schlange - Posted - 02/23/2014:  22:41:21

I've been thinking about this topic for a while now, and thought this may be helpful for banjo newbies. While many of these points may seem obvious to you, for me as a banjo and bluegrass rookie I didn't know this stuff when I got my first banjo for Christmas in 1999. I know there are others out there in the same boat, so without further ado, here's my list:

1. 
   

   It will take a while: the experts say it will take at least 4-5 years of practice (~2,000 total hours) to be good enough to play bluegrass banjo "at speed" in a band. This is very different from my experience with playing guitar and drums (I was able to learn enough to play rhythm guitar in a band in about 1 year, and learned drums well enough to play in a simple band after about 3 months.)

   
   


2. 
   

   Pick a learning tool and stick with it: my tendency is to drop one tool and go to another when the going gets tough--but I've learned there is a lot of benefit in sticking to it and finishing that book or DVD. You'll learn the hard stuff and get the full breadth of education as the teacher intended.

   
   


3. 
   

   Use an external beat: whether it's a metronome, backing tracks, drum machine, or other musicians--it never hurts, only helps, to have a steady timekeeper to play to. This helps you see how you're progressing speed-wise, but also trains you to keep good time. I especially like backing tracks, which is why I'm making more of them--see the current list here.

   
   


4. 
   

   Listen before you learn: you'll learn a tune much more quickly and accurately if you first get the basic melody and structure ingrained in your head from listening to it repeatedly. As you gain experience, listening to multiple versions is even better, because you get to hear the tune can be varied. Check out Grooveshark if you need a place to quickly find multiple versions of many common bluegrass tunes for free. (I do, of course, always advocate supporting artists by purchasing music you listen to.)

   
   


5. 
   

   Learn the whole song (not just the break): play a solo break at a nice clip is fun, but in the real world, I'll only get one or two breaks during the song. The rest of the time I'll be playing backup and possibly singing, which means I need to learn the chord progression and (whenever possible) to sing the lyrics. If all I know is the break for a tune, I don't know the tune.

   
   


6. 
   

   Practice regularly: I got nowhere practicing for an hour or so every week or so. Things changed when I stuck to daily practice (at least 5 days a week) and at least 30 minutes at a time (typically closer to an hour). If you have a hard time staying motivated to practice, figure out a motivation. For me, the daily practice group threads have been a big help, encouraging me to post daily after I practice.

   
   


7. 
   

   Learn to play in different keys: attending my first jam showed me the rest of the bluegrass world doesn't always play in G. So I had to get comfortable using my capo and spikes to play in A, Bb, and B, and I learned how the chord shapes work so I could at least roll or vamp in any key just about anywhere on the neck. Speaking of vamping...

   
   


8. 
   

   Learn to vamp: if nothing else I can fall back on this in a jam setting and it will sound just fine. By learning just a few 4-string major and minor chord shapes I could vamp in any key to just about any bluegrass tune, anywhere on the neck.

   
   


9. 
   

   Play with others: there are so many benefits to this... you'll be exposed to new music, you'll learn to improvise, you'll start to conquer your stagefright, you'll be motivated to practice more... and you'll experience music the way it's meant to be, as a shared experience! 

   
   


10. 
    

    You don't have to use tab: many bluegrass banjo greats learned without any tab--and you can to! I struggled with learning from tab for quite a while (partly because I didn't know the songs well enough, see #4) but also because I learn better when I hear and see it played. That's why I love the Murphy Method videos!

    
    


11. 
    

    Practice what you don't know: I want to play the stuff that sounds good, but my practices bear more fruit when I work on the stuff that doesn't sound good yet. This means I may need to isolate and "loop" thru a certain section of a tune until my fingers have it memorized, or practice a particular backup roll pattern for 5 minutes straight with a metronome.

    
    


12. 
    

    A great banjo won't make you a great player (but a junker will hold you back): I started my banjo journey with a pretty junky banjo that never sounded very good, and this diminished my motivation to practice more. I got a better banjo, and the nice sound motivated me. The nice banjo didn't make me a great player (I still needed to put in the time) but it helped me instead of hindering me. I would say plan on spending at least $500-$1000 for a decent new or used banjo if you want to do it right. $2000 should get you a pro-quality used banjo.

