No. We may very occasionally use banjo-specific notation called tablature, or chord charts (both of which are very easy to understand and require no previous experience), but otherwise, all lesson content is delivered aurally and visually, all backed up with a personalised video synopsis of the material covered during the session.

No prior understanding of music theory is required, although I am a keen advocate of building a decent ‘practical’ understanding of chords, chord construction and their relationship with scales, etc. 

Absolutely. If you happen to live, or find yourself in the Bath, UK area, I’m more than happy to conduct face-to-face lessons in my studio. Extended sessions can also be arranged if you’re travelling a long distance. 

You’ll need your own functioning 5-string banjo, a set of picks (two metal fingerpicks and one plastic thumb pick, preferably), and a device/internet connection capable of conducting a Zoom meeting (unless, of course, you’re coming in person).

Having agreed a date and time for our lesson, I will email you a link approximately five minutes before the session is due to start. Click the link and make sure to allow Zoom access to your microphone and camera. A few things that will help our first session go smoothly are: 

1. Download the app and try it out prior to our first meeting. It is possible to join a Zoom call in your browser without downloading anything, but in my experience, things tend to work better with the app. 

2. Try to make sure your camera is positioned in such a way that I will be able to clearly see both your left and right hands and your entire fingerboard. 

3. Enable ‘Original Sound for musicians’. This can be found in the audio settings page.

The easiest way to pay is via a bank transfer (I will provide you with my bank details). If for any reason you would prefer to pay via PayPal, this is okay too.

Towards the end of most lessons, I spend a few minutes recording a video that illustrates all of the material covered during the session. (This is always done during the session so you can ask for any extra clarification if required.)

This is then forwarded to you via email, in the form of a Wetransfer link for you to download.

Email me - probablyleon@gmail.com

Absolutely. ‘One-off’ sessions can be a useful way to determine whether you want to proceed. They’re also good for established players that might want to work on a specific topic, tune, or technique that they may be struggling with.

Through experience, I have found students generally progress best with regular fortnightly sessions. This seems to provide sufficient frequency to sustain momentum without becoming too intense. That said, if you’re in a hurry, I’m happy to provide weekly lessons, subject to availability.