tommygun - Posted - 05/01/2014:  04:12:54

I am still here,  I am working on Cumberland gap and hope to have it down by the end of the week.  Excited about Monday I am going to a jam session just to listen and see how it works.

Back Porch Banjo - Posted - 05/01/2014:  04:36:13

Have to share what happened at last Friday night's jam (a fairly high level jam that I attend because I like the people and they let me make mistakes!).

I've been working and working on MM's "Foggy Mountain Special" from the Advanced Earl DVD. I love that song and one of the pickers there does an incredible -- dare I say -- better job on it than Earl does -- with all the extras he puts in! So it came to this picker's turn to select a song and of course, he picked the one he's known for -- "Foggy Mountain Special". He was to my right and as the breaks on it went around the circle (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, other banjos), I ended up as the last one before the original guy took over again. I took a very deep breath and DID IT! I went through the break with no missed strings, no wrong frets -- AT SPEED! I was so psyched when we finished!

When it was over, the banjo picker who selected the song and another banjo sitting on my left both turned to me and said "Well, we can see you've been doing your homework!" Wooooo-hoooo!

See guys, all that practice in the beginning will pay off one of these days! I have a long long long way to go until I consider myself a "real" banjo player, but I'm definitely on the right road thanks to MM!

pickn5 - Posted - 05/01/2014:  07:53:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by Back Porch Banjo

Have to share what happened at last Friday night's jam (a fairly high level jam that I attend because I like the people and they let me make mistakes!).



I've been working and working on MM's "Foggy Mountain Special" from the Advanced Earl DVD. I love that song and one of the pickers there does an incredible -- dare I say -- better job on it than Earl does -- with all the extras he puts in! So it came to this picker's turn to select a song and of course, he picked the one he's known for -- "Foggy Mountain Special". He was to my right and as the breaks on it went around the circle (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, other banjos), I ended up as the last one before the original guy took over again. I took a very deep breath and DID IT! I went through the break with no missed strings, no wrong frets -- AT SPEED! I was so psyched when we finished!



When it was over, the banjo picker who selected the song and another banjo sitting on my left both turned to me and said "Well, we can see you've been doing your homework!" Wooooo-hoooo! 

 

 

 

 

See guys, all that practice in the beginning will pay off one of these days! I have a long long long way to go until I consider myself a "real" banjo player, but I'm definitely on the right road thanks to MM!

---

Outstanding!  

flatheadmatt - Posted - 05/03/2014:  18:26:18

Nice work BPB! Quite the accomplishment! I have yet to jam in a group of live people......hopefully soon. My practicing has hit a brick wall. Lots going on and im only making time every couple of days for half an hour. I went on a bender and played for over an hour a few days ago, felt great...I was working on Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Got the first half down. Im going to be moving on to the jam sessions standards video after im done with the gospel vid.

Back Porch Banjo - Posted - 05/04/2014:  06:00:18

Flatheadmatt: In my pre-MM days, I started going to jams and -- for months and months and months -- I sat on the very outside edges of the groups. All I could do at that point was watch the guitar players and try to vamp along quietly with the chords I could pick up. I did learn to listen for the chord changes in the music and some other players would tell me the "odd" chords in songs (Em, Am, etc). I learned my up-the-neck chords that way and got a lot of practice in changing chords.

Going to those jams was probably the best thing I've done in learning to play the banjo (aside from the MM of course!). I learned to listen, I figured out how to find chords all over the neck, and I picked up little tips here and there from other banjo players. The tips didn't always make sense at the time, but at some point, they "clicked" and I realized what they were telling me. I now count those "tipsters" as some of my best jamming buddies!

You don't have to plan to take the lead on songs just because you're at a jam. Don't stay away because you don't think you're "good enough yet" to attend. Go and sit on the very edges and see what you can do and what you can pick up from other (usually very willing to share) players. Take a deep breath some day and GO!

pickn5 - Posted - 05/05/2014:  07:25:13

I'm currently fighting the urge to move on to the next song in the beginning banjo track. I'm feeling bored playing the 4 I know, but, want to get them right, with more muscle memory, and less mistakes before moving on. The bright spot is they are improving. I just had to blow of this steam. Thanks for listening. Keep picking.

rfrizzle2 - Posted - 05/05/2014:  08:22:36

Hi Murphy, I don't remember if I asked this or not. What is the Chick a Boom, Chick a boom lick? I think that's what it is used for learning to keeping rhythm.