    
    


13. 
    

    Get to know better players: form relationships with banjo players who know more than you do. Their knowledge will prove invaluable when you have a particular playing or setup question, plus it's inspiring and educational to sit down and pick a tune with someone who can play circles around you!

    
    


14. 
    

    Focus on accuracy and clean picking: speed is no good if you're not hitting the right notes, at the right time, in the right way. Only increase your speed when you can do so without sacrificing accuracy and tone.

    
    


15. 
    

    Picks don't have to hurt: I played for years with picks that hurt, which of course didn't encourage me to practice more! The standard Nationals would irritate my cuticles, and the plastic thumb picks would turn my thumb purple. I started looking around, though, and found picks I can use for hours without any pain (I love the Saddle thumb picks and Dean Hoffmeyer's custom picks). 

    
    


16. 
    

    Learn setup basics: banjos are made up of separate parts, and tweaking these parts radically alters your banjo's sound. After years of being unhappy with my banjo's sound I learned the basics of setting up my banjo (head tension, tailpiece adjustment, string action, etc) so I could do this simple work when needed. Steve Huber's Killer Tone videos from Acutab are good for this. (One word of caution, though: don't let banjo tinkering and parts swapping replace your practice time!)

    
    


17. 
    

    Keep track of progress: I've learned to maintain a list of tunes I've learned, as well as keep notes about what I'm learning, what I want to learn, and how fast I'm able to cleanly play certain tunes. Sometimes I'll flip on my webcam and record myself playing a particular tune, so I can watch it later to see how I've improved. One major benefit of these notes is that I can look back on them for encouragement when I feel like I'm not progressing very quickly. 

    
    


18. 
    

    Find a good teacher: when I first started playing banjo, this simply wasn't an option for me--there were no local banjo teachers, and Skype hadn't been invented! Nowadays, though, we have no excuse... if you can't find a good teacher locally, you can always find one who will teach you online (see the BHO teacher directory). A good teacher will consistently remind you of many of the points on this list, and will give you the kind of guidance that will let you "leapfrog" in your learning.

    
    


19. 
    

    Develop an effective system: settings goals for banjo playing is fine, but it's your system that will make or break your playing. Your system is what you do day in and day out, week in and week out--how you structure your practices, what you focus on, who you jam with and what you play in that settings. These ongoing practices can strengthen you quickly as a banjo player, or just be a waste of time, depending on how you do them. What is an effective system, you may ask? One that incorporates the points above in a way that works with your lifestyle, I suppose!
    
    
    
    My current system (I'm always tweaking it) is to practice for about 1 hour each morning (I work on the current TOTW, and playing backup rolls and licks to the TOTW and other songs I've already learned), and jam with some buddies for a couple hours once a week on a set list of about 10-20 tunes. I try to post on my practice group thread after each practice. This system has got me playing more than I ever have before, and I'm also moving towards my goals by learning at least one new song a week and progressing in picking speed and my ability to play with others.

    
    

I'm still learning, of course, and in another few years I'll probably have a few more things to add to this list. Feel free to chime and with things you wish you knew when you started playing!

Grum - Posted - 02/23/2014:  23:11:40

Wow! I absolutely agree with every point you've made here. As I read I was saying, "Yep, yep, yep" all the way through.

Sometimes I feel that, despite all the practice (which is never really quite enough!) I haven't progressed much. Then I dig out some stuff I was struggling with a year ago and discover I can breeze through it!

If you're always wanting to get better then you're never really pleased with your current ability level. Sort of a Catch-22. I'll just have to get used to being displeased with myself and continue to slowly improve.

jmmcdona - Posted - 02/24/2014:  04:00:19

I think every one of those are excellent points and I agree with them all.  I think one's situation, skill and mindset will determine how strongly each one applies (especially pertinent to me are 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 and 17). I really think Grum hit on two really good points about looking back and the result of always wanting to improve, but I think you have to be careful getting used to being displeased with yourself (thus my #19, 20, 21). 

