Joining the BMG Federation

We welcome new members to join us at any time.

Please download and fill in this form and then email it to our membership secretary, Martyn Workman at bmgfederation@gmail.com

What does becoming a Member of the British BMG Federation mean?

  Supporting initiatives run by the British BMG Federation
  to promote fretted instrument playing

  Receiving a quarterly newsletter with details of events, articles, music,
  reviews and interviews relevant to fretted instruments

  Having the opportunity to take part in Festivals, courses and events

You can go to the Shop to pay for BFO Fees here .Shop.

A bit of background!

The Federation of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists goes back to 1929 when players from clubs in the north of England met up for a rally in Blackpool. A group of players from the south got together in 1930 and formed their own section.  Both Sections joined together as one Federation, but continued to have separate Rallies annually with contests and concerts.  In 1974 the northern section changed its title to British Federation of Fretted Instrumentalists, whilst the southern section kept its original name.

In 2000 all the groups came together to form the British Federation of Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar, with the aim of promoting the performance and playing of these and other fretted instruments.

It is committed to creating educational opportunities for players of all ages to learn and improve their playing of their chosen instruments through running workshops and courses and advertising courses run by other individuals and organisations. The Federation publishes a quarterly newsletter for its members.

Rallies have been held annually since 1929, apart from during the war, until 2004 and biennially since then. From 2002 it has been a weekend event with workshops included and changed its name to a Festival in 2014. The event in 2020 had to be cancelled, and an online event is planned for 2021.

The BMG also organises an annual weekend summer school for players of all the instruments, and also runs a British Fretted Orchestra  which rehearses by agreement.  The Federation has been instrumental in publishing Syllabuses for Mandolin and Banjo, and running Symposiums to further knowledge and understanding specifically of the mandolin.