Hearing Chords and Chord Changes

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

Murphy's Misfits

Join This Group

This group is for all of us that believe in the Murphy Henry Method banjo lessons. I am having a blast learning.

272 Members, Created 3/7/2011 -

Administrators: Oalbrets (owner)

< Back to Home

From Augie on 3/20/2011 4:15:30 AM

I have been using the Murphy Method for about a year now and have several tunes that I can play, not fast , but they are starting to sound like music. I am following the sequence that Murphy recommends: Doing the first three tunes on “Beginning Banjo Vol. 1” and then going over to “Banjo For Misfits”. At first I didn’t want to follow the way she teaches on the Misfits DVD. I had the tendency to go straight to the Banjo Break part of the lesson and avoid the strumming and chord changes that Murphy recommends for each tune..

After reading the first part of Murphy’s book “…and there you have it!” and talking with a friend of mine who plays banjo, I began to realize the value of hearing chords and chord changes. My friend has been playing for 9 years and he said that until recently he hadn’t been able to hear chords and changes and he had not made the kind of progress he wanted. He couldn’t vamp or play a complete tune with a band. Now, after learning chords and chord changes, he can vamp and plays breaks at the local jam.

If others are like me, they may want to ignore the sequence in the Murphy Method and jump to the more fun thing, playing the break. I am now going back and working on chords and chord changes and using Murphy’s “Learning to Hear Chord Changes”. It’s been an eye opener for me…………and now I’m realizing how much fun it is to sing and recognize the chord changes. Augie

3 Comments
	Oalbrets says: 3/20/2011 7:52:59 AM Hi Augie, you did a veyr smart thing and went back to the beginning chord changes. Just try to start from the beginning and work through it. I did the same thing on Vol#1 and I had to go back and learn some songs because there were some licks I needed to learn. Now I start right from the begining and work my way through it. Good luck and have fun.
	thehurricane says: 3/26/2011 9:59:14 PM Another excellent post Augie. I am trying to be disiplined and learn correctly, and in the order Murphy put them in. I figure they are in that order for a reason.
	Augie says: 3/27/2011 4:08:18 AM You read Murphy's book and you begin to realize that she started in 1983 or earlier and worked with one-on-one lessons, audio tapes VHS, CDs, and now she is doing DVDs. I think she's got it pretty well nailed by now. Augie
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

Blog Entry: It Takes Three Years To Become A Beginner Linked by yennie 9 years ago
	Go 'Long Mule - 22 verses Linked by rfrizzle2 10 years ago
MP3: Little Maggie Linked by Mario Rimoldi 10 years ago: Me Playing Little Maggie
MP3: Rocky Top Linked by Mario Rimoldi 10 years ago: Me trying to record again with different instruments most importantly the banjo
	Salt Creek by Gaz Watson Linked by gazcwatson 10 years ago: Salt Creek from the Murphy Method DVD
Blog Entry: Banjo Stand up Performanace Stand Linked by rfrizzle2 10 years ago
Blog Entry: open back banjo Linked by KenBirmingham 10 years ago
Forum Post: (untitled) Linked by route66 10 years ago
Classified: Wanted Playable Banjos Linked by Missouri 11 years ago
Video: (untitled) Linked by Peanutscreams 11 years ago