Béla Fleck - The Official WebSite

I want to use your music for my internet home page/video project/recording project. What do I need to do?
Contact Warner Strategic Marketing for the use of the recording (818) 238-6200 and Bug Music for the use of the material (323) 466-4352. For Béla's years on Rounder, you need to contact Shaleen Tethal at Rounder...the telephone number is (617) 354-0700 and her e-address is stethal@rounder.com, for music from the Sony albums the contact is Paula Erickson at Sony Music Licensing in Los Angeles...telephone number for Paula is (310) 449-2555 and her e-address is paula_erickson@sonymusic.com .

Can I record one of your tunes? Can I play one of your tunes during my own show?
Once a song is recorded, anyone can cover it. If you want to record it for an album that will be commercially released, you just have to pay mechanicals to the publishing company.

I'm overseas and want to use some of your music for a project. Any ideas?
Contact Adam Sieff at Sony Music in London for permission to use Flecktones music. 20 7911 8200

Can I get a lesson from you?
Sorry, I am too busy too teach right now, but you can get tape and video lessons from Homespun Tapes

How often do you practice and how do you practice?
I used to play all the time!
I would use the metronome, and really try to lock in with it.
Then I would try to hold back from playing too hard, and really try to have good technique. I try to play at the volume that will bring out the best tone. I play hardest on live shows. I think I realize now that I should practice the way I want to play. If I practice scales in a typical way, they will show up in my playing sounding typical. If I practice scales with creativity, they will show up in a creative way. So as important as it is to run up and down scales and arpeggios, to learn your instrument, you should develop a series of exercises that are musical and reflect your taste. I like groups of 5, for instance. So I should make an exercise that goes up in 5 note groups, or up 5, down 3, up 5 more, down three etc. Using the scale but in a different way. Also incorporate intervals into your own exercises.

How hard should I play?
I read an article about Earl Scruggs in which he said, he plays as light as he can when recording to get the best tone. That doesn't mean that he is playing that light actually, you have to psych yourself into not playing way too hard out of anxiety! You end up playing the "right" volume, hopefully. Good luck.

I was curious as to your opinions are on the current RB-75 or the "J.D. Crowe". I have not had the chance to play one yet but I love the RB-75 looks. Nothing against Mr. Crowe, and its perfectly fine to have signature models but it seems going a little far to build all the 75's to his specs, what about Reno's specs, or your specs for that matter? Why not just have a standard 75 built to pre-war specs? Well I am not going to rant to you any longer, could just let me know how you feel about these banjos. Thanks in advance.
I still feel it comes down to the particular instrument. I have played fine sounding Scruggs models and Crowe models. But some are better than others. The 75 style should be a mahogany neck. That is a different sound than a maple neck, on the Scruggs. This may be the biggest difference, unless the tone rings are different. Some banjos assemble and sound great. Some don't. Even with the pre-war ones it varies. Always play an instrument before you commit to buying it. If you love it, you are in business. If not send it right back!

What electric banjo do you use on tunes like Hoedown and what MIDI apparatus do you use?
The banjo that I use on Hoedown and Earth Jam is a Deering Crossfire. If you choose to purchase one ask for the option with EMG pick-ups. Regarding the midi questions, I use a Roland midi guitar pick-up. A good way to start would be with that and the Roland GR 33 guitar synth. You can follow the instructions for guitar, and it pretty much works.

Can we be the opening act for the Flecktones?
The honest truth is that we don't use a support act. We avoid it for several reasons. One is that we like to play for a long time. We have no need for the concert to be any longer. Secondly it complicates our stage set-up. We have to move our gear out of the way, rewire things, etc. This creates the opportunity for problems during our performance.

Who makes your bridge?
I'm using a bridge made by Bryan Hooper. It is made to his own specs which are a bit different. You might be able to find him through Banjo Newsletter.

What TAB software do you use?
I was using Finale, I have had better luck with Sibelius. It works pretty well, except for a problem with where it puts notes on the 5th string. t is much easier to alter than Finale. Another one to try is Tabledit.