Rich Freeze 

caseyhenry - Posted - 05/05/2014:  11:39:02

quote:

---

Originally posted by rfreeze

Hi Murphy, I don't remember if I asked this or not. What is the Chick a Boom, Chick a boom lick? I think that's what it is used for learning to keeping rhythm.

Rich Freeze 

---

Hi Rich, I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to. Some people do vamp with what could be described as a "boom chick" (playing the 4th string on the down-beat and doing a pinch for a vamp on the off-beat) but we teach vamping with just the pinch on the off-beat. Both ways are technically correct, but we prefer the latter. Does that answer your question??

Casey

jonah4832 - Posted - 05/05/2014:  17:47:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by caseyhenry

quote:

---

Originally posted by rfreeze

Hi Murphy, I don't remember if I asked this or not. What is the Chick a Boom, Chick a boom lick? I think that's what it is used for learning to keeping rhythm.

Rich Freeze 

---

Hi Rich, I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to. Some people do vamp with what could be described as a "boom chick" (playing the 4th string on the down-beat and doing a pinch for a vamp on the off-beat) but we teach vamping with just the pinch on the off-beat. Both ways are technically correct, but we prefer the latter. Does that answer your question??

 

Casey

---

I believe he is referring to a boom chic ca rhythm played on a guitar which is a bass string then strum down and a slight up strum so instead of a boom chick he gets a boom chick a rhythm.  however I don't don't how that's possible on a banjo

Peanutscreams - Posted - 05/06/2014:  12:28:10

Been traveling for the past 4 months or so now, many hotel rooms without DVD players and the one in my old laptop was broke, so no MM lessons in quite awhile for me. Am now in a temporary rental home and back to my practice lessons from my favorite teacher.  I'm really concerned about my timing though and not sure how or where I went wrong in the beginning, or how to correct it now, but it's just something terrible.

Reading some other post here, many of you can play along with her "Slow Jam" just fine; and at one time I thought I could also, but I suppose I was just fooling myself. I hope I never claimed that in any of my previous post, because if I did, i take it back now.  

As long as I'm playing the break with her while watching, or vamping while she's playing lead, with Casey's rhythm, on guitar, I do real well keeping in time, but boy when it comes to my turn in that hole alone, things get bad, and they get bad quick. I play note for note but can never come out on the end at the right time. I'm always ahead, or behind, sometimes a whole measure it seems like.

Any suggestions from you that can? Should I just keep on playing with "Slow Jam" till I wear it out, or do I need to begin work with, say a metronome? I've never tried metronome and would really rather not after reading some of the pro's and con's of using one as a practice tool, and Murphy, to my knowledge has never mentioned it in any of her lessons. So I must have missed something during the building of my foundation blocks somewhere along the way.

So until I can at least play Banjo In The Hollow with her, "IN TIME"  this is what I'll be practicing. Cries for help from the Practice Group #2 members. Not really crying, not at this point anyway. Haha. 

Thanks

Butch B.

caseyhenry - Posted - 05/06/2014:  12:38:06

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peanutscreams

Any suggestions from you that can? Should I just keep on playing with "Slow Jam" till I wear it out, or do I need to begin work with, say a metronome? I've never tried metronome and would really rather not after reading some of the pro's and con's of using one as a practice tool, and Murphy, to my knowledge has never mentioned it in any of her lessons. So I must have missed something during the building of my foundation blocks somewhere along the way.

So until I can at least play Banjo In The Hollow with her, "IN TIME"  this is what I'll be practicing. Cries for help from the Practice Group #2 members. Not really crying, not at this point anyway. Haha. 

 

Hi Butch, If you can't play along with the Slow Jam then a metronome is certainly not going to help. The very first thing to do is make sure you're playing all the songs correctly. If you can play along with Murphy when she's playing the break then you probably are, but it's hard to tell you how to figure it out yourself. You might consider a Skype lesson with either me or Murphy to get you on the right track. We can give you a lot more concrete advice after actually hearing you play!

