Enda’s Teaching Philosophy

Over 20 years of teaching banjo classes, workshops and lessons, I began to develop a very defined set of guidlines for banjo playing. These came about through questions from students, self examination, study of other banjo players and through trouble shooting and problem solving during one-to-one tuition.

I began to notice that students who implemented these foundational concepts began to improve rapidly or their banjo problems eased. Some students made enormous leaps, some that used this technique from the very start developed very few bad habits, and any that did appear were easier to resolve.

A Need to Standardise Banjo Teaching Methods
I realised quite a while ago that unlike other Irish instruments such as the fiddle, flute and accordion, a standard method for banjo playing was never established. Almost everyone knows that there is a universal “correct” way to hold a fiddle; the same is true for flute and to a certain extent the other instruments in Irish music. This is somewhat to do with the route these instruments took on their way into folk music. The violin, flute and accordion all came from a tradition of virtuosity in the classical music idiom, whereas banjo came from the grass roots up and never had a place in the hallowed musical circles of Classical and Baroque music. It occurred to me that a methodical system for teaching and playing the banjo was needed.

There are so many questions that banjo players ask:

• “How do I hold the pick?”

• “Do I pick this note Up or Down?”

• “How do I hold the neck of the banjo?”

• “Why do I miss so many triplets?”

• “Why can’t I play faster?”

I have developed a method of teaching the banjo that provides simple solutions to all of these questions and more. The beauty of it is that this method works for everyone regardless of age, shape or size, or level of ability.

My method is simple, logical, flexible, and evidence-based. And I have taught a number of All-Ireland Champions to prove it!!