wide spectrum of different people while teaching the banjo and am always eager to meet more people who are interested in learning and sharing this great instrument. Please say hi if this sounds like you!

~ About the lessons

I structure my lessons so students learn what they want to learn, while also building strong technique and a knowledge of the bluegrass banjo repertoire. Topics we will cover include Scruggs style, melodic style, single string technique, transcribing, arranging tunes, music theory and jamming or playing well with others.

We will start with talking about how to hold the banjo, tuning the banjo, playing with fingerpicks and how to read tablature. Then we will work through your first tunes in the bluegrass style gradually learning more tunes with harder techniques such as slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs etc. I take into account each students interests and goals so we will work on specific songs you request or licks you'd like to learn. You will have slow, medium and fast recordings of each tune we work on in the lessons as well at the tablature for that tune.