Casey

Delaware - Posted - 05/06/2014:  12:48:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peanutscreams

As long as I'm playing the break with her while watching, or vamping while she's playing lead, with Casey's rhythm, on guitar, I do real well keeping in time, but boy when it comes to my turn in that hole alone, things get bad, and they get bad quick. I play note for note but can never come out on the end at the right time. I'm always ahead, or behind, sometimes a whole measure it seems like. . . .

Hi Butch - I'm familiar with this problem.  The solution, in my case, is to remember to listen and pay attention to the music around me while I am taking the lead break.  i found that it helped me to either play with a mute on, or if I'm playing to a backing track or DVD, I turn up the volume kinda loud (as long as no one else is home!) to make sure I am paying attention.  I could tell when it started working for me - - - instead of being ahead or behind when I got to the end of the break, I can now tell within a beat or two if I am speeding up or slowing down.  But it took a lot of hard listening!

Best of luck!

-Mary

pickn5 - Posted - 05/07/2014:  05:59:57

After practice yesterday I'm feeling better than I did when I wrote my last post. I can play along with the slow version w/guitar lesson music on Banjo In The Hollow and Cripple Creek without very many mistakes most of the time and no mistakes sometimes. I'm starting to get close on Boil Them Cabbage Down and Cumberland Gap. Hopefully, by the end of May, I'll have those satisfactorily completed. Then it will be on to I Saw The Light. Yea. I've also noticed that, on the tunes I know best, I'm able to play them faster without mistakes. I want to try playing with backing tracks. I guess the only way to find out if I can is to just jump in and try. Keep picking.

pickn5 - Posted - 05/07/2014:  06:15:02

Butch, you indicated that your computer DVD player was inoperative, so I don't know if this helps or not. I recorded the slow version w/guitar using Audacity (it's free to download). Edited the recording, and exported as an MP3. Loaded the MP3 on my MP3 player. I use earbuds during practice and play along with Murphy. This seems to help me with my timing and building a little speed after learning the tune from the lesson.

If you know someone with a computer and working DVD player, maybe they could record the parts you need for you.

Peanutscreams - Posted - 05/07/2014:  10:18:12

Thanks pickn5, Mary and Casey for the helpful input. I didn't bring all my Murphy DVD's on the road with me, I suppose in a way that's a good thing because it does limit my songs to just a few and force me to concentrate on errors I had overlooked. I was back with the "Slow Jam" DVD again this morning for a couple hours, turned the volume up like Mary suggested but this made me tend to play too fast and I would come out ahead of everyone else. I went to a workshop last month and the instructor did a demonstration with the class having us play a scale loud, then play the same scale soft. When we played loud everyone sped up. So maybe my poor timing is a result of playing too soft, or too loud at times. Anyway, I took Casey's advice and contacted Murphy, It's like that Andy Griffith show where Aunt Bee's freezer goes on the blink and he keeps telling her "Aunt Bee, just call the Man"!! So in my case, I'm just calling the Gal!  ​Hopefully we'll get to the source of this problem one way or another. 

On a positive note however, and one I am very thrilled about. I never did learn "Blue Ridge Cabin Home from Murphy's DVD", (left that one back in Oregon) but I did get Casey's custom lesson of it, then Ned recorded a version with Casey so during some of my practice sessions I learned that one, and guess what, it fits right with Murphy's "Slow Jam".  (I mean really, why be surprised, of course it would), but as a novice picker, these kind of new discoveries just thrill me! Now my timing didn't work out so great, but everything else fit in just fine.

Thanks again

Butch B.     

Donald Pettis - Posted - 05/08/2014:  10:23:38

Hey Butch,

Sorry you are having issues my friend.  If you'll remember back when we picked together before you went traveling, the one issue you had was that we didn't always end a phrase together.  You would always say I'm playing it exactly like Murphy and I would say, no you have too many notes in there or you left out a few notes.  It is easier to play it correctly when they are playing but when it's your break it seems like you would have problems with the number of notes you were playing.  I always say go back to the DVD and make sure you are playing the same notes as Murphy is teaching.  I never noticed you had a problem with timing, it was always an issue with the number of notes.

Good luck Buddy

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 05/08/2014:  15:08:41

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peanutscreams

Been traveling for the past 4 months or so now, many hotel rooms without DVD players and the one in my old laptop was broke, so no MM lessons in quite awhile for me. Am now in a temporary rental home and back to my practice lessons from my favorite teacher.  I'm really concerned about my timing though and not sure how or where I went wrong in the beginning, or how to correct it now, but it's just something terrible.

