Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/06/2013:  12:16:45

OK - I actually got in some good practice today.  ROLLS - then trying high break to "Bury Me Beneath the Willow". Did NOT do well on that break!  I shall return .... It couldn't be that tough.  I want to explore a few more inversions of the chords up high on the neck to straighten out the mess I was making.  Practiced my high break on "WW Flower".  That one is getting smoother .  That high break (in Key of C) will forever be known as my breakthrough for playing up the neck.  

Octopus - I did not realize that The Wiggles group is from your part of the World!  You like them?  Hate them? Indifferent?  To me - using them for the kids has saved my life (especially when driving the kids to school)!  But - I also discovered The Wiggles are tremendously talented and loaded with musicality!  Phil

swamplunker - Posted - 12/06/2013:  21:54:49

Did our little 4-tune open mike thing at Olivias tonight, Blue Light, Arkansas Traveler, Gold Rush and Make me a Pallet, all went well except Gold Rush, in my opinion, no stopping or real train wreck but I'm just a little more stumbley on that than I'd like to be. I know, it's called practice, and that's exactly what's needed. We did do better on Traveler, key changes were smoother. Practiced on back porch of the place first, I'm gonna guess a half hour. Goodnight fellow fivers.

automatic octopus - Posted - 12/06/2013:  22:54:18

Wiggles covers on banjo!? I love it!  My kids (now six and eight) certainly had their Wiggles phase, and they're certainly the pick of the various pre-schooler-oriented music groups.  Apart from anything else, they incorporate a lot of different genres, and are generally more palatable than some of their poppier counterparts.

I'm just back from camping with the kids, and this time I did actually get the banjo out for a while.  I'm not sure really how long I spent noodling around, probably about an hour, both playing things I've learnt, and making up fun little bluesy bits that I repeated for a while.  This was all to the sound of the waves on the beach over the dunes, and under the eyes of a perched osprey munching on a large fish.  It's a tough life, I know 

Reading these tales of performances, though, reminds me that I need to find other people to play along with.  My friend's four year-old daughter has been eyeing off the violin, so I tried to convince her she should do fiddle accompaniment for me, but I'm not sure she was convinced.

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/07/2013:  12:07:40

Very good practice today.  Banjo Rolls Trainer (IPAD app) has been a great tool for rolls practice.  Then played along with Jack Hatfield's gospel CD songs - mainly with his beautiful banjo (with backup) version of "In The Sweet By & By".    I love that song & I found melody notes easily for my high break practice.  

Octopus - yes to playing along with other folks.  It is sometimes not so easy to locate someone to play along with but it is well worth it when you find someone.  Phil

gclaunch - Posted - 12/08/2013:  14:08:05

Sounds like everybody is doing great and really motivated! Just got through with 2 hours of metronome, metronome, metronome and drills, drills, drills....majority of practice was with backing tracks and recording myself playing for evaluation...sure sounds different after being recorded...but have picked up some spots that really need working on... discovered that my ring finger is "weak" during certain rolls, trying to focus on that and tone and consistency of sound, except in songs where I deliberately accent for the tune being played.

swamplunker - Posted - 12/08/2013:  21:21:32

Well, I guess I got a fair amount done, but it wasn't the average, I'm trying to avoid the word normal, kind of practice. I was reading the BHO thread where the guy was asking how someone would approach learning 'Roanoke", and one person suggested Casey Henrys' DVD so I pressed that and there was a video of her showing how she does Blackberry Blossom, so I, being open to distractions, looked at that and thought ,'I'll get both hers and my version down in tab so I could do either. Mine has been altered, already, by me and I don't even remember where I first learned it, maybe Janet Davis. Anyway, I tabbed out mine, which I'd never done before, then I started putting hers right under it, then I found out this little blurb ends at the end of the "A" section. Oh well, gotta get the DVD anyway if I want to see how she does "Roanoke". Then I rewrote Bill Keiths' version of Roanoke from a book of his, had to switch from space to line tab to read it, it's got some melodic things I hadn't done before, especially a shift to the 8th fret with the second finger which keeps coming around. He doesn't tell you that, it's just the only way you can reach as far up and down as you need to without extra shifting when you get to that spot. Then I kept practicing; normal lineup, first few songs, then Powder Creek, must have been a good three hours of playing and another hour writing tab, at least I got a new one ready to be worked on. Goodnight all.

schlange - Posted - 12/09/2013:  09:11:37

Howdy all! Back from vacation--picked this morning for the first time since Nov 20th. A little slow, but I played through most of my set list and got my fingers wiggling again.

automatic octopus - Posted - 12/09/2013:  13:39:53

Welcome back!

