joemac - Posted - 10/30/2009:  01:16:49

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I came to the banjo early on in my life, 1972 to be exact, aged 21. Things were different back then regarding material in the form of books and recordings, especially over here in the uK. Anyway, armed with what i could get i set about this great adventure with bags of gusto, met one or two other pickers by chance at local folk clubs, exchanged adresses and material, i'm sure we have all done it. Anyhow, over the years i have been lucky i guess, the banjo has proven to be my one and only musical love and i have learned to express myself pretty well through it, i have played as a pro and semi-pro for many years, i also enjoy doing beginners workshops and generally striving forward. Just recently it dawned on me that my learning drive was waining, i have been sitting back with what i know and half heartedly looking into new stuff with little interest. Time to take myself in hand. I have enjoyed Bela and Jens for a good while now and made the decision that if i wished to master some of their style ( other than what i had studied myself) i needed to be pushed.
Armed with this I decided to look into taking some form of advanced lessons, NOT to learn more difficult type tunes or licks, but to have the fretboard broken down and sit a spell with a master and see his slant on things. I like to accompany and improvise, i want to walk all over the board with freedom when it comes to solo's both melodicaly and using single string, i wanted his ideas and then left to interperate them my way, i didnt want to clone with him. Well at the same time this was idea was rattling round in my head i recieved an e-mail from Jayme Stone offering tuition on a single lesson senario or in a block of four one hour slots. I went for it, met Jayme on line and we got to work. He has started to unlock the blocks i have been having with my theory and i have completed two of my four block sessions with him. Its early yet i know, but i am already well on the way to that freedom around the board and having great times with it already. My dynamics are powerful and the work syncopated....Its wonderful to be able to play as you feel, right on the note as it happens in the song or break, and lead yourself somewhere in an instant, its a new world, i dont have to hunt the tab books for that elusive new lick, i just format my own, I know I should have been doing this anyway, but for me I needed pushed and sitting with an accomplished player like he is has provided that push.
If you are advanced as a player but feel blocked in with your playing i recommend you find someone and take some fresh tuition, you just never know where it will lead you.......well it works for me.


joemac

RatLer - Posted - 10/30/2009:  04:10:00

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Good for you Joe...just shows us old dogs can still learn new tricks!!

RatLer

Mopick - Posted - 10/30/2009:  04:41:56

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Way to go Joe. That's so great! I can totally relate. I'm 50 years old (turning 51 on November 10). And last year I came to a similar place in my banjo playing. Although, I have not been playing banjo since the 70's, I started on guitar back in the 70's. I bought a banjo in 1993 and messed about with it for 10 or 12 years. Last year, I decided it was time to really learn Scruggs style bluegrass. I like the melodic stuff and single string also, but I have been concentrating primarily on Scruggs.

I turned 50 last year and decided for my birthday present to myself I would quit messing around with self teaching by book, CD and DVD. I found my teacher, Allen Eisenman (fidlin' Al). I, like you thought I would take some "advanced" lessons, but I found out that I'm not an "advanced" student. So Al had to un-teach me the bad habits I taught myself and then start with the basics. Not rolls, I knew rolls, and I knew chord shapes. Al is teaching me Scruggs. And while he may not have studied under Bela and Tony like Jayme, he has been in the scene for years playing professionally. I have a feeling your education is just starting. Wow!

I thought I would take 3 or 4 lessons from Al and get my chops back up, but I'm nearly a year into it now. And looking back, this has been the most productive year. I could never have done this on my own. And some people might say, "A year of lessons!" I know, but believe me I learn something new every lesson, which is every two weeks. And it's really getting meaty now! I'm loving it. I have a breakthrough now every day. Just this morning I got up early to practice and man, that banjo just felt natural in my hands. I was playing stuff that I was struggling with like second nature. And I'm learning to play back up, which to me is what is all about in the first place.

Someday maybe I'll be at the level you are to where I branch out on that wild Bela style stuff. LOL. I love it, and I can't wait to hear some recordings of you doing it. Meanwhile, It's exciting to be learning, really learning the banjo. I can't recommend a good teacher enough.

Did I mention that Al gives lessons on line by skype? (shameless plug) I live about 30 miles from him, so I drive over and meet with him, but when I get there he's usually finishing up an on-line lesson. It's just like the guy is in the room with us.

http://www.fiddlin-al.com/



I live in the mountains.....
The mountainous region of Central Florida.
Sugarloaf Mountain; 312 feet above sea level.
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...albumid=3256

Randy

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Edited by - Mopick on 10/30/2009 04:47:09

Mopick - Posted - 10/30/2009:  05:18:30

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Ok Joe. I'm listening to your music on your home page. This is going to be scary. I bet Jayme is enjoying mentoring you.



I live in the mountains.....
The mountainous region of Central Florida.
Sugarloaf Mountain; 312 feet above sea level.
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...albumid=3256

Randy

The KIDD - Posted - 10/30/2009:  06:59:24

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Great news JOE! Even after all the long hrs of practice , theory study,and 1000's of tunes later , often times it will take another person that can see clearly where we've been and where we wanna go at the same time to unlock our brain to accept new ideas, shed light on weaknesses, create new goals for us to reach.Workshops with Bill K and Scott V were a tremendous boost for me but I think it has to be a continuing thing. You've already developed those attributes about playing we've all come to appreciate and enjoy that are JOEMAC that cant be taught so we cheer you on as you progress in your journey. We look forward to you reaching those new goals for yourself providing more great music for us!!!
John

http://www.myspace.com/johnkuhnbluegrass

jahenbo - Posted - 10/30/2009:  08:22:49

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You go for it Joe! When someone that plays as well as you do believes that they need to take lessons it wakes someone like me who is just beginning up. You and some others here at BHO know me well enough to know that I am self teaching and have been struggling for a while. The people here You especially included Joe have helped me progress more in the last few months than I did in all the other time that I have been tring to learn. Well once again great news from you and also once again Thanks for a new direction.
Jay