Reading some other post here, many of you can play along with her "Slow Jam" just fine; and at one time I thought I could also, but I suppose I was just fooling myself. I hope I never claimed that in any of my previous post, because if I did, i take it back now.  

As long as I'm playing the break with her while watching, or vamping while she's playing lead, with Casey's rhythm, on guitar, I do real well keeping in time, but boy when it comes to my turn in that hole alone, things get bad, and they get bad quick. I play note for note but can never come out on the end at the right time. I'm always ahead, or behind, sometimes a whole measure it seems like.

Any suggestions from you that can? Should I just keep on playing with "Slow Jam" till I wear it out, or do I need to begin work with, say a metronome? I've never tried metronome and would really rather not after reading some of the pro's and con's of using one as a practice tool, and Murphy, to my knowledge has never mentioned it in any of her lessons. So I must have missed something during the building of my foundation blocks somewhere along the way.

So until I can at least play Banjo In The Hollow with her, "IN TIME"  this is what I'll be practicing. Cries for help from the Practice Group #2 members. Not really crying, not at this point anyway. Haha. 

Thanks

Butch B.

---

 Hi Butch

Were you practicing in the moonlight? I think in the early day's. my first three years I waxed and wayned a lot. Like the moon I'd go through phases when I felt I was good and times not so good and to some extent I still do.

I didn't use a metronome back then but I did listen a lot to Murphy and Casey playing. Casey's Skype lesson would surely give you helpful feedback.

Peanutscreams - Posted - 05/08/2014:  20:40:36

Thank you Tam and Don. Tam I think there's much more waning going on than waxing. Don thank you for that insight, because I do remember all that., always so frustrating to my learning experience, but so grateful you were there to point that out to me.  I have been continually working on that problem because I know it is easily true for some of the harder songs, however, with the simplest  arrangements like "Banjo In The Hollow"  "Boil Cabbage"  "Cumberland Gap" etc. Just no way I'm adding or omitting notes. (I'm totally in denial there). And if there's 300 or so notes in a song, what am I suppose to do, count them all one by one at a time. How do I know. 

My practice tonight was a two hour jam session I attended. Unfortunately only two or three Bluegrass songs that were played were familiar to me. "Two Dollar Bill" , Foggy "Mountain Breakdown"  "Rolling In My Sweet Baby's Arms", and the one I picked when it was my turn, which was "Cumberland Gap"  (which nobody knew that one, but they tried).  But that's okay, I got a lot of practice just strumming along with chord changes to John Prine , Johnny Cash. and a few other country / folk artist I wasn't really too familiar with.

My practice tomorrow morning begins with a Skype lesson with Murphy, (Yeah, so excited)! Not sure will it end. Have a feeling she is going to discover exactly what Don has been telling me for two years, and if that's the case, then that would be a positive thing, because I need to know. And if so, I  can only hope for a solution.

Butch B.

pickn5 - Posted - 05/09/2014:  06:28:26

Butch, in you last post you said "And if there's 300 or so notes in a song, what am I suppose to do, count them all one by one at a time. How do I know".

You can always go back to the lesson DVD and review Murphy teaching the tune lick by lick just to make sure you have it right. I know that I've had to do that a couple of times. It has helped with my ear and now I can hear it when I play it wrong. Keep picking.

pickn5 - Posted - 05/13/2014:  10:47:08

Saturday, no practice, family funeral.
Sunday, 1/2 hour, had to stop, I really could not get my fingers to cooperate.
Monday, 1 hour and 20 minutes, went well, it just seemed to flow.
Today, 1 hour, went well. I think that in 1 or 2 weeks I'll have those 4 tunes done with the lesson play along.

