Tag Archives: custom lessons

Casey Henry

Casey Henry

Here are the recent additions to my (now quite long) list of custom banjo lessons. As always they can be ordered directly from my website.

  • The Battle Belongs To The Lord (B) Watch clip. - Gospel song in a minor key, with rolls to sing along with.
  • Granddad The Preacher (B) Watch clip. - A Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers song. Easy turnaround for the break, along with the vamp chords.
  • Love Lifted Me (B) Watch clip. - This is a melody-only break (just notes, not very many rolls) to this old hymn.
  • Mama Blues (A) Watch clip. - Earl Scruggs's classic break off of the Live at Carnagie Hall album.
  • There Is A Time (A) Watch clip. - A Dillards classic. This teaches two of Doug's breaks.
  • They Call It Music (A) Watch clip. - A Gibson Brothers song in drop-C tuning.

Casey Henry

Casey Henry

I have a bunch of new custom lesson I've added to my list and here they are:

  • Big Country (Bela Fleck) (A) Watch clip. - This is a great tune of Bela's. Definitely advanced, but on the scale of all of Bela's tunes, not that hard.
  • Cattle In The Cane (A) Watch clip. - This is a fiddle tune, and it really gave me a time working out an arrangement. There is NO way to play it scruggs style. It ended up being a mixture of melodic and single string.
  • Daisy A Day (B) Watch clip. - Easy strumming arrangement to sing along with.
  • Greensleeves (B) Watch clip. (Single note melody version.) - This tune is also on the Casey's Christmas Collection DVD, but that version is much harder than this. Here I just teach the meldoy, one note at a time. Also the guy who ordered it stiffed me, so I'd appreciate it if some of y'all ordered it...
  • Gum Tree Canoe (High Break) (I) Watch clip. - I already have the low break to this on the list. The high break is much harder, but really fun in a kind of ridiculous way. I'll include both breaks when you order this song.
  • In The Gravelyard (I) Watch clip. - A Blue Highway hit. This is Jason Burleson's kickoff break.
  • Rockwood Deer Chase (Don Stover) (A) Watch clip. - A really, really cool tune in D tuning. Jim Mills also recorded it.
  • You Are My Sunshine (I) Watch clip. - Nice, familiar tune that lays out well on the banjo. This is an intermediate arrangement.

You can order any or all of these on my website: caseyhenry.net

Casey Henry

Casey Henry

Here are the new songs I've added to my list of lessons in the last month or so:

  • Bookends (Simon and Garfunkel) (A) Watch clip. - This is a little something different. Beautiful little melody.
  • Carrie Brown (I) Watch clip. - Del McCoury and Steve Earle recorded this on their CD "The Mountain"
  • Garry Owen (I) Watch clip. - A celtic tune played single-string style.
  • More Than Enough (I) Watch clip. - Gospel tune from the band Blue Ridge.
  • To Morrow (I) Watch clip. - Kingston Trio folk song. This arrangement is the chords for singing along with, and a little intro/turnaround lick.

As always, these are available to order over on my website.

Casey Henry

Casey Henry

Here's what I've been up to for the last month or so. These are the new custom lessons I've added to my list. You can order them all here on my website.

  • Lost Highway (I) Watch clip. - Hank Williams song.
  • Oh, Shenandoah (I) Watch clip. - My own arrangement of this beautiful old song.
  • Old Hickory (I) Watch clip. - This is a twin banjo number that the Osborne Brothers recorded. I teach both parts (lead and harmony).
  • Roving Gambler (I) Watch clip. - This is Eddie Adcock's kickoff break from the Country Gentlemen's recording.
  • Walls of Time (I) Watch clip. - My own fairly simple arrangement to this Bill Monroe tune.
  • When The Saints Go Marching In (A) Watch clip. - This is Gene Parker's break from the Lost and Found recording.
  • Uncloudy Day (B) Watch clip. This is an easy beginning break in the key of G. (This song, but in the key of C, is taught on the Murphy Method Wildwood Flower DVD.)

