J L Goldshear - Posted - 03/11/2026:  23:06:01

Hey all, first time poster and wasn't sure where else this should go. Happy to move it to another bit of the forum!

I live in LA and was briefly working with a banjo teacher over on the West Side. But since I've now moved to East LA, I've been out of luck on finding someone to work with. I'm a novice player (only a year in) and mostly self-taught. I checked the "find a teacher" bit here on the hangout but didn't have any luck finding anybody that had been active recently.

Any advice or hints as to teachers that might be in my neck of the woods?

- j l

FatManMary - Posted - 03/12/2026:  05:18:21

Your best bet would be Tom Sauber. He’s in Arcadia in the San Gabriel Valley, so not exactly East LA, but still in LA County. You won’t find anyone around here with a more impressive resume. You can find him on Facebook, or feel free to DM me & I'll send you his contact.

J L Goldshear - Posted - 03/13/2026:  08:37:06

Unfortunately I'm not a facebook user, though I did google him! I'd love to reach out for his contact info if the offer still stands. I'm maybe a 20 minute drive from Arcadia on a good-traffic day.

j l

RG - Posted - 03/13/2026:  08:46:35

Tom is a veritable old-time icon , but he doesn't instruct much (or at all) these days as far as I know. Your best bet would be David Bragger in Granada Hills, I know David does Skype lessons as well, so you wouldn't have to fight LA traffic, and he learned (a long time ago) from Tom (and others). Either way, good luck.

Edited by - RG on 03/13/2026 08:49:23

pinenut - Posted - 03/13/2026:  09:57:02

quote:

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Originally posted by J L Goldshear

I've now moved to East LA, I've been out of luck on finding someone to work with. I'm a novice player (only a year in) and mostly self-taught. 

Any advice or hints as to teachers that might be in my neck of the woods?  Yes, you.

---

At a year in, you probably have enough to be your own best teacher (books and media).  Find a mentor.

Play with yourself every day.

Play with non-banjos regularly. 

banjohangout.org/blog/37163

Edited by - pinenut on 03/13/2026 10:02:15

J L Goldshear - Posted - 03/14/2026:  09:40:10

quote:

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Originally posted by pinenut

quote:

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Originally posted by J L Goldshear

I've now moved to East LA, I've been out of luck on finding someone to work with. I'm a novice player (only a year in) and mostly self-taught. 

Any advice or hints as to teachers that might be in my neck of the woods?  Yes, you.

---

At a year in, you probably have enough to be your own best teacher (books and media).  Find a mentor.

Play with yourself every day.

Play with non-banjos regularly. 

 

banjohangout.org/blog/37163

---

I appreciate the sentiment, but I definitely don't know enough to be my own best teacher! I've gotten pretty far, but I know my own technical and knowledge limitations. There are things that I don't know that I don't know.  

As for mentorship, that would likely come out of having a place in a local community which has been hard to track down. 

RG - Posted - 03/14/2026:  10:05:40

quote:

---

Originally posted by J L Goldshear

quote:

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Originally posted by pinenut

quote:

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Originally posted by J L Goldshear

I've now moved to East LA, I've been out of luck on finding someone to work with. I'm a novice player (only a year in) and mostly self-taught. 

Any advice or hints as to teachers that might be in my neck of the woods?  Yes, you.

---

At a year in, you probably have enough to be your own best teacher (books and media).  Find a mentor.

Play with yourself every day.

Play with non-banjos regularly. 

 

banjohangout.org/blog/37163

---

I appreciate the sentiment, but I definitely don't know enough to be my own best teacher! I've gotten pretty far, but I know my own technical and knowledge limitations. There are things that I don't know that I don't know.  

 

As for mentorship, that would likely come out of having a place in a local community which has been hard to track down. 

---

Shouldn't be too hard, start here, then here, then here (just 2 months away)... that should get you plenty deep into the OT scene in LA which is thriving TBH. The key is to contact the easiest link in the chain to get started... and again, that would be David Bragger. You can also DM me, I've been playing old-time banjo out this way since age 12... that would be 1972 (although I hate to admit it). Reach out, you have nothing to lose. Look forward to sharing a tune with you in the future. Best of luck.