Keep picking.

jonah4832 - Posted - 05/15/2014:  13:35:56

You all will soon lean that if you continue to attend the jams that you are attending, that there are a set of favorites that they play almost everytime.  Take a pencil and paper and do your homework, write down what they do, go home and if you do nothing else at least listen to those tunes about a 100 times.  They may surprise you with a new one now and then and if they do just ask what s the name of that tune and go home and listen to it about a 100 times, get it in your head.  Then if you know your chords, try to sing it and play along with it.  One other thing to write down at the jam is the chord or key they do the song in, dont be defeated, get smart and do your homework.  You willb eglad you did.

pickn5 - Posted - 05/16/2014:  06:29:09

The last couple of days practice went really well. I was relaxed and the play along on Banjo In The Hollow, Cripple Creek, Boil Them Cabbage Down, and Cumberland Gap was accomplished with very few mistakes, sometimes no mistakes. I will continue to practice those tunes to keep the muscle memory and build speed as I move on to I Saw The Light. Keep picking.

jonah4832 - Posted - 05/17/2014:  04:13:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickn5

The last couple of days practice went really well. I was relaxed and the play along on Banjo In The Hollow, Cripple Creek, Boil Them Cabbage Down, and Cumberland Gap was accomplished with very few mistakes, sometimes no mistakes. I will continue to practice those tunes to keep the muscle memory and build speed as I move on to I Saw The Light. Keep picking.

---

sounds like your doing great.  Are you playing the backup to these tunes as well, nothing fancy just vamping along, if not you should learn your chord shapes and learn to vamp.  then try kicking the song off, then next time through play backup vamping, then play break again to see how you are transitioning between the changes.  This will get you ready to jam.  Happiy picking

pickn5 - Posted - 05/17/2014:  07:48:37

jonah4832, Thanks for the encouragement. I am practicing chord changes some and my 1,2,3 pinch vamping. My 1,2,3 pinch is really bad, but, is getting better. Thanks for the suggestion, I will try incorporate the vamping into the tunes. I have to work on my singing and playing at the same time also. So much to learn! Keep picking.

jonah4832 - Posted - 05/18/2014:  04:54:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickn5

jonah4832, Thanks for the encouragement. I am practicing chord changes some and my 1,2,3 pinch vamping. My 1,2,3 pinch is really bad, but, is getting better. Thanks for the suggestion, I will try incorporate the vamping into the tunes. I have to work on my singing and playing at the same time also. So much to learn! Keep picking.

---

Singing and playing is probably the hardest thing you will do,  but if you can more power to you, and singing it in your mind while playing it will help your timing and overall playing.  If ya don't already have murphy's slow jam dvd, i would suggest it as it will help your playing with others.  Great way to work on your chord changes and your vamping at the same time you get more familiar with the songs, and she gives you a chance to put the break in, and if you can do it with them it will let your mind know that you can and that is a breakthrough all by it self.  By the way you dont have to play a break to jam, you just have to 1 be in tune, 2 know your chords at least the 1, 4 and 5, and three be able to vamp in time, and vamping on the second and forth beats gives you time to make your chord changes because you  have a beat in between.  For 4/4 songs I like to count 1 and 2 and, with the ands being the upbeats where you vamp so 1 vamp 2 vamp 1 vamp 2 vamp remember 1 is a down beat 2 is a down beat and you vamp when you say and, so 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and change chords 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and change chords 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and changes chords and so on.  keep up the goood work. 

pickn5 - Posted - 05/21/2014:  04:51:52

Yesterday, during Murphy's birthday sale, I purchased the Slow Jam With Murphy And Casey, and the Vamping-Beginning Banjo Backup. The last couple of days practice sessions have gone well. I'm working on I Saw The Light and the singing the words while playing the square roll went great, so yesterday I started on the break. My F and D shape chord changes with the vamping 1,2,3 pinch is improving more quickly now than in the past. I feel that progress is being made, you have to love that feeling! Keep picking.

jonah4832 - Posted - 05/21/2014:  17:12:26

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickn5

Yesterday, during Murphy's birthday sale, I purchased the Slow Jam With Murphy And Casey, and the Vamping-Beginning Banjo Backup. The last couple of days practice sessions have gone well. I'm working on I Saw The Light and the singing the words while playing the square roll went great, so yesterday I started on the break. My F and D shape chord changes with the vamping 1,2,3 pinch is improving more quickly now than in the past. I feel that progress is being made, you have to love that feeling! Keep picking.