The only items that I have on my list that are not on yours would be:

18. Learn some basic guitar chord shapes. When you get into a group situation you can always follow a decent guitar player if you know the basic guitar chord shapes.

19. If you are self conscious, have some stage fright and easily discouraged  (I have discovered I am with the banjo) resist the urge to compare yourself too strongly to other players, especially that 9 year old girl or boy that is sitting next to you playing their second break at speed after picking up the banjo 3 months ago. Everyone learns at their own rate. It's all about the journey and having fun...and remember, she still has to get her mom to drive her to the jams.

20. Addendum to #11 on Eric's list...Practice what you don't know, but celebrate what you do. I guess that should be the focus of jamming. I find I have to build in 5 or 10 minutes in every session to play those songs I know well. Helps keep things in perspective for me.

21. Forget about the discouragement of yesterday. This is probably the biggest key for me. It sounds cliche, but I do so much better when I think about each day as a new beginning or the first step on the rest of my journey. It's too easy to lament how long it's taken to get to this point. This crops up regularly. For example, yesterday I had a less than fulfilling experience at a slow jam. Every break went wrong, even breaks I've been able to play for a few years while falling asleep.It seemed like every banjo player there was more skilled and sounding better (see #19).  I'll admit, by the end of the day I was pretty discouraged. However, I know that dwelling on the negative aspect this morning will not be productive to my practice session and tends to accumulate negative feelings over time. Time to learn from the experience, put the negative behind me and start again fresh.

And finally...

22. If you are struggling at all or even if you aren't, you just can't over emphasize the value of a good teacher. You have to find a teacher that can really help you, but when you do it can make all the difference in the world. In fact, I'd probably make this #2 if I was prioritizing for a newbie.  Every time I see a local Craigslist ad for a banjo for sale that says something like "I always wanted to try the banjo, but found out I just can't play it" or "I always wanted a banjo but when I got it I discovered I have no talent for it" or anything along those lines, I email the seller and ask them why they are giving up the banjo. Sometimes it is their junky banjo (#12), sometimes it is their isolation (#9), sometimes it is not knowing what system to use (#2), many times it is unrealistic expectations of how long it takes (#1 and darn youtube videos of 4 year olds playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown). Ironically, a quality teacher can help their student address any of those issues. Actually, a quality teacher can help address issues with all the items on my list and on Eric's original list. If you are struggling, find a good teacher.

There's my additions, and yes, I put #22 in bold on purpose. I'd probably have gotten to my current playing level in a 1/3 of the time if I'd enlisted the help of a quality teacher from the beginning.

Thanks for the original list Eric. It helps to reflect once in awhile.  I think I'll print out your list and hang it up in my practice room as a checklist.

John

Edited by - jmmcdona on 02/24/2014 04:02:03

Banjo Yokel - Posted - 02/24/2014:  05:52:52

Thanks for posting Eric!  I'm going to start incorporating this stuff into my practice today!

yopasjim - Posted - 02/24/2014:  05:59:56

Eric, EXCELLENT observations/lessons!  Thank you for sharing them.  I think I am going to print these out and put them in my lesson book for easy review!  

eagleisland - Posted - 02/24/2014:  06:33:23

Eric - that's great counsel. I have a document I hand to new students on their first lessons entitled "Ten Things You Should Know About Learning Bluegrass Banjo." It incorporates some of the things you mentioned, but I really like what you've done here. Any problem if I copy it (with attribution) and give that to my students as well?

swamplunker - Posted - 02/24/2014:  06:38:53

Really good stuff, Eric. Some of it I need to follow, not just the newbies! The only thing I would add is make up your own stuff as you go, and record it in a form that allows you to remember it, tab or tape recorder or whatever. Don't expect to copy the masters of the past exclusively. Find out what's been done, then build on it.

Banjophobic - Posted - 02/24/2014:  06:54:21

You have a great list Eric. This should make sticky status.

Edited by - Banjophobic on 02/24/2014 06:57:05

banjoholic - Posted - 02/24/2014:  06:57:59

That's a great list, Eric!