I managed about 45 minutes last night after I got home.  Still running through the usuals.  I was itching to get the banjo out, I can tell you - I haven't had enough time on it lately, clearly!  

swamplunker - Posted - 12/09/2013:  19:50:45

Practiced 45 minutes in the morning, usually get it in at night but had more AM time today. Went halfway down my normal list, then worked on Bill Keith's version of Roanoke and my long term project, Powder Creek. Welcome back Eric, funny you talk about wiggling fingers, some of the guys were talking about the wiggles, I think I'll let them explain it.

schlange - Posted - 12/10/2013:  08:27:20

Played for an hour this morning. Just played about 4 different tunes during that time, concentrating on playing them evenly and in time, to wake up my hands again. I think we're back in business!

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/10/2013:  09:53:50

Good practice this morning.  Rolls then noodling with high break to "What A Friend We Have In Jesus".  Finding as many inversions as I can find up the neck - including barre chords - is important to me for developing the high break to these songs.  

Welcome back Eric!

gclaunch - Posted - 12/10/2013:  16:02:24

Getting ready for the all day jam this Saturday, so puled out the ol' Pete Wernick jam DVD's and just "sang my little heart" out today.....Doing ok on Salty Dog blues, will probably try it on Sat. Started working on an up the neck break for Worried man Blues, pretty simple and seems to be coming along ok...using two finger chords "a-la-Janet Davis", except use three fingers for the G chord on the 7th, 8th and 9th frets....Good practice today.

swamplunker - Posted - 12/10/2013:  22:38:26

Practiced in the morning again, just about a half hour, thought I'd get back to it in the evening but didn't. I must have practiced last night though, because the banjo was on the kitchen table in the AM, ready to go, never put it away last night, just read about kids texting without fully waking up, but banjo? Nahh...did standard set in AM, Banjo in the hollow, Cumberland Gap, Gold Rush, Wildwood Flower plus one I wrote called Spring Tension. In that, I have a kind of "reverse rake" going where the index finger upstrokes the b,then the g string without the use of other fingers in between. The metronome shows me I'm slowing down to do that, so I'll have to change something. Worked on that without any notable breakthroughs.

schlange - Posted - 12/11/2013:  08:44:44

About 50 minutes this morning. Worked mostly on Fireball Mail (with the help of Murphy Henry) and got through everything except the last section. Tackle that tomorrow.

gclaunch - Posted - 12/11/2013:  16:14:34

Just finished two and a half hours - whew! Had a few short breaks, but it went quick. In the current BHO newsletter there is an ad for Murphy Henry DVDs, and in it she does Salty Dog Blues, played along with it for a while, my breaks and hers, (low and high), while not exactly the same are close enough that they do not "clash"...a little slow, but perfect to get timing down. Worked 4 songs off of Wernick's jam DVD...Would play and sing along twice with DVD, then once with no DVD. Repeated this process at least three times with each song....they are getting "into my head"...good!

gclaunch - Posted - 12/12/2013:  15:44:16

two and a half hours again today....broke it up much better, did an hour this morning and an hour and a half this afternoon...much like yesterday.

schlange - Posted - 12/12/2013:  17:48:39

A little over an hour this afternoon. Got the rest of Fireball Mail worked out, but I can only play it at 70bpm. So it's time to repeat, repeat, repeat!

swamplunker - Posted - 12/12/2013:  22:34:28

Another late practice, 11/2 hours, started with set tunes for warm-up, then Black Mountain Rag and East Tennessee Blues (Alan Munde book), Roanoke (Trischka version, rewritten in line tab), then I did a new thing, for me, went to the backing tracks sticky on this (Bluegrass) forum and did Columbus Stockade over and over. While the metronome is fine for working on steadiness, (and dynamics if you don't want to drown out your metronome), this is more fun for improvising, also got me thinking about chord "noise" versus "playing" the melody, easy to see how both are going on at the same time while playing along. Also I noticed I only have a few sets of "D" noise ready to go, so I used the following variation on a d7 forward roll, I'm gonna say it "Henry" style, only because my last attempt at typing tab was a disaster: With the index finger holding down "c" (1st fret) on the 2nd string and middle finger holding down "a" (2nd fret,3rd string) play the following roll--------------- 4-3-1-4-2-1-4-3-1-4-2-1-4-3-1-2 then more G noise or melody or some combination. Just a syncopated chord roll in d7, reversing the last two notes suggests it's going somewhere else.