---

I know that feeling and it does feel good when you make progress.  You will really love that slow jam dvd and it really helps you to improve on skills as even though it is slow jam it will help your speed as well.  I love those sales because that is a good time to buy.  Not only that but has you learn new techniques you can apply them while palying along with that dvd.  try mixing it up with the square roll for for bars then vamping for four bars.  Like an inch worm slowly but surly we will get there.  Happy picking

pickn5 - Posted - 05/22/2014:  06:26:09

Two practice sessions yesterday. 1/2 hour in the morning practicing the tunes I know. During an hour practice yesterday afternoon I had another feel good moment. Learned the first two phrases of I Saw The Light for the break. Played with the lesson, listened over and over, and then practiced picking those phrases over and over. At first it didn't sound just right, but, I kept at it and by the end of practice I was hearing the melody and the fill in notes. It really helps to have the melody and words in your head. Keep picking.

pickn5 - Posted - 06/10/2014:  05:32:18

Hey all, I'm still working on I Saw The Light. The last phrase before the tag lick is giving me trouble getting the timing and syncopation right. It is slowly getting there. I just have to keep at it. Keep picking.

caseyhenry - Posted - 06/10/2014:  05:45:28

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickn5

Hey all, I'm still working on I Saw The Light. The last phrase before the tag lick is giving me trouble getting the timing and syncopation right. It is slowly getting there. I just have to keep at it. Keep picking.

---

That whole last phrase is just really tricky. Take it slow and spend plenty of time on it. It often takes my in-person students a month or two to really get that down correctly.

Casey

pickn5 - Posted - 06/10/2014:  05:50:30

Thanks Casey, I'm not going to quit.

EMarkM - Posted - 06/10/2014:  10:12:27

I'm currently enjoying Banjo In The Hollow, Cripple Creek and Cumberland Gap from the first Beginner tutorial, all reasonable at around 108 BPM.

I acquired the Vamping tutorial in the birthday sale (HB, Murphy, and thanks!) so part of my practice is now learning the three moveable chord shapes. For an accomplished guitarist, this is all proving rather tricky!

Most enjoyable, though. Been playing since April 2013, but with about the middle nine months or so of that missing due to other commitments.

Current goals: those first three songs a little smoother before moving onto the next (Foggy, IIRC?) and get these vamping chord changes working for me.

Hi Casey!

pickn5 - Posted - 06/13/2014:  04:36:52

I'm trying to get at least 1 1/2 hours of practice in every day. I've got to keep up with the tunes I already know while learning I Saw The Light and the vamping with chord changes. I was having trouble getting the timing right on the last phrase of I Saw The Light so yesterday I recorded Murphy's slow version in Audacity, slowed the tempo to where I could pick cleanly, and played along over and over. By the end of practice I was able to pick with Murphy's slow version from the lesson. I will be back at it today. Next will be to add the tag lick and hopefully I will have the whole tune learned and played cleanly by the end of June. Yesterday was one of those days when you get that breakthrough feeling that makes you smile. When I get I Saw The Light done I'll have 5 tunes under my belt. In August, I'm going to play for family, so hopefully I'll have 6 tunes by then. Keep picking.

jonah4832 - Posted - 06/15/2014:  09:16:37

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickn5

I'm trying to get at least 1 1/2 hours of practice in every day. I've got to keep up with the tunes I already know while learning I Saw The Light and the vamping with chord changes. I was having trouble getting the timing right on the last phrase of I Saw The Light so yesterday I recorded Murphy's slow version in Audacity, slowed the tempo to where I could pick cleanly, and played along over and over. By the end of practice I was able to pick with Murphy's slow version from the lesson. I will be back at it today. Next will be to add the tag lick and hopefully I will have the whole tune learned and played cleanly by the end of June. Yesterday was one of those days when you get that breakthrough feeling that makes you smile. When I get I Saw The Light done I'll have 5 tunes under my belt. In August, I'm going to play for family, so hopefully I'll have 6 tunes by then. Keep picking.

---

Remember, Practice what you can't play, Using repitition you wil get there, don't rush it.  recoginize the hard parts and work on it more.  After practice, have some fun and play the banjo. 

capmike - Posted - 06/15/2014:  21:21:33

Well I haven't commented here in a while but today Is a special day, as it's my Two year anniversary of playing the banjo.I just want to say Thank you Murphy Henry and Casey for putting my feet on the right path. I have learned a lot, and need to learn a lot more.But I couldn't have done it without these great teachers vids to help me.