Where can I find banjo tab for your tunes?
You should check with Homespun Tapes, they have some of my early stuff tabbed. There is a version of Natural Bridge Suite somewhere, maybe the video or his tape series. Also they have both Acoustic Planet books.
Banjo Newsletter has printed tabs of many my tunes, including Sunset Road, Sinister Minister, and Big Country. Back issues can be ordered from BNL's web site at http://www.tiac.net/users/bnl/index.html. (They've tabbed Ballad of Jed Clampett ten different ways, but not necessarily my version)
I've done two projects for Homespun, a video called "Banjo Picking Styles" and a multi-cassette course. Both include tab (although both are fairly old, so don't expect much recent stuff.) Call Homespun at 180033TAPES, or order from Elderly Instruments (www.elderly.com).
You can get the Flecktone songbook from Hal Leonard (www.halleonard.com). It's all in standard notation, not tab, but it's good reference, and also good for teaching the tunes to other players.

How can I get the Tab to a tune that isn't already in a published book?
You could request Ian Perry at the banjo newsletter to do it for his column.

I am trying to learn Reverie from Deviation and can't figure out what tuning you are in. In the past I have had no trouble figuring stuff out from listening, but I am perplexed with this song. I want to play it as a contest song in the National banjo contest in Winfield Kansas and was wondering if you could help!
I think it is in a D tuning, but maybe down to C - two half steps lower. So 1st C 2nd G 3rd E 4rth C and 5th may have been up to a C but G would work too.

What is the key and where is the secret contained on the DVD-A version of “Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol II”?
The answer is that there is no secret content. The key merely unlocks the Dolby digital for the DVD-A side of the disc. The key is 0097.

What classical tune do you play during your solo's during Flecktone shows?
I sometimes play the Prelude from the Bach Violin Partita #3 in E major.

What brand banjo head do you use and where do you tune it?
I use a Remo head at F#.

What gauges of strings do you use?
GHS 10, 11, 13, 22, 11

What tuning do you like to use?
I use the open G tuning for almost everything I do. You will have a harder time finding materials if you leave that tuning. Plus you won't be able to trade ideas with other banjoists, as they mostly use it too. I have some materials on Homespun Tapes if you are interested in how I do things.

What finger picks do you use?
I use two metal finger picks and a plastic thumbpick.
The type I use are very hard to find, as they are not being made anymore.
However there are other good ones. You might do a search for First Quality musical supplies in the Louisville Kentucky area, they have everything for banjo players. One good finger pick you might try is made by Showcase. These come from Texas, but I think First Quality would have them.

You play a really fast two finger roll with the 3rd finger thrown in at some spots, how can I master that, what exercises would help?
Try thumb, index, thumb, middle. Keep it going on the first string til you can speed it up.
Then move onto the other strings.

What is the radius on the neck of your banjo?
8-ish inches, I believe.

Your banjo tone has changed since you got that great TB-75, but I was curious about what banjo you used before you got that one.
What kind of banjo did you use before you got the style 75?
Before the 75 I had a banjo made by John Monteleone, and then a rb 5 conversion banjo. I love this one best!

What books are available to learn about your playing style?
Fleck, Béla. Banjo Picking Styles. 2001.
Homespun Video and Tape Series
Fleck, Béla. Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. 1998.
Hal Leonard, 72pp.
Fleck, Béla. Béla Fleck's "Drive" Tab Book, 24pp.
Fleck, Béla. Tales from the Acoustic Planet: Tablature.
Homespun, 54pp.
Fleck, Béla. The Bluegrass Sessions Tablature Book: Tales from the Acoustic Planet Volume 2.
Homespun, 52pp.

Where can I get booking information for groups that you work with?
For The Flecktones and The Acoustic Trio, contact Joe Brauner at Creative Artists Agency, (212) 277-9000, JBrauner@caa.com. For The Trio!, contact Bob Zievers at The Agency Group, (212) 581-3100, BobZievers@theagencygroup.com . For Béla Fleck & Edgar Meyer, it's Bridget Wrathall at IMG Artists, (212) 994-3540, bridget.wrathall@imgworld.com. My personal manager is David Bendett at Artists, Inc., (310) 278-5657, artistsinc@aol.com.