Doug Knecht - Posted - 04/15/2026:  11:25:31

Something crucial for my advancement, how do you strum slowly on the old 5?  (In G)

Dean T - Posted - 04/15/2026:  11:53:43

I’m nowhere near the level of many players here, but this I can identify with, as I do it a lot. My best general offering would be to think of the song “Happy Trails” and let your banjo be to horse hoofs.

steve davis - Posted - 04/15/2026:  11:54:02

I like slow songs because they give me more time to think what to do with them.
I started with a flatpick and strumming chords and pieces of chords and even though I switched to fingerpicks the chords never went away.

One pinch or strum can have a sliding or pull-off within a chord.I like playing closer to the neck and sliding chords on slow country and western songs with the occasional tuners for hints of steel.

Owen - Posted - 04/15/2026:  12:22:09

Q: How do I strum slowly?

A: I don't ......................  and fwiw, I don't strum rapidly either.

[I surely hope you're not depending on me for your "advancement" ......... in "G."]   

chuckv97 - Posted - 04/15/2026:  12:27:16

The trick is to meditate on one hand clapping

mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 04/15/2026:  14:35:12

Doug, I'll have whatever you've been havin' lately!

Culloden - Posted - 04/15/2026:  21:31:53

I think Doug is pulling our collective leg again. He is far too advanced as a player to be asking this question seriously.

banjoy - Posted - 04/16/2026:  05:16:12

It's easy Doug. Don't change a thing in your playing. Instead, just speed up the world around you and there ya go.

steve davis - Posted - 04/16/2026:  09:02:18

A banjo can chew gum and walk at the same time.

eagleisland - Posted - 04/16/2026:  12:47:08

Follow the same logic of learning to play faster, only in reverse. Set your metronome to house-afire and play. Then gradually slow down, maybe 10bpm at a time, until you're playing so slowly that you could replace the metronome with a calendar.

On a related note, I'm seeking investors for my new invention - the microwave refrigerator. Microwave ovens work by bombarding food with microwaves, causing it to heat up fast. My invention works by sucking microwaves OUT of the food, cooling it down fast.

This could be the next megafortune, and because you're all banjo players, I'm offering an opportunity to get in at only $10,000 per share. No more than 20 million shares will be available, and I'm keeping half of 'em plus one.

reubenstump - Posted - 04/16/2026:  13:36:01

Which G?

Ira Gitlin - Posted - 04/16/2026:  18:15:51

quote:

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Originally posted by eagleisland

Follow the same logic of learning to play faster, only in reverse. Set your metronome to house-afire and play. Then gradually slow down, maybe 10bpm at a time, until you're playing so slowly that you could replace the metronome with a calendar.



On a related note, I'm seeking investors for my new invention - the microwave refrigerator. Microwave ovens work by bombarding food with microwaves, causing it to heat up fast. My invention works by sucking microwaves OUT of the food, cooling it down fast.



This could be the next megafortune, and because you're all banjo players, I'm offering an opportunity to get in at only $10,000 per share. No more than 20 million shares will be available, and I'm keeping half of 'em plus one.

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LOL.



I mean, LITERALLY!

steve davis - Posted - 04/19/2026:  08:22:20

Learn how to best fit the music you're playing.

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 04/19/2026:  10:42:44

quote:

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Originally posted by Doug Knecht

Something crucial for my advancement, how do you strum slowly on the old 5?  (In G)

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Is there tab for this?