"The real Voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"
Marcel Proust

Really skillful people never get out of time, are always deliberate and never appear busy.
Mitamoto Musashi

townz - Posted - 10/30/2009:  09:43:43

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Well joe me old mate i don,t know if this is just a coinsidence ,thinking of the e.mail i sent you, but will repeat it on the hangout , you have always been a modest (positive)man but i,m gonna shout for you , there is a demand out here for teachers at all levels,so question whilst you are learning on a much higher level you could also be offering us newbies tuition on a web site of your own??the help you have given me proves that!! so folks who know this beautiful guy join me and lets get the mac school up and runnng. looking forward to hearing your new stuff as well me old picking companion, come out of the cupboard reagrds mick

muntjac - Posted - 10/30/2009:  10:00:08

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Hey Townz I certainly agree with what you say 100%.

Life is to be enjoyed, live it the way you wish and show tolerance towards others.

Mopick - Posted - 10/30/2009:  10:54:57

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quote:

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Originally posted by townz

Well joe me old mate i don,t know if this is just a coinsidence ,thinking of the e.mail i sent you, but will repeat it on the hangout , you have always been a modest (positive)man but i,m gonna shout for you , there is a demand out here for teachers at all levels,so question whilst you are learning on a much higher level you could also be offering us newbies tuition on a web site of your own??the help you have given me proves that!! so folks who know this beautiful guy join me and lets get the mac school up and runnng. looking forward to hearing your new stuff as well me old picking companion, come out of the cupboard reagrds mick

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A web cam and SKYPE. it works well.



I live in the mountains.....
The mountainous region of Central Florida.
Sugarloaf Mountain; 312 feet above sea level.
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...albumid=3256

Randy

joemac - Posted - 10/30/2009:  11:26:47

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Thanks guys, true friends, its very humbling, thanks.

joemac

townz - Posted - 10/30/2009:  12:25:24

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good on you muntjac and mopick, lets keep this snowball rolling ,from little acorns mighty oaks can grow,I know how good this man is having had the pleasure of him playing with me (in a band)!!

jahenbo - Posted - 10/30/2009:  14:26:27

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Hey townz I am totally in agreement with you about joemac. Very good man to have as a friend whether here on BHO or just straight up. I personally would love for joemac to start up some online lessons. Hey Joe something to think about huh.
Jay

"The real Voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"
Marcel Proust

Really skillful people never get out of time, are always deliberate and never appear busy.
Mitamoto Musashi

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 10/30/2009:  14:27:22

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Wonderful Joe, I might do the same if I had more time...remember it's the journey, not the destination (cos you're already bloody good)!

Cheers,
Laurence

It takes a lot to laugh, but it takes a train to cry

texaspickr - Posted - 10/30/2009:  22:21:26

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Joe, sounds like you wrote my history. I'm 55 now,and the big difference is that after playin pro and semi pro for 15 yrs. I set mine aside for the next 15. I recently met up with pickers that ask where I'd been and invited me to jam again. RUSTY is not the word. You give courage to old dogs to get back in the game. Thanks. Keep everyone informed on how you're doin.

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 10/31/2009:  01:24:31

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Hi Joe.

I am glad you have found a new challenge a new goal to aim for. It's very important to sharpen your skills otherwise as you have discovered you become complacent and start to loose that magic edge.

I think all Advanced Banjo Pickers should follow your example and seek out that new challenge. Not only that they should strive to share their experience with up and coming students as you have.

I believe that it is just as important to pass on knowledge as it is to learn to become a great banjo player. What's the point of having a great skill if you don't share it with others.

Jayme Stone has clearly made a massive impact on you and in time what you learn from Jayme will benefit your students. Just think though if every advanced player on the Hangout followed John Boulding's example with his LOTW passing on just a little knowledge to encourage others to try something new something a little more challenging.

I can well remember the flak I took from certain individuals here on the Hangout when just over a year ago I suggested the LOTW. John Boulding was the ONLY advanced player to take up my suggestion. The only one at the time willing to share his knowledge. John is now a very highly respected member of the Bluegrass Banjo Faternity across the entire world.

Perhaps if the more advanced players out there in the Hangout were to start asking the top professionals for Advanced Lessons on DVD then maybe John Lawless from Acutab could finally get JD Crowe into his studio which he has been trying to do for the past year or so.


I am a firm believer in the saying "If you don't ask you don't get" If I were lucky enough to meet JD in person the one question I would ask him is, when does he plan on making that Instructional DVD with John Lawless.

The POWER is with YOU the Advance Players.




Regards Tam

Picking a Fender FB 58 and PROUD to describe myself as a Student of the Murphy Method

joemac - Posted - 10/31/2009:  02:05:00

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Tam, thanks man, i agree with every word you put down and as for John, well the man is superb in all he does musically. I firmly believe that John Boulding plus John Kuhn deserve the same success as some of the top boys and i really hope they get it. its a pleasure to meet you Tam and i wish you good luck with your own journey, be safe.....Joe

joemac

Bitbender - Posted - 10/31/2009:  07:43:28

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joeM - Congrats - it's reassuring for a fella to see threads like this, especially those of us at the head of the journey - to know that the plateau's will come, and they must be dealt with with skill, instruction, and innovation!

Cheers

Now, I have to research what this LOTW and Jayme Stone person - So much to learn away from the fretboard :)