Casey Henry

It's been a while since I've updated here, so there are a bunch of songs this time! You can order any of these on my website. A lot of these are advanced. I did a detailed study of what Earl played on Little Girl In Tennessee. That's broken up into three separate lessons--the lead breaks, the low backup, and the high backup. Also a couple lessons from the playing of Bernie Leadon when he played with the Eagles (that's Earlybird and Steel Guitar Rag). Fun stuff!!

Casey Henry

I continue to slowly add to my list of custom lessons that are available to order. There is a wide range in this batch--from Earl to Bela! These can be ordered directly from my website.

  • Birds and Ships (A) Watch clip. - This is a slow, pretty song, in the key of D.
  • Catfish John (in C) (I) Watch clip. - This is a bluegrass standard, not sure where it came from originally, though. In the key of C (where girls sing it!)
  • Foggy Mountain Chimes (A) Watch clip. - One of Earl's classic tunes.
  • Out In The Rain (I) Watch clip. - A song from the band the Duhks.
  • Sunshine On My Shoulders (I) Watch clip. - A feel-good John Denver classic.
  • Take Me In A Lifeboat (Earl's Break) (A) Watch clip. - This is Earl's kickoff break from Flatt and Scruggs original recording.
  • The Wind That Shakes The Barley (RA) Watch clip. - This is a somewhat simplified arrangement of a single-string Irish tune, taken from Bela Fleck's playing.

And here are three new clips. The lessons have been around for a while (as you can see from the background, they were recorded at my Nashville house several years ago). When I started doing these lessons I wasn't pulling out clips. Now I'm going back and trying to get all the old lessons on YouTube as well.

Bugle Call Rag (A) Watch clip. - Another Earl tune.

Eight More Miles To Louisville (I) Watch clip. - My own arrangement.

Blue Ridge Cabin Home (I) Watch clip. - Earl's first break from the F&S recording.

Casey Henry

Hi, Everyone! I'm popping in for an all-too-infrequent update on what I've been adding to my custom lesson list lately. You can see the entire list (which is close to 250 songs now) and order these from my website. Some very cool, fast banjo tunes in this batch!

Casey Henry

I have a whole bunch of new additions to the list to share with you (that's the upside of not updating the list very often!) Some really fun, cool songs this time:

  • Banks of the Ohio (B) Watch clip. I love the tune to this song, but I hate the words. This is a nice easy arrangement of it.
  • Better Dig Two (A) Watch clip. This is a modern country hit. Catchy and has a cool banjo part on the recording.
  • Big Spike Hammer (I) Watch clip. The Osborne Brothers' classic. This is actually Steve Dilling's break from the IIIrd Tyme Out recording of it.
  • Blue Train (I) Watch clip. This is the Linda Ronstadt song, NOT the bluegrass "Blue Train."
  • Cindy (B) Watch clip. A fun, easy arrangement of this old folk song.
  • Happy Birthday (I) Watch clip. Played in the key of C.
  • I'll Fly Away (High Break) (I) Watch clip. There is already one high break for this song on the list, but this one is MUCH easier!
  • I'm Wilder Than Her (I) Watch clip. This one comes from Ralph Stanley II.
  • Old Log Cabin For Sale (I) Watch clip. An old country song recorded by Porter Wagoner, among others.
  • Orange Blossom Special (A) Watch clip. Really awesome version of this. It is the one that J. D. Crowe recorded on his Bluegrass Holiday album.
  • Pass It On (A) Watch Clip. In the key of F (open!). This is a recent Grascals recording.
  • Red Wing (B-I) Watch clip. An old song that makes a great banjo tune.
  • Scotland The Brave (I) Watch clip. Never would have thought of putting this on the banjo, but it lays out pretty well!
  •  Steamboat Whistle Blues (A) Watch clip. From the great John Hartford.

Casey Henry

So, it's been forever since I've posted the recent additions to my custom lesson list. There are a bunch! These, as always, can be ordered straight from my website.

