fnfal89 - Posted - 09/16/2009:  20:34:38

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Hi all, simple(possiby silly) question from a noob here. what kind of advice would you give to a beginner who wants to learn more than one style of playing? i.e learning old time and scruggs. would you say its better to learn both at the same time or pick up a style and then advance to the next later on?

Bill Rogers - Posted - 09/16/2009:  20:44:41

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At least get the basics of one down first.

Bill

Richard Dress - Posted - 09/16/2009:  20:44:48

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I would go with both at once.

fnfal89 - Posted - 09/16/2009:  21:19:43

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well thanks for the reply guys! but now im more confused than i was before.... lol i think youre both right. thats what i had in mind but i dont want to get myself into something i couldnt handle. ordered a banjo yesterday morning and i cant wait until it gets in

10gauge - Posted - 09/16/2009:  21:57:02

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Why not try both. If one grabs you, you can ditch the other or take it up later. If you really like both, the only draw back is you'll effectively lose half your available practice time because you'll be practicing the other style half the time. Good luck and welcome to the hangout.

Jonathan O'bug

goldtopia - Posted - 09/17/2009:  01:09:42

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Yes, I would do as Jonathan says. Then when you have decided you would have a better idea of the banjo you want. Though three finger picking takes longer to learn which means the decision time for each style is not equal.

Bill.O

www.bluegrassminstrels.co.uk

steve davis - Posted - 09/17/2009:  08:56:44

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No different than learning piano and banjo at the same time.
Two different disciplines...no big deal.

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/17/2009:  13:01:04

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Start by strumming the banjo exactly the same way a guitarist would start learning. Even though that isn't what you want to sound like, it will get you playing songs quicker and it will also make you realize that the 'styles' you want to learn are mere right-hand techniques--the left-hand is the same for all of it: frailing, finger-picking, flat-picking and simply strumming with fingers.

I advise a 3-pronged approach right from the get-go. Lefthand, righthand and coordination.
First is to strum a simple 2-chord song such as Tom Dooley. If you cannot strum in time and change chords in time, then do NOT move on to licks. (They don't make coordination any easier).

Simultaneously work on right hand independent of left-hand. Try basic frail or roll strokes but without any lefthand stuff. Once you can strum several 3-chord songs in time (probably take about 2 or 3 weeks at most), then you'll also have had 3 weeks of practice just doing rolls/frails. Now you can add chords and stay in time and now is the time to start worrying about learning licks and a few arrangements of songs.

I know this approach sounds totally stupid, but usually the alternative is to spend a few months trying to learn arranged tabs and not hear any music.

Most banjoists do not start off with the basics that other chorded instruments start with. And I think it takes longer to learn to play banjo because of that approach.

Mike Moxcey
http://moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/index.html

freakydays - Posted - 09/22/2009:  02:16:42

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Hi! I started
1) strumming like a guitar
2) chords
3) some very basic basic rolls
4) Bum-dit-ty-seeger upward strike

- but now, I'm confused! What comes out is a very "homegrown" music. It's music, of course, but it's backyard stuff. Within two months it sounds okay, but going to a jam, I almost cried, because my style doesn't work fotrr a jam- And now I have to gio back to the roots! Frailing? Bluegrass? seeger-Stuff?
freakydays


What's the result of teaching myself 5-string-banjo? neopsychedelic countrystyle, yellowsunshine purplegrass - who knows?
I'm not a musician - I'm just a pickin' monkey!

Gary Blanchard - Posted - 09/22/2009:  05:30:49

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quote:

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Originally posted by freakydays

Hi! I started
1) strumming like a guitar
2) chords
3) some very basic basic rolls
4) Bum-dit-ty-seeger upward strike

- but now, I'm confused! What comes out is a very "homegrown" music. It's music, of course, but it's backyard stuff. Within two months it sounds okay, but going to a jam, I almost cried, because my style doesn't work fotrr a jam- And now I have to gio back to the roots! Frailing? Bluegrass? seeger-Stuff?
freakydays


What's the result of teaching myself 5-string-banjo? neopsychedelic countrystyle, yellowsunshine purplegrass - who knows?
I'm not a musician - I'm just a pickin' monkey!

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Like you, I have a very unique picking style. I don't fit in at Bluegrass or old-time jams. On the other hand, I can walk into a group of musicians playing almost any other type of music and play along, often adding a little something special and different to the mix. My advice is to not get hung up on style and play what you like. There is nothing wrong with playing a particular style if that is what you want, but don't allow yourself to get pushed into someone else's box.