I was going to add "resist the temptation to compare yourself to others", but I see John covered it nicely above. No matter how long you've been playing or how technically advanced you've become, there will always be others who do things you'd like to be doing. This is true of everyone. Use this as a source of inspiration, not discouragement.

BanjoFlyboy - Posted - 02/24/2014:  07:10:48

Right On!

5stringpicker2 - Posted - 02/24/2014:  07:23:48

Love it! All are very true especially #13 this one will move you forward at a fast clip.

( I  )====='----<: :}

Joe the banjo guy - Posted - 02/24/2014:  07:24:45

I think the thing about listening is really good and important.  That's one of the major changes that's occurred since I first picked up banjo.  With the internet, it is SO much easier to hear, not only the song, but also different versions of songs.  It should make tab learning so much easier.

I think I would add one item to the list (and it's connected to the very good point you made about listening).

#__:  You don't always have to play a song exactly like everybody else.  If you can't seem to make your tab fit the melody and rhythm you've (after listening a lot) pounded into your head, then it's ok to deviate from the tab.  By all means, try to challenge yourself, but also know that you're the captain of your musical ship, and if you feel you need to play something in a different way to maintain the integrity of the song, then you should.

Maybe a shorter version would just say, "There may be one right way to play a famous solo, but there is no one right way to play a song."

Edited by - Joe the banjo guy on 02/24/2014 07:27:48

hweinberg - Posted - 02/24/2014:  07:29:17

+1 and thanks.  I often paraphrase 20th century business guru Peter Drucker's wisdom:   "People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed."  Those are great reminders.  -- Howard

haystack - Posted - 02/24/2014:  07:31:34

A friend once gave me this advise & I'll pass it on to others.  "Beg, borrow, and steal everything ( licks and way of playing a song) you can from others and make it yours,"  Develop your own style and always have FUN playing the banjo.  Jim

MMcDougal - Posted - 02/24/2014:  07:45:56

I'm a few weeks away from getting my first banjo and have been looking at this forum for beginner tips. This is by far the best beginner thread I have found. Thanks for taking the time to make it.

timacn - Posted - 02/24/2014:  08:01:18

Good advice!  How does one access the "daily practice group threads"  you mention?

qtip - Posted - 02/24/2014:  08:12:25

Boy, 19 & 21 really hit home.  I've been down in the dumps for a couple of days after taking a jam class.

Many thanks for posting John.  I feel much better now.

schlange - Posted - 02/24/2014:  08:32:42

quote:

---

Originally posted by timacn

Good advice!  How does one access the "daily practice group threads"  you mention?

---

There are a few active ones... the one I'm posting to right now is the TOTW practice group. There's also a Murphy Method Practice Group, and you can always start your own group, too! A few practice groups have come and gone--it seems to be the kind of thing that works for a few months, then the group kind of needs to re-form and reboot.

schlange - Posted - 02/24/2014:  08:43:49

Lots of good additions, everyone! I think I may steal some of them and expand my list, because in reading some of your ideas I found myself thinking "Yeah, that's another thing I wish I'd known!"

If anyone wants to print this out for their use or the use of others, that's perfectly fine of course! But I may be modifying the list somewhat, so come back later for the final draft. 

My banjo learning road has been a rough and rocky one, for sure. I've honestly never had such a hard time picking up an instrument, and it's probably only because I run the Banjo Hangout that my interest in playing stayed alive! I attribute my difficulties to a few major factors--not listening to enough "banjo music," not having a personal teacher to advise me, not practicing regularly, and not being in a band or regular jam group.

That said, I've learned much more in the past 8 months than I've learned in the past 8 years, and all I did was put a system into practice that hits the points I listed.

I'm hoping this list will help spare a few folks from going down the road I took. Instead, get a good system in place and stick to it!

schlange - Posted - 02/24/2014:  09:05:54

I just expanded my list--added points 17 and 18 above ("Keep track of progress" and "Find a good teacher"). I'm keeping the last point the "system" point because I think it's a good last one!

casinojack - Posted - 02/24/2014:  09:38:48

Eric

THANK YOU 

bornold - Posted - 02/24/2014:  09:41:35

Stick this guy on the board!

roadstar75 - Posted - 02/24/2014:  17:34:37

Pearls of wisdom, thanks for taking the time to boil it all down, (at least some of it).  If at first you don't succeed, you are probably trying to learn to play a banjo.

