RonBlock - Posted - 10/11/2009:  16:57:30

I plan on doing two banjo dvds for AcuTab, one on practice techniques/maximizing practice time and the other will be on scale knowledge. Suggestions are welcome.

banjotef - Posted - 10/11/2009:  16:59:03

The scale knowledge sounds great! I'd like to see you expand on some of your blues/jazz licks you showed in the first DVD.

Go down pickin'

Prewar3 - Posted - 10/11/2009:  17:04:37

How to use scales in making up breaks.

Jim Prewar3

scaggs7 - Posted - 10/11/2009:  17:07:33

That speaks for me also

banjerpickor - Posted - 10/11/2009:  17:14:52

I sure would like to learn more on practice techniques
and maximizing time.
Its seems i'm just spinning my wheels sometime and getting nowhere.


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OSCAR82AA - Posted - 10/11/2009:  17:16:24

The scale knowledge one sounds great.
I'll be looking forward to it.

ldgrmnmc - Posted - 10/11/2009:  18:00:25

Both sound great....thanks

R.C. Stern - Posted - 10/11/2009:  18:00:38

Ron,
I would also like to know more about how you use modal (?) scales. You did a little with that at the NashCamp you attended, but I would like to know more about that.

Rick

Tango_grass - Posted - 10/11/2009:  19:36:51

Chromatic ideas and minor and major pentatonic runs. I guess that falls into the scales idea....

Chris,

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banjobrotheroz - Posted - 10/11/2009:  22:55:09

Definatly scales.

www.banjobrothersaustralia.com

yuillman - Posted - 10/12/2009:  09:33:02

Ron, having your previous DVD's and having been in some workshops with you at Nashcamp, I feel certain that your practice techniques and your disciplined approach to timing and practice are second to none. I can only chime in with my agreement in the desire to understand scales on the banjo in a more practical fashion, so you can count on my support of the project. Thanks for letting us know !

bananaman1415 - Posted - 10/12/2009:  15:16:07

I would be interested in scales, and using them in a way that sounds musical would be cool.

http://noteasilybrokenmusic.com/

Herr_grepper - Posted - 10/12/2009:  21:56:29

Ron, I really enjoyed your first DVD. I would appreciate more info on using a drum machine/metronome and how it relates to speed.

Tom

--"Who knows...the way things are going all our banjos may soon be pre-war"--

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banjomaster1980 - Posted - 10/12/2009:  22:33:30

I totally agree with most in that learning the scales would be great and showing how they work into breaks and backup, I will be on the look out for the new DVD's when they come out, thanks.....

Mike Crawford

RayD - Posted - 10/13/2009:  07:27:54

I'd like to see how scales are incorporated in chord changes.

Cheers,

RayD

Gold Star GF-85 - Posted - 10/13/2009:  14:33:55

I agree with banjomaster1980 (Mike), for scales and how they fit into breaks and back-up.

Thanks for asking our opinions Ron.

Big John,
1987 Gibson Earl Scruggs Standard
1986 Stelling Sunflower

TR Dockery - Posted - 10/18/2009:  06:50:58

Hi, Ron--

The first DVD project was outstanding!

As for future projects, if you could roll this thread http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/160266/2 into any presentation on scales, it would be great for folks like the author and myself, who are trying to take our playing to the next level.

Also, for practice techniques, I would like to know what your on efforts were in developing a fluid right hand and keeping an effective light touch, or did this just develop on its own over time.

Thanks and regards,
Randy in Germantown, TN

"I may be schizophrenic, but at least I have each other."

Chris Cooper - Posted - 10/30/2009:  07:48:24

This is great news Ron! It sounds like the topics you are planning to cover will help to fill in the holes that I have from your first DVD, Great choices!

The first DVD helped me so much it is untrue! It gave me the tools to begin to be able to use the new things I had learned, to create breaks and back-up with a different approach; which I hope makes them more interesting to the listener. That said, I have only just started to scratch the surface, the new DVD's sound like they will give a boost to my knowledge and help me to get to the next level.

Can't wait!!!!!!!!



Happy Pickin'

Chris Cooper - Posted - 10/30/2009:  10:58:17

Ron,

I've been thinking on this for the last few hours, trying to figure out what I would ask YOU to show me, if you were here in my practice room? What excites me about your playing, that I don't understand? (and thats a heck of a lot!)

I have to say i would be very excited to see you discuss your style of back-up on one of your new DVD's. Your Back-up has a completely different flavour to all my other favourite players, that always leaves me in awe of the true mastery you have of the Banjo.

I was able with the help of your first DVD and listening very hard to the recordings of AKUS to peice together the back-up for 'Every Time You Say Goodbye' and can effectively capture that flavour that I love so much about your playing. However I don't understand why that flavour is there? I can't figure out what I am doing differently whilst playing 'Every Time You Say Goodbye' to what I play on all the other songs and tunes I back-up when playing with my band and records? If that makes sense?

I would like to see on your new DVD's, a breakdown of sorts, that will give me the tools to create back-up with a similar flavour to yours by using my own musical imagination.

I would also like to see a more in depth look at the "Boxes" concept that you show on the 'Fresh Look' DVD.

Maybe you could show how you go about tranfering your knowledge of scales into coherant, exciting, soulfull music, as you explain on the first DVD "this is just a scale its not music, I would never play that." I think a lot of musicians (not just banjoists) including myself, struggle with taking scales, modes and the likes and using them creatively to make an exciting piece of music that has come from within themselves.

I'm sure others will have different idea's about what they would ask you to show, if you were in their practice room and I'm sure they will also have different idea's of what excites/interests them about the way you play.

Finally I would like to say I hope you enjoy making the DVD's as much as we will all enjoy learning from them. Thanks for taking the time to let us know about the new DVD's and the opportunity to give you some feedback.

Thanks again,
Chris.

Happy Pickin'

tomboden - Posted - 10/30/2009:  11:26:18

Hi Ron

- I would like to know more about how to use a scale in a solo and backup and to fill in between and behind melodies.

- In your playing, you seem to mix single string elements with some unique roll patterns. You create lines that are at the same time fitting but still exciting and more unpredictable then just taking a scale and use it by going something like 1 2 3 4 / 2 3 4 5 / 3 4 5 6 etc. I would like to learn more about that (examples for right hand patterns as well as left hand fingering).

- You shortly show some improvisation on your first DVD applying scales, It's great. I would like more about that.

- I would like to learn different scales in order to create different feels and learn to which kind of songs they fit.

Thanks for giving me the chance for some inputs!

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hamestring - Posted - 10/30/2009:  11:39:04

I've been playing for a long time and have never understood the value of scales. It's not that I don't think they have value, I just haven't foud a way to apply them. I've asked a lot of players (some professionals) but no one has been able to explain it to me. It seems to me that a good way to explain it would be to take some simple songs that everybody knows and play some variations using scales. Couldn't that be done with something like Cripple Creek which most people play in a very similar way? But not just play a lick and say "You could do this, or this". Explain in detail what you're doing and why. Once I've learned something with one tune it's usaully fairly easy to apply it to another. That's what I'd like to see.