                                                                                                       Mike

caseyhenry - Posted - 06/16/2014:  04:05:26

quote:

---

Originally posted by capmike

Well I haven't commented here in a while but today Is a special day, as it's my Two year anniversary of playing the banjo.I just want to say Thank you Murphy Henry and Casey for putting my feet on the right path. I have learned a lot, and need to learn a lot more.But I couldn't have done it without these great teachers vids to help me.

                                                                                                       Mike

---

Congratulations! You're very welcome. Keep on Pickin'!

Casey

pickn5 - Posted - 06/17/2014:  07:14:42

Some days you go forward and some days you go backwards. Yesterday, I was able to play I Saw The Light from beginning to end with the slow version from the lesson. I also started on the Tag Lick. I've also been keeping up with the other tunes I know and practicing vamping. Keep picking.

BanjerKen - Posted - 06/28/2014:  08:49:52

I have found that the Murphy Method is great to use in conjunction with some of the TOTW  songs here on the Hangout. I am learning Murphy's version of Amazing a Grace. I tried to learn it some time ago and gave up but not this time. Just takes a lot of repetition to get that picking pattern down so I am consistent and in time with it. It will be fun to use this technique in other slow songs.

pickn5 - Posted - 06/28/2014:  09:12:19

I'm still having trouble with the timing on that last prase of I Saw The Light. When I play along with Murphy's slow version no problem, however, when I try and play it without the lesson music it falls apart on me. I started refocusing my practice routine yesterday by isolating the phrase before, last phrase and tag lick in Audacity, looping it and playing along over and over. I will continue with this focus until I get it right. I hope it doesn't take another month to get it. Keep picking.

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 08/03/2014:  22:55:02

Hi Guy's

It's been a while since I posted anything in this thread. So I thought this might be a good time to say something to those of you who may feel that all that effort your putting in is not yielding any long lasting result's. Well here is all the reassurance you need.  

I learned this tune about five years ago and hadn't played it for a while maybe two years or more while I worked on a bunch of other stuff then about three weeks ago I found myself playing it all the way through without any mistakes save for the ending which is quite tricky. This arrangement of Old Spinning Wheel is loosely based on Murphy Henry's lesson from the Solders Joy DVD. It's in the Key of C. Standard G tuning.

Set your goals, study the banjo, practice, practice, practice, persevere, practice, practice and practice some more but above all have fun.

And this tune is fun to learn. Enjoy.

VIDEO: Old Spinning Wheel - Banjo (click to view)

pickn5 - Posted - 08/04/2014:  09:13:26

Nice playing Archie.

Since my last post in this forum, I feel that I have made progress. On July 14,2014, I finally got the timing on that last phrase of I Saw The Light. I practice one to one and a half hours most days. Later this month, I will be performing for family, playing the 5 tunes I know. I've been concentrating practice on these 5 tunes in preparation and will continue to do so until that mini show is over. The good thing is that I can play those tunes through, with few, sometimes no mistakes. I also learned a couple of ending licks. I have also started to record my playing more to get past the red light fright. Hopefully I'll be able to post a video soon. Keep picking.

EMarkM - Posted - 08/04/2014:  15:00:00

Making a little progress myself. Still on the Beginners 1 tutorial, but made a good start on FMB tonight, all the way up to the sliding and hammering E min section. Good fun, but hard work!

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 08/04/2014:  15:08:10

quote:

---

Originally posted by pickn5

Nice playing Archie.



Since my last post in this forum, I feel that I have made progress. On July 14,2014, I finally got the timing on that last phrase of I Saw The Light. I practice one to one and a half hours most days. Later this month, I will be performing for family, playing the 5 tunes I know. I've been concentrating practice on these 5 tunes in preparation and will continue to do so until that mini show is over. The good thing is that I can play those tunes through, with few, sometimes no mistakes. I also learned a couple of ending licks. I have also started to record my playing more to get past the red light fright. Hopefully I'll be able to post a video soon. Keep picking.

