5-String Banjo Lessons | Wil Huckabay

Wil has over 30 years experience in banjo instruction, including Scruggs style, melodics, and fiddle tunes. Using banjo tab only as a tool, Wil emphasizes “pattern memory” to his students for greater long term results.

Wil has developed a new teaching method he calls “Cut n Paste.” The "cut n paste" method is designed to teach the student how to survive in a jam session using only the chord progression of the song. Learning this method can have a student playing in a jam situation in months rather than years.

Wil's teaching methods work for all ages and most of Wil's students are "middle aged newbies" - folks learning to play the banjo later in life. Each student is given a personalized lesson plan designed for their own level of playing.

Student Testimonials: When I decided to learn to play the banjo at age 55, I knew I needed a good instructor to make up for “lost time” (55 years). Learning to play the banjo would be a challenge, but I also knew that finding the right instructor could make a world of difference in the rate of my progress. Wil Huckabay has certainly done that. Wil’s approach to teaching, in my opinion, has been a perfect fit for me. I have achieved more in two years than I could ever have hoped for. Starting with “this is a banjo” with no background in playing a musical instrument, to now being able to jam with intermediate type players in just two years...I have Wil to thank for that. Wil’s lessons are well planned with a defined, progressive format; a format that will fit the style and /or personality of any student. The biggest positive that Wil brings to the table, though, is his enthusiasm for teaching. It’s contagious, for sure, and has only inspired me to work harder to achieve my goal of playing the banjo. Thank you, Wil! Kevin Kyte

I am happy to say the banjo lessons I take from Wil are supremely helpful in my quest to learn the banjo! His patience, articulation, explanation and demonstration as well as his command of playing the banjo gives me the confidence that I, too, will someday soon be playing an acceptable version of many of the songs he teaches. His workshop on banjo setup enabled me to rid both my banjos of their "clunky" and "thumpy" voices and now are both "sparklers" and I am able to maintain them in that condition. Wil's teaching methods have no peer! Buddy Anderson

I started teaching myself the banjo when I turned 50 years old. After several years of learning on my own, I decided I needed a teacher to progress further and to get to a level to jam with others. Since I started taking lessons from Wil about 1 1/2 year ago, my speed and confidence in playing have surpassed anything I thought I'd ever accomplish. Wil is a very patient and compassionate teacher and measures each of his students progress on an individual basis. I look forward to each lesson. Angie Sumpter (AngiesBanjo.com)

Ten months ago, I decided to learn how to play the banjo. Through word of mouth, I was given Wil’s name and phone number. That was the best thing that could have happened to me. Wil is the most patient person, always encouraging you to learn something new at each lesson. He believes that you can become a Banjo player, even if you sometimes are filled with doubt or uncertainty. But more than that, he is a Christian, and a great family man who cares about each and everyone of his students. Cheryl Fabian