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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/407533
GreggD - Posted - 02/27/2026: 13:18:53
Hey, folks. Gregg Daigle here. I've been playing banjo since the early 90's and teaching bluegrass banjo for the past 25 years. I'm hosting a one-hour Don't Panic Banjo guided practice session on Zoom (Scruggs/bluegrass focused).
When: Saturday, February 28. 10am CT
Cost: $40
What you get:
-Live 1-hour guided practice session. (timing, rolls, '"what to play when you are lost")
-A written summary of what we covered.
-Replay link after the session.
Who it's for: advancing beginner to intermediate Scruggs player who want a steady, supportive practice structure.
Registration details:
greggdaiglemusic.com/index.php/banjo-club
If you have questions, reply in the thread and I'll answer.
Edited by - GreggD on 02/27/2026 13:19:39
GreggD - Posted - 03/02/2026: 10:34:09
Quick follow-up from Don’t Panic Banjo Club (2/28/2026) — posting the summary here so it stays in one place.
Main theme: coach the practice (sustainable, measurable fundamentals that travel to any style).
What we worked on
1) Right hand fundamentals (tone + finger order > string perfection)
Thumb tone on open strings
Neck angle + thumbpick angle (cleaner tone with a more perpendicular attack)
Alternating thumb “square roll” as the core
Key cue: “If you hit the wrong string but keep the finger order, you’re still in the game.”
2) Tempo training (a controlled speed hack)
Play slow and solid ? briefly double-time ? return to controlled tempo to lock it in
Finger order first; string order second
3) Accents = syncopation
You can get bounce without “fancy rolls”: keep the roll quiet, then move the accent
Try accenting: 1 ? & of 1 ? 4
4) Left-hand slurs (clean + snappy)
Slides from 2nd fret: 2–3 (2nd string), 2–4 (3rd), 2–5 or 4–5 (4th)
Pull-offs = “snap” (economy of motion)
Hammer-ons: close to the fret to latch cleanly
5) Backup (vamping/chop + muting)
Goal: sound + silence (punchy chop, not wash)
Critical detail: lightly mute the 5th string so it doesn’t sound like “snare next to a sitar”
Shifts: look where you want to land, let the finger “meet your eyes”
Mini-workout (10 minutes, reusable all month)
2 minutes: thumb on open 3rd string + alt 3rd/5th (count out loud)
3 minutes: square roll at 60 bpm (finger order integrity)
2 minutes: accent experiment (1 ? & of 1 ? 4)
3 minutes: slur micro-set (2–4 slide 3rd string + pull-off snap + hammer-on near fret)
Quotes from the session
“Don’t sleep on the easy stuff.”
“If you hit a wrong string… but you’re still in the correct finger order, you’re still in the game.”
“Get out of your fingers and get into the room.”
Final thought: Start easy, stay honest, and don’t panic — confidence is built one clean rep at a time.
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