---

 Hi Jeff, It helps to listen to the music, I mean really listen. head phones on no distractions. As you listen start to imagine yourself playing along in perfect unison. Then with the tune still in your head play your banjo. play through your mistakes. Then listen and repeat

pickn5 - Posted - 08/27/2014:  08:05:18

Hey All, Started learning Do Lord from the Misfits video yesterday and have a question. When picking the 2-1-2-1-5-2-3-1 pattern, do you use thumb-middle or index-middle on the 2-1-2-1? Does it make a difference? To my ear it sounds cleaner with thumb-middle, however, it may be that I need to strengthen my index and middle fingers. Keep picking.

Casey, the latest blog you posted from Murphy is hidden.

Edited by - pickn5 on 08/27/2014 08:08:29

caseyhenry - Posted - 08/27/2014:  13:31:01

It stays hidden until Eric sends out the newsletter (next Monday).

The fingering on that particular 2-1-2-1 doesn't matter that much. I usually alternate index-middle-thumb-middle. But both thumbs works, too.

Casey

pickn5 - Posted - 08/28/2014:  04:52:56

Thanks Casey. Practice sessions are getting full. 15 minutes vamping and chord changes, 15 minutes working on a new tune which currently is Do Lord, then about 30 minutes playing/practicing the 5 tunes I know. I'll have to adjust as I learn more tunes or priorities change. I'm hoping to go to a jam next month. The Mohawk Valley Bluegrass Association holds a monthly jam and meeting not to far from where I live. I think I'll join also. Their web site, mvbga.com, says beginners are welcome. I probably should have started going a long time ago but, I just didn't feel ready. I just started the Murphy Method Vamping: Beginning Banjo Backup and it pushed me over the hump. Keep picking.

Peanutscreams - Posted - 08/28/2014:  11:50:42

Pickn5 that's great to hear about you considering the Mohawk Jam. Don't get hung up on thinking you should have started going long ago, just go now, your feeling it now, so now is your time bud! I have been going to a couple different jam sessions in my area for the past 4-5 months and I really enjoy it. One doesn't even play much bluegrass, seldom are any songs even played in G but I go for the experience of playing with others, and I always get something out of it. The experience playing with others is great, even the not so good moments like when a upright Bass player laid down his Bass and made a big scene because he didn't like the fact I played too many notes, and I couldn't play in well enough time for him.  But I think that was a rare case, because most all folks are very patient with us new comers and are more willing to help you than criticize.  I looked at Mohawks web page and I would love to have something like that close to me. So you go jump in there, you will love it.

Looks like you will be performing for your family real soon, your mini show! Probably this week-end. I wish you the best, you sure have been putting a lot of time in playing, and I'm sure you will do great.

Since I'm on here reading and this is the practice group forum I'd better post my practice update. Well, within my jam session, besides playing too many notes and getting out of time, haha. I have also been struggling with hearing chord changes. So I purchased Murphy's  "Learning To Hear Chord Changes" and have been practicing with that DVD. This is one I wished I had gotten earlier along with her beginning Vol.'s, but hey, I got it now and it comes in very handy. I didn't realize how bad it was for me to hear chord changes untill I started playing with otheres because when your playing with Murphy's DVD's you can pretty much always see where she is going, kinda like riding with training wheels. And it's okay to see where she's going, like she states on her DVD or maybe it was her blog, or maybe both, it's okay to see where the guitar player is going, it's not cheating. However, you will find many times where the view from the guitar player is blocked, or if they are in a different key other than G, I have no idea what chorded finger formation  they are using is. So yes, this is a very helpful DVD.

I also have her Improvising DVD but I haven't got into that one too much yet. Although I really should because I can not play any tune fast enough yet to keep up with others, less the Bass player will quit. Ha. So I just vamp along, and this works well. But I have heard some great reviews about the improvising DVD's so that one is coming up next for me.

Hey Tam, good job up there on "Old Spinning Wheel" .

Butch B.

pickn5 - Posted - 08/29/2014:  05:22:01

Butch, thanks for the encouragement. I also have trouble with hearing chord changes. The Vamping and Slow Jam dvd's are helping and hopefully the jams will help. Keep picking.

Jeff

the Twanger - Posted - 11/20/2014:  12:57:58

Presently working through Panther Creek Waltz. Slow and steady and I try to play at least 30 minutes a day.
Its coming. Fingers still don't do what I tell them but at least it sounds OK. I like the way you Hear it and I am
a convert to this method. Living in Eastern England (UK) I have very few people to jam with which I'd love to do.
Can't have everything. Good luck everyone