We’ve posted several times over the past two years about online workshops hosted at The Banjo Lounge, with participants joining in via audio chat. To date, these workshops have all focused on three finger banjo picking, but in response to numerous requests, they will host a clawhammer banjo Q&A on Sunday, August 5.

To join in – or simply listen – just log in at BanjoChat.com at 3:00 p.m. (eastern) on Sunday. A free registration is required, so you might want to do so in advance to make the chat log in quick when the workshop begins.

This Q&A is offered at no cost, and in a free form fashion. Questions can be about starting out in clawhammer banjo, or more specific aspects of the techniques required. In other words, beginning and intermediate students are welcome, as are folks with a curiosity about the style.

The Banjo Lounge also hosts a banjo discussion forum, in a familiar bulletin board format.

While there is no cost for this workshop, The Banjo Lounge readily accepts you donations.

The Banjo Lounge is hosting another of their periodic online banjo workshops on February 11. This one will be conducted by Bill Evans, and will focus on playing bluegrass banjo accompaniment, or backup.

Bill has two popular instructional DVDs about banjo backup from AcuTab (Up The Neck Backup for Bluegrass Banjo and Playing Banjo Backup in a Bluegrass Band) and has held workshops on this topic for many years.

This will be a two hour workshop (3:00-5:00 p.m. EST, 2/11/07), with the first hour devoted to first position backup, and the second playing backup up the neck.

The Bill Evans workshop will be limited to 25 participants, and pre-registration and a $20 fee are required to hold a spot. You can find registration details on The Banjo Lounge site.

The Banjo Lounge will be hosting an online workshop with progressive banjo player Ryan Cavanaugh on December 17 at 3:00 p.m. (EST) The workshop will be conducted using their online chat system, and there is no charge to join the proceedings.

The expected topics are described thusly on their site.

Ryan hopes to cover creativity, improvising, diatonic chords, the importance of blues and the minor pentatonic scale in modern bluegrass and our banjo heritage.

To participate, simply visit The Banjo Lounge chat at the appointed time.

Ryan has been touring of late in a unique fusion band, fronted by jazz saxophonist Bill Evans, called Soulgrass. The music is a fascinating merging of acoustic string and bluegrass themes with jazz and fusion lines, all in a jazz rhythm section. Ryan’s playing works beautifully in this environment.

You can hear samples of Ryan’s music on his MySpace page, and of Soulgrass on the Bill Evans site.

The Banjo Lounge will be hosting an online banjo workshop with Bill Keith on Octber 17. The workshop will run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (EST), and will be facilitated by their voice chat system. The fee to participate is $20, and only 25 registrants will be enrolled.

The folks at The Banjo Lounge ask that before enrolling, you first sign up and test whether your computer will function properly in their voice chat. If everything works there, you can contact them by email to register and arrange for payment.