Richard

RTWhite - Posted - 02/24/2014:  19:41:50

Excellent points! In the very short time I've been practicing, the points made that currently apply to me (and likely the other points that will some day apply to me) are spot on. It's good to see the road I'm going down now has been used often in the past.

Edited by - RTWhite on 02/24/2014 19:44:30

Kemo Sabe - Posted - 02/24/2014:  22:47:33

Strum the chords to the song / get the timing down / noodle with the melody notes until you KNOW where they are and the timing for each note.  (Guess what .....you are half way there!)

NUMBER ONE: Enjoy the journey.  Phil

Edited by - Kemo Sabe on 02/24/2014 22:51:18

therealbanjoblake - Posted - 02/24/2014:  23:43:28

Thanks Eric! Great Post! I find that with just about any new instrument I learn the best way to pick it up quickly and stick with it is to figure out (research) the most basic chord progression (or pattern if percussion) for your favorite 1-3 songs on that instrument (you the ones that made you want to learn it to begin with). And just be able to strum/ vamp those very basic chords. You can then pick that instrument up and play along when those songs come on and it helps fuel the "honeymoon" feeling of learning something new to propel you into the next chapter/ phase of picking apart the more detailed intricacies. But your list is an absolute great resource. Make it sticky!

marcel - Posted - 02/25/2014:  05:20:47

Yes sir, you're the man Mr. Schlange, thank you for taking the time to post this up!

Edited by - marcel on 02/25/2014 05:21:18

dennis14 - Posted - 02/25/2014:  09:28:12

I have to say that I am glad I DIDN'T know #1.

I have watched people learn guitar and figured this journey would be similar. Oh my!

Two plus years into it, I love it, I am challenged a lot and if I knew of all the work and challenges I probably would not have started.

Nicholas Glardon - Posted - 02/25/2014:  09:33:49

Thanks for all the info Eric

It will take a while!!!!!!!!!!!!! sums it up 

pbdeakins - Posted - 02/25/2014:  10:27:44

Wonderful tips and great encouragement! Thanks Eric!

dtyevans - Posted - 02/25/2014:  11:04:23

Awesome advice Eric! Heeding the advice of those who have been there before you can save a lot of time and heartache.

Kenneth Logsdon - Posted - 02/25/2014:  12:13:43

good list... But NO. ONE.. should be to listen, listen, listen to Bluegrass & Bluegrass banjo until you have an awareness of the What and Role/history of the banjo in Bluegrass and are able to define The music, that role and style..

(not be confused by "I want to play with my friends rock band, my church choir, the local honky tonk country band, my rapping buddy" and so forth)

Edited by - Kenneth Logsdon on 02/25/2014 12:15:58

waynerandall - Posted - 02/26/2014:  11:11:53

Good Stuff,

Thank you!

jkswor - Posted - 02/26/2014:  11:39:10

OOPs, anyhow, it is my opinion that getting a good teacher should be moved up on the list. I found the artistworks web site with Tony Trischka as a banjo teacher. I began the course in October and am now proficient enough to play in a bluegrass band. Not 6 months yet. However I practice probably 3-4 hours a day. Im 67 years old now and used to play Electric Guitar and Steel Guitar in bands since the 60's. So, knew all the chords and theory and such. Not as good as I can be unless my old age prevents it, but have completed all the beginner, intermeidate and most of the advanced lessons which are provided on this site. Sure, it costs some, but I wanted to learn faster than on my own, which has never worked for me in the past. I have never learned an instrument without the help of others who knew more than me. Learn the chords, the scales and practice.
Jim

dkr - Posted - 02/26/2014:  11:58:14

You've mentioned it in one of your points, but one thing that I didn't anticipate at all when I started playing, was learning to sing the lyrics. It seems to me that for many of us backyard jam pickers, being able to sing the lyrics really completes the package.