Posted by John T on November 04, 2011 at 05:18:54 from (173.243.181.15):
In Reply to: OT: Banjos posted by AllisG on November 03, 2011 at 18:45:32:
I dont see any reason to start with a NEW BANJO, it decreases in value substantially soon as you walk out the door when it becomes a USED BANJO. However a good used one should be worth near the same if you give up after a year and want to sell it.
As far as beginners, a Goldtone is a decent relatively inexpensive unit or a Fender perhaps but higher in quality would be a Deering. My first was a $30 5 string then after 6 months when I learned to play a few chords and wanted one that sounded better and was much easier to play, I bought an ODE (another good quality brand Id recommend) for $800. Im NOT gonna sink the thousands of bucks into a pre war Gibson, but the banjo Id loveeeeeeeeeee to own (plan to someday) is a Hatfield made in Kentucky.
First you have to decide if youre gonna play Claw Hammer style more for Olde Timey and Appalachian or Scruggs finger style more for Bluegrass. With claw hammer at least you dont have to master those complicated right hand finger roll patterns grrrrrrrrr
Hope you didnt wait till age 60 to start like me?? thats too dern old, check out the URL links below of an 8 year old whose only played 2 years, someone needs to explain to him how difficult that is and how it should take yearssssssssss grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
If youre gonna play Scruggs finger style you need to practice basic thumb in and out forward then backward rolls such as 3251 4251 3251 4251. Then you need to learn the basic chords first the Key of G, G C D7 sometimes A sometimes E Minor,,,,,,,,,then learn the Key of C Chords, C F G7 sometimes D sometimes A minor......That way if you use a Capo you can play the Keys of G A C and D which covers many songs called out in a jam. Im talkin the barefoot up top beginner chords here, once you master those then you have to learn them all up n down the neck but thats basically bringing down EITHER the F position or the D position, just moving down the neck which changes what they become i.e if youre in D as you move down fret by fret it becomes D sharp,,,,E,,,,F,,,, F sharp etc get the picture???
Id learn the roll or rolls first starting slowwwwwwwww but with good timing (use a metronome) then start changing chords WITHOUT EVER MISSING OR DROPPING A BEAT AND KEEPING THE TIME AND COUNT
Okay I DONT HAVE THE PATIENCE TO USE TABLATURE, its NEVER GONNA HAPPEN WITH ME. Great if you can and have the patience as you can duplicate note for note and finger by finger what the author put down. I play more by ear and feel and what I hear and if I had to use Tabs I would have tossed out my banjo 4 years ago HOWEVER IF IT WORKS FOR YOU FINE AND ITS BEST IF YOU CAN DO IT, Im ONLY saying Im too old and dont have the patience and will never be a real picker BUT IM HAVIN FUN AND I CAN KEEP IN TIME AT JAMS AND IF A BODY CAN DO THAT THEY PUT UP WITH YOU..
When you go to a jam the singer will often call out a song (and it may be in F or E or B flat so be ready) you may have never heard in your life and will sing the verse and chorus then make eye contact with you in effect asking if you wanna take the break SO YOU BEST PAY ATTENTION N REALLY GET THAT VERSE (of that song you never heard lol) STUCK IN YOUR HEAD cause youre expected to sort of play it (Im talkin most of the melody notes). HOWEVER (fake it till you make it) if you can at least remember the chord progression and count (how many beats in that chord) (and thats not as hard as it may sound) and you ROLL THROUGH THE CHORDS IN TIME WITH THE RIGHT COUNT you sound decent because most of the melody notes will come up somewhere within your roll BUT THE TIMING AND COUNTS STILL GOTTA BE RIGHT. Another way to fake it if you dont remember the chords or count is to watch the rythm guitar player and go where he goes lol. This relates to what my son told me when I started..."Dad, you dont have to hit all the RIGHT NOTES, but you cant hit any WRONG (i.e. sour out of the chord) NOTES" So if youre rolling the right chords, then there you wont hit any wrong notes and it sounds decent even if all the exact melody notes arent struck.
FINALLY once you can play the chords you need to learn where all 7 of the scale notes since some of them may NOT be within that chord. (they wouldnt come up as you roll) Thats merely lifting a finger (maybe your pinky) off one fret (once youre in the chord position) and placing it elsewhere. BUTTTTTTT you have to learn that for alllllll the chord positions grrrrrrrrrr.
NUFF SAID
Check out an 8 year old, makes me so mad I wanna burn my banjo (copy n paste to your browser)
OKAY this is embarrassing (after an 8 yr old)but once a body gets older that dont bother him lol. This is me bout a year ago its pretty poor but Ive improved some since then
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJzc2_NwtRo
LAST ONE, heres my son who has played 20 years on Beale Street in Memphis where he makes his living (taught him everything he knows lol)
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