I love the stories of people who learned to play old-time music by slowing down their record players to figure out passages from tunes on vinyl, or even shellac. Those of us learning today have it so easy by comparison. In addition to the great instructional resources available by the likes of Brad Leftwich , Bruce Molsky , Erynn Marshall , Wayne Erbsen , Mike Seeger , Ken Perlman and Dan Levenson — just to name the few I've used myself — we also have a treasure trove of written documentation, recordings and videos available on traditional media and online to help us learn technique and tunes. On top of these source materials, there is a wide variety of software and technology tools that we can harness to improve learning. Not to mention, the internet makes it far easier to connect with other people who share similar passions and can help by providing one-on-one instruction or feedback on our playing. While I have taken one paid lesson and attended a few different workshops...
How to learn to stop worrying and love the twang. A journey into old-time music.