Learn To Play The Banjo

Steve Martin Coming To Town

CHAUTAUQUA - When Steve Martin steps onto the stage of the Amphitheater at Chautauqua Institution on Friday night, the uninitiated may be expecting him to launch into one of his classic comedy bits from ''Saturday Night Live.''

And while Martin will still make the audience laugh, his brand of entertainment these days goes far beyond the yuk-yuks and ha-has. Along with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Martin is coming to Chautauqua Institution for ''An Evening of Bluegrass and Banjo,'' sharing a passion that is more than just a side project for one of the nation's best-known and most beloved comedians.

Martin has the unique honor of having won Grammys for both Best Comedy Album and Best Bluegrass Album. In this concert tour, Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers will be playing songs from their recent album release, ''Rare Bird Alert,'' and Martin said that performing in support of the new album is much different from performing on comedy tours in his younger days.

''When I was doing standup comedy, I was sort of an up-and-comer, so I'd have a whole different response to what I was doing,'' Martin said in a recent conference-call interview with The Post-Journal and media representatives from other stops on the summer tour. ''It's very hard to compare these kinds of apples and oranges, because it's happening at a very different part of my life.''

Though Martin said he is not familiar with Chautauqua Institution or its history of intellectual pursuit, he has been described by Chautauqua Institution president Tom Becker as the ideal Chautauqua performer: someone who represents the ideal of continuing to learn and reinvent himself over time.

While performing his music in front of large audiences night after night is relatively new to him, Martin said that he is simply proud to have found something that is continuing to keep audiences smiling - both through the high quality of music and through the humorous interjections he provides.

''I'm very happy ... at my age, to still be doing a show that I can tell is entertaining audiences,'' he said. ''The audience seems to be enjoying the music and also enjoying the show.''

And though some of the songs performed by Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers are funny - Martin even has a track on the new album set to theme of his famous ''King Tut'' comedy sketch - the music is seriously devoted to the bluegrass craft. Martin is not a comedian who is taking the art of music lightly, but rather he is a musician who brings a comedic spin to the stage.

The Guitar » Your Questions About Learn To Play The Banjo

Good for you!! I love to hear about people that are trying to learn to play instruments. I just decided a year ago that I wanted to play guitar . Before then I felt that my voice was the only instrument I needed. It has been really challenging and there are many days I nag myself for not learning when I was younger. You just have to stay focused. I am now learning to play the harmonica and keyboard too. In the future I want to learn mandolin and banjo as well. I know that sounds like a pipe dream, but I don’t aspire to be the greatest at any of them. I just want the enjoyment of playing and hopefully writing my own songs.

It’s not that hard to learn the Scruggs style as such. However, being adept at it, playing fast, evenly and fluently (plus dealing with a variety of tunings) with lots of ad libs and variations – that’s another matter all together.

It’s like anything else, really. Having the basics down is just a matter of regular practice over some time. Being really good takes a boat load – and then some – of constant practice over years.

How to Play Banjo

The Banjo Encyclopedia, Bluegrass Banjo from A to Z

Christmas Music for Banjo Made Easy

Alfred's Teach Yourself to Play Banjo

Mel Bays Complete Bluegrass Banjo Method