 

  • Blackjack (A) Watch clip. - A JD Crowe classic!
  • Cold Frosty Morning (I) Watch clip. - An old-time tune.
  • Doin' My Time (I) Watch clip. - Earl's break, of course!
  • Endings (I) (Watch full lesson on YouTube.) This lesson has the ending I use on "Roanoke" on the Blackberry Blossom DVD, the ending Murphy uses on "Cripple Creek" on the Slow Jam DVD, and an extra bonus melodic ending.
  • How Great Thou Art (Alternate Version) (A) Watch clip. This is a somewhat modified version of Jim Mills's arrangement.
  • I'm Using My Bible for A Roadmap (Backup) (I) Watch clip. Some rolling/vamping backup to this bluegrass classic.
  • I Still Write Your Name in the Snow (A) Watch clip. This is a funny Chet Atkins song.
  • Mountain Dew (Lead plus Backup) (I) Watch clip. This is an alternate break. The song is on the Jam Session Standards DVD, but this is a little harder break, and also some rolling backup.
  • Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (I) Watch clip. An intermediate arrangement of this Christmas tune. The full lesson was up for a while after Christmas. This is just the clip and I hope to collect it onto another Christmas Collection DVD at the end of the year.
  • Sledd Ridin' (A) Watch clip. Sonny Osborne recorded this first, but this is Jim Mills's arrangement.
  • Sunny Side of Life (I) Watch clip. A nice straightforward arrangement of this popular number.
  • Take Five (RA) Watch clip. This was one of the most challenging songs I've ever learned. 5/4 time!!
  • Wandering Boy (I) Watch clip. Bluegrass class in the key of G.

 

Murphy Henry

Well, I’ve just had the pleasure of recording my first custom guitar lesson, courtesy of Casey and her fancy MacIntosh Computer. (Not quite like Earl and his “fancy banjo” but close!) And what did I teach? “Wildwood Flower,” of course! It’s sort of the “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” of guitar picking. Except that “Wildwood Flower” is a much easier beginning-level tune.

 

As you may know, Casey has been offering “custom banjo lessons” for a few years now. She will teach just about any song you can think of on banjo including her latest offering, J.D. Crowe’s “Bear Tracks.” (AWESOME tune!) So, thinks I, why not offer some tunes on guitar? Especially since I currently have three excellent guitar students (Janet, Bob A., and Bob V.) who are learning to pick out the melodies for a number of songs on their own. Just hearing them do that is inspiring to me as a teacher. And gratifying, too. (And it’s made me hone my own guitar-playing skills!)

 

Teaching them made me realize that simple, melody- oriented guitar breaks are absolutely wonderful. They sound great and—honest to Pete—are not that hard. So, I thought, “Why not make these tunes available to other folks?” With Casey’s excellent help we are making it happen. (She pushes all the buttons on the computer and says “Go” and “Good job!” and then does the editing.) “Wildwood Flower” and “Amazing Grace” are both now available. And we are open for suggestions for other songs or tunes you want to learn to play on guitar.
Just to give you an idea, here are some of the songs Janet and Bob A. have learned and are playing:

 

You Are My Sunshine

Will the Circle Be Unbroken

I’ll Fly Away

I Saw the Light

This Land is Your Land

Life’s Railway to Heaven

Bury Me Beneath the Willow

When the Roll Is Called up Yonder

Two Dollar Bill

Boogie Woogie

 

You might notice that these selections are gospel-heavy. Well, that’s because the gospel tunes are so easy to play on guitar and sound so good. And are so well known to many of us.

 

Bob V., who has always done his own thing, has a slightly different list of tunes and is currently working on some of the D fiddle tunes: “Liberty,” “Soldier’s Joy,” and “Arkansas Traveler.” These make great guitar tunes (the arrangements are still simple) but are quite a bit harder than the three-chord songs in the Key of G or C. We can record those for you, too.

 

So, Casey and I are excited about this new venture into six-string land. Just let us know what you want to learn!

 

ORDER LINK: Go HERE to order them. This is a link that is only available to our blog readers (for now). It will go live to the rest of the world in a few days.