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/13/2013:  10:54:38

Good practice this morning - rolls for about 15 minutes then high break noodling with a couple of songs then high break for "WW Flower".  It suddenly dawned on me that I was way too uptight / tense with my 3 finger chord + pinkie high break practice.  Relaxing (fretting and rolls) resulted in much smoother sounds for the song.  Duh!!!  This is a lesson re- learned from earlier days!  Phil

gclaunch - Posted - 12/13/2013:  19:27:53

About an hour today...went through my songs without the DVDs for the jam tomorrow...things have smoothed out a little, I should be able to hold my own...but if not and I crash and burn...oh, well.........Good advice, Phil, relax, I know you were talking about yourself, but, it IS good advice.

schlange - Posted - 12/14/2013:  09:28:25

About an hour this morning. Played thru most of my songs, and started working on a new one--"Old Home Place." I've always loved the melody of that tune.

automatic octopus - Posted - 12/14/2013:  15:18:32

After a few days away, I got back into things by catching up with a drummer friend, who attempted to accompany my banjo playing with some heavy rock drumming.  Good fun, and more entertaining than a metronome 

gclaunch - Posted - 12/15/2013:  15:46:14

All day yesterday yesterday at the jam camp "one day refresher session". Pretty good, small group, reviewed a lot of stuff, everybody got to ask a lot of questions and discuss things. Did some playing, better than last time, everybody more relaxed. Last time I was critiqued as not having good timing by speeding up every time I took a break...this time the teacher said he kept waiting for me to speed up, but I didn't and was evident I had improved since last time in October, he and other students were very complimentary.........thank you "Mr. Metronome"!!
Practiced only about an hour today...licks I learned yesterday, and trying to fit them into tunes I already know.

swamplunker - Posted - 12/15/2013:  22:52:12

Good job, Gerald, looks like your work paid off. The idea of a review of material from a previous camp sounds good, too. I know they throw a lot at you the first time around. Anyway,I did 55 minutes just now, standards and the up-the -neck book by Janet Davis, I gotta do some goal reviewing soon. Also want to try some more of that band-in-a-box segment, especially for practice improvising. Good night all.

schlange - Posted - 12/16/2013:  08:35:51

An hour this morning, playing through my tunes and just trying to build speed.

Sometimes I feel like my fingers just can't seem to get aligned right... can't find the right strings consistently. I suppose that just comes in time, but it's frustrating lacking the precision.

gclaunch - Posted - 12/16/2013:  19:40:58

got an hour in today..... went through a couple of songs, rolls and licks with metronome...ran across something call the "six white horses" lick, kinda blues type lick, trying to find tunes to work it into.

swamplunker - Posted - 12/16/2013:  22:46:31

An hour just now, worked on standard set list with the metronome, started at the back end for variety with Frosty Morning (in F, Bela Fleck version). Both that one and Jesse James ( #2, Janet Davis) are not memorized, unlike the rest of my standard set list, I changed Jesse slightly but do FM note-for-note. Kept the metronome at 100 except for Jesse, dropped to 95 because it didn't sound as clean as it should. I'm always looking for, and finding, new stuff, but my old stuff was/is beginning to get out of shape. Sometimes it's fun to pretend you're recording and go back to the top even if there's the tiniest glitch. Assuming you mean the right hand Eric, I like to do alternating square rolls (3-2-5-1-4-2-5-1) to make that feeling go away.

schlange - Posted - 12/17/2013:  08:52:09

Six White Horses lick--that's a good one! I can never play it fast enough to use in my real playing is my only problem. But it's got a great sound.