Gary Blanchard
"an outlier among outliers"
http://www.gbandf.com

freakydays - Posted - 09/22/2009:  06:57:56

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Hi Gary!
Uniqueness is also a value! I've always been unique and been appreciated for that. Perhaps I could find a different way: Continue my own thing and lern a psiecial technique at the same time, to split: One song in my own style, a different song in anbother?
I love the songs of Woody Guthrie, the experimental style of the Grateful Dead etc, an d I love blues and buesrock. Some oldtime - or bluegrass-songs I really love, some are too much plinkplonk fotr my ears!
Well a positive side effect of the jam: It was partly a Deadhead-meeting/ tape trading!
Many greetings, freakydays

What's the result of teaching myself 5-string-banjo? neopsychedelic countrystyle, yellowsunshine purplegrass - who knows?
I'm not a musician - I'm just a pickin' monkey!

Gary Blanchard - Posted - 09/22/2009:  07:16:17

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Hey freakydays -

It sounds like we have some common musical tastes, I'm a big Deadhead myself. I play a lot of traditional and folk-revival music at gigs, but I have sat in sometimes with a couple of people who play everything from John Denver to John Prine to John Lennon. My style (or lack thereof) has allowed me to fit right in. I do some neat stuff with 12-bar blues. No fancy breaks, but it sounds nice. If you want to learn an "official" style, go for it, but don't give up who you are in the process.

Stay freaky, there's too few of us around.

Gary Blanchard
"an outlier among outliers"
http://www.gbandf.com

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/22/2009:  08:25:41

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Stick with back and forth picking for jams. If you can follow the chord progressions, that will work. It's also called the square roll. TITI or TMTM or TITM or TMTI and mix them all together. No rolling at all.

give the jam a few more tries.

Mike Moxcey
http://moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/index.html

fnfal89 - Posted - 09/22/2009:  17:00:46

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thanks again for all the responses. i have my banjo now and ive been practicing the different styles. so far frailing has come real natural to me but the sound is kind of funky. its really bright and doesnt sound to old-timey. it is in tune btw i took my time making sure of that. ( it has a resonator on it, could this be why?) when i tried doing some picking using three finger it sounded really bright and the sound fits the style. im still a little unsure of strumming but so far i really like the frailing technique and hopefully ill start more on the scruggs in the future

japus - Posted - 09/22/2009:  19:06:19

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I have been playing and learning both from the beginning, I prefer old time clawhammer but would not want to choose between them, I aint gonna be no pro, just gonna have fun and enjoy the trip

jimmy

freakydays - Posted - 09/23/2009:  00:45:47

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@gary! You can't hide your freetinme-hippiedom showing a big peace-flag on your picture! Write ma en e-mail, I#ll sen you a funny song I wrote(just the lyrics , tunes from going down the road feelin' bad) I listened to a great Grateful-dead-Cd this morning, but then I had to go to work! never mind!
There's the Eurodead Christmas party on december 11th somewhere in England, but it would be crazy to fly over for a party, so I'll better stay at home and work!
I'll keep my style AND learn a technique!
Today I'll have to go to a conference after work. There was the temmptation of taking my banjo with me to fill the lack of one hour. I planned to practice in the basement but better don't do it!

@mike I know your website and have practiced "boile them cabbage dopwn "v - the first song I ever practiced and was able to play in a small tempo.
Many greetings, freakydays



@mike

What's the result of teaching myself 5-string-banjo? neopsychedelic countrystyle, yellowsunshine purplegrass - who knows?
I'm not a musician - I'm just a pickin' monkey!

Moonpie50 - Posted - 09/24/2009:  21:51:06

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I have just started playing banjo about a little over a month or two ago. What I have found to help me a great deal is Murphys videos. I also went to Kentucky Music Week and Cathy Barton taught me how to frail It took me a week to get it down though. I am trying to learn it both ways. I spend time playing at least 15 minutes on a song with a metronome. It really has helped me and I am seeing improvement by doing that. It helps with keeping time. Just try and get on a structured way of learning and stay focused. You will see that you will make improvements everyday. Good Luck!

freakydays - Posted - 09/25/2009:  00:54:51

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Hi Moomnpie! I make improvements, but I have no structured way of learning! Many greetings, freakydays

What's the result of teaching myself 5-string-banjo? neopsychedelic countrystyle, yellowsunshine purplegrass - who knows?
I'm not a musician - I'm just a pickin' monkey!