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Moving ahead! :)

Saturday, January 29, 2011

I live outside Roscommon Michigan in GODS country, at least in the spring-summer-fall :D  I fell in love with the Banjo back in the 60's when Dueling Banjos came out. Man was gonna go get me one of those banjo things and set down and play it. Wrong! :(

 

I decided to get the best I could afford at the time, an Alverez. I started taking lessons From a teacher in Rochester Mi and practiced my butt off but it soon became clear to me that I had a problem. I had little talent for music and was inhibited as heck. I could not play around ANYONE. I would practice the lesson and get to the point that I was not ashamed of it and then set down in front of Vince and almost freeze. Heck I could not play with my wife in the room. My dog was no problem though.

 

I finally bought a Gibson. That thing was a beauty. Now I would be able to play!!  Wrong :(  

 

I finally quit but I alway kept the Gibson on a stand in my living room, hoping to get inspired again but it didin't come. Now it is 12 years later and I am 71 years old. I figured I was gonna have to sell it or play it. I needed something to help make that decision for me. I searched the web for a banjo site and found this one.

 

I posted my plite on the Scruggs forum and found I had lots of company indeed. They told me that many of them had the same problem and I had to man up and have at it.

 

Well it is hard ot fin a teacher up here but I contacted one in a local shop. I was a wreck at the first lesson. After the lesson he admitted to me that he normally taught people that knew nothing about banjo. He showed how to hold it, basic picking and tab. I could remember all that so I took a couple lessons, which did help me and I am glad I took them and then stopped. I would do it on my own if I could get over my hangups.

 

 

I have a buddy that plays guitar and had been urging me to come over and jam. Not that puit me into a cold sweat but I remembered what the forum guys and gals told me and took a nerve pill and maybe a little legal adult beverage and went over to give it a try. I really enjoyed it. I didn't do well but had fun.

 

I have been over to Jerrys house about 5 times now and a keyboard buddy of his has joined us on the last two times. I am still a beginner but these two guys have been at it for many years and really are helpful and seem to ignore my mistakes, of which there are many and we just have fun. I still really get up tight and my hands almost freeze but I am working on that.  I hope I can work though my hangups because I am really kicking myself for all the years of this jamming I have missed because of a mental hangup.

 

I tell myself that EVERY banjo picker was exactly where I am right now in my abilities but worked past it and became great. I just have to man up and practice and work through this stuff. Heck, at 71 I don't know how many more years that I will be able to do this. :D

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Playing Since: 1965
Experience Level: Novice

Interests:
[Socializing]

Gender: Male
Age: 85

My Instruments:
Gibson Mastertone

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Created 12/6/2010
Last Visit 2/6/2015

Pitiful really :D I love the Banjo. I bought my first one, An Alverez in the early 60's and practiced every day. My pitiful lack of talent and confidence has always been a problem and 15 years ago I quit. I kept the Banjo on a stand in my living room hoping to get inspired again. I am giving it another shot today. Taking a lesson and hoping to get inspired again.

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