45 minutes today. I had gone back yesterday and made a list of all the songs I know, songs I want to learn, and songs I'm working on. I had forgotten that I had learned Salt Creek about a month ago--so today I played that quite a bit, along with some other tunes, just to lock it in again.

gclaunch - Posted - 12/17/2013:  16:12:10

Know what you mean, I may never get there, but I feel like a kid with a new toy.....I have the Acoustic Guitar Practice CDs by Bert Casey and it includes vocals of Nine Pound Hammer at 72 beats and I was able to get it in at the end of vocal phrases in G....went up to 86 beats, nope, not ready for that now.
Practiced an hour and a half today on that lick mostly...........must have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

swamplunker - Posted - 12/17/2013:  22:12:12

I spent most of today's practice (11/2 hours) playing along with the backing tracks on this website, did mostly standards I already knew, but also some improvising, which is fun, and continues to show me how little "D noise" I have memorized and ready to plug into a D section when it comes along. I went with the "medium" speed for most tunes, I'm willing to bet most "fast" tempos were 120-140 or more BPM. You guys were sort of on that topic too, I think it's important to resist getting pushed into a faster tempo before it can be done cleanly, anyway I finally returned to work on Powder Creek, sans backing track.

swamplunker - Posted - 12/18/2013:  22:14:31

Well, I see I'm going twice in a row which is ironic because I have chosen this session to retire from the daily practice recording, or bow out, as others have put it in the past. I do think I've made a lot of friends and enjoyed the journey, still would like to be able to chime in every blue moon, if that's alright with you, Eric. I also feel that I could be making room for somebody else to do this, because what it's really been for me is an opportunity to work a little more regularly and a little more consciously on banjo practice, and hopefully there's someone out there rarin' to check in with Eric and do it. I'm not losing the Banjo or BHO addictions either. Thanks everyone. Oh yeah, as for today,practiced an hour, starting with a few standards, working on the Melodic (Janet Davis) book, and Powder Creek, the first half's coming pretty well now, time to get cracking on the second half! Goodnight and thanks again to all.

schlange - Posted - 12/19/2013:  08:37:32

An hour today--playing my more recent tunes to my drum machine to lock in timing. 80-90 BPM is about all I can manage. I'm amazed by how fast pros pick!

swamplunker--it's been nice hanging out with you here. Feel free to drop in anytime you'd like!

Looks like I need to recruit a few more practice partners--perhaps it's time to retire "Practice Group #1" and start a new one for the new year.

Anybody in this group want to keep going with the new one? Just wondering how many new recruits I need to get!

gclaunch - Posted - 12/19/2013:  08:43:06

Sean, sorry to see you "moving on". I certainly enjoyed and looked forward to reading your posts and feel like I've benefited from participating with you on this thread. Come back and see us.

PS:
will be looking for your comments regarding other subjects on this forum.

gclaunch - Posted - 12/19/2013:  08:49:13

I've signed up for an acoustic camp in January and it looks like the group that attended the jam camp and refresher session last Saturday are going to try and make a go of meeting on a regular basis.
Believe it or not, participating in this discussion group has provided a lot of motivation to prepare for this type of activity, I would definitely like to keep going with a new one, Thanks for the offering.

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/19/2013:  09:16:51

I've been out sick several days - glad to be back picking a bit.  

Sean: I enjoy your posts ..... Keep us posted when you can.

Gerald: What camp you headed for in January?  I have gone to several camps - - Acoustic Camp (Gerald Jones),  Camp Bluegrass (3 times),  Argyle (when they had it),  Pete Wernick Jam Camp in Boulder.... All those places were very fine.

I have accomplished my two short-term goals for joining this thread:  1.  High break to WW FLOWER & 2.  Improved sounds and etiquette with our KATY JAM BUDDIES JAM.

Yes -  for me Eric - I would like to continue with this thread.  Or - if you want to start anew I want to set new goal(s) and continue.

My first NEW GOAL:  they have built a new children's hospital in Katy - my goal is to go up there each week w/banjo and have some fun with the kids.  NOT MY COMFORT ZONE ..... That is probably part of my incentive.  I would like to have some fun with his goal!  Phil

gclaunch - Posted - 12/19/2013:  11:42:42

Hey, Phil, the camp is called, Hill Country Acoustic Camp, and it is in Kerrville, Tx, Jan. 10 - 12. Alan Munde is listed as the banjo instructor. I have never heard of it before so am kinds "shooting in the dark" so to speak...of course have heard of Alan Munde and am looking forward to working with him. I went to Argyle two years in a row...we must've brushed elbows somewhere along the line.

I certainly admire your goal of playing at the new children's hospital.

My new goal (similar in nature) is to get out more this year, camps, jam session, etc. In line with that, is to develop and become proficient with a small repertoire of tunes that would work well in a public venue...such as playing solo on the court house square, a wandering player at an arts and crafts festival, or more nobly at a retirement residential center.

I look forward to moving into the new year.

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/19/2013:  13:14:36

Gerald - I have been to the Acoustic Camp in Kerrville!  It was my first camp ever and my first teacher was Alan Munde.  He is a great musician, teacher and one of my favorite people on planet Earth.  I have always remembered the first lesson from my first camp - after Alan called roll he went over to close the door to the classroom but before closing the door he yelled down the hall "Don't tell anyone but this stuff is all the same thing over and over."  By that I believe he was saying to us ..... There's lots of similarities in all this stuff - chord progressions, songs, melodies, on & on!  

I wish I could attend but can not get away at this time.  Hey - I also attended the Argyle Bluegrass Festival twice. That is where I met Pete Wernick - he does a great job every time. 

I am talking to Texas Children's Hospital (Katy) about volunteering for playing the banjo for the kids an hour or so each week.  I have NEVER seen a kid that did not like the sound of the banjo.  It will be a challenge for me and I think fun for the kids & for me!  Phil

Edited by - Kemo Sabe on 12/19/2013 13:22:04

gclaunch - Posted - 12/19/2013:  19:09:05

Thanks for the info on the camp in Kerrville and Alan Munde, I'm really looking forward to going.

Got an hour in this afternoon. Pulled out Foggy Mountain Breakdown to work on (got interested after reading other posts here). already had the first break pretty well down, but working on clarity, consistency and timing before I start on the speed aspect. Going back to Grandfather's Clock, also, I really want to get that one down, but without the metronome, still have trouble with timing during the chimes part....I tend to speed up (of course!).

schlange - Posted - 12/20/2013:  08:25:18

Half an hour today--worked on locking in Salt Creek and Fireball Mail. I'm finding with most of my tunes I can play them very easily at 70BPM, 80 is comfortable, and 90 is just a bit too fast. 

schlange - Posted - 12/20/2013:  12:54:41

Here's what I just posted re: creating a new practice group: banjohangout.org/topic/276252

Assuming people are interested in doing a "TOTW practice group" my last post here will be around Dec 28.

gclaunch - Posted - 12/20/2013:  19:27:56

did better than an hour today, worked on FMB and Grandfather's Clock with metronome set at 70....included licks and rolls for warmup.

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 12/21/2013:  05:42:30

Eric - this thread has been a very good inspiration to me - I was only in it for the last few weeks but it helped me a great deal.  I set two short term goals ..... Got both of them done largely because of focusing on day to day improvement ideas by posting here.  Additionally - I have set a longer term goal:  Playing banjo at a children's hospital near me in Katy.  That goal is pending and the wheels are turning in my mind on how to make it fun for the kids and fun for me and a tool for learning for me.  Also - I learned that Gerald is not far from me and has been to several jam camps while I was there .... Hope to meet up with Gerald someday and pick a tune or two with him.  

THANKS ERIC!!!

automatic octopus - Posted - 12/21/2013:  14:17:10

Good to see you guys are keeping up solid practice!  Unfortunately, I have been constantly away, and my hour on the banjo yesterday was my first time in days, so I'll bow out, too.  Thank you all for the motivation, and company, and see you quite possibly in a future practice group :)

schlange - Posted - 12/21/2013:  21:29:47

An hour today. Had fun playing to BIAB backing tracks here on the Hangout for FMB, John Hardy and Old Joe Clark.

This group has been huge for me--it finally got me to practice regularly. I've advanced more in my playing in the last 3-4 months than I have in the last 3-4 years!

Onward!

gclaunch - Posted - 12/22/2013:  07:22:24

This group has been a great motivator for practicing and being accountable for moving forward. I went back and reviewed my short term goals on my first post and feel like I have met them. Reading of everybody else's practice has really been good, I noticed throughout the run on this discussion, the similarities and commonalities we all have....and of all things, I found out that Phil and I have probably rubbed elbows sometime in the past as we have been at a several of the jam camps at the same time! Keepin' my eyes open, we'll probably run into each other sometime down the road.

Didn't practice yesterday...got caught up in the "commercialism of Christmas"....yep, all day at the mall and Wal-mart, etc, etc.(a lot of fun), planning a good practice session today.