Good advice Tom. One at a time is the big ticket. A person should master one tune before moving on to the next.

As for speed, accuracy comes first. Making sure you can play it in time slowly is huge.

And for those who have developed accuracy, but can't attain the speed they want;

Once that is done, I have noticed many people miss the mark on actually building speed, because they refuse to push themselves beyond their level of comfort. Once a song is practiced and playable at low speed, the student should practice getting to the higher speed by just playing at that tempo, and noticing which fingers are late for the party so to speak. Let the chips fall where they will, and don't worry. Isolate that part and repeat it with great rapidity until it is in time, precise and crisp and up to speed. Then, move on to the next sequence.

Imagine someone trying to learn to pole vault in slow motion. It doesn't work. The gradual metamorphosis concept fails, and many people have played the same song for years, and never are able to develop a professional level of technique because they are afraid to have some bad notes coming out in the process of practice.

If you are developing fine muscle memory at a snails pace, one must realize that the different muscle memories need to be developed for a faster tempo. The adjustments are delicate, but think of this. If you can practice a song beyond your tempo of comfort, and notice where the mistakes are, and learn to correct them in real time, you will make short work out of the process. If you continue to practice the tune slowly, and never push yourself beyond the tempo you can play it without mistake, and expect to someday play with speed and accuracy, you will be waiting a very very long time.

Isolation, and repetition of small parts, until they are fast is the key. Then move on. Practicing the whole tune over and over slowly, gets you more of the same.

Thank you Rob! As a beginner I look forward to trying them out.

I am back to work on some videos. I am finishing up Man of Constant Sorrow, but while doing so, I thought I would show you folks a video that might have more universal usage. This is a formula for syncopation in a forward roll, and I thought I would put it here so any who wanted to use it could.

youtube.com/watch?v=0YnlEuzBQ6A

I forgot, I had warned people in the video not to play the lesson if they couldn't play a forward roll up to speed, but this doesn't mean that this portion of the lesson for Man Of Constant Sorrow won't be beneficial for less accomplished players. I get so many people who ask me to slow down or give them tab, that I have to remind them that the rolls in this tune are not for the beginner. It isn't fast at all, but there are people who try to learn the song who have only been playing for a couple of weeks, and that is the source of a lot of frustration.

The syncopation exercise here is useful for anyone to review though.

Thanks for that Rob, I can do the roll,but not fast enough Something for me to work on there, thanks for the vids, I return often to refresh.

Good to see you on Rob. Can't wait for Man of Constant Sorrow!

It is almost done. I will put the links here when I finish.

Rob,

So sorry to hear about your father. May he rest in peace.

I'm continuously amazed at your banjo instruction. Friends and family are amazed that I can play a semi-fast (and dead accurate) rendition of FMB from just watching your videos and limited practicing for a couple months when I had never touched a banjo before that (long time guitar player).

Thanks again for the great videos. I'm dying for the upper-register section of FMB!

I have not looked at all the posts but no on seems to post anything about how he is not accurate. It is a fine version but not exactly like Earl. Too many clenches

And to say to guitar players .. the rhythm goes to Emaj not minor, listen to Lester's guitar chord.

Happy Turkey Day

Thanks, Rob!
I've had banjo for 3 days. Got Parts A, B, and C down for Cripple Creek - now just trying to put them together.
So much fun! This is my first song on the banjo - it is so great to be learning with a song - something I can play
for family/friends. Thanks again for staying up 'til two in the morning to get these out. Much appreciated!

quote:

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Originally posted by custom15player

I have not looked at all the posts but no on seems to post anything about how he is not accurate. It is a fine version but not exactly like Earl. Too many clenches

And to say to guitar players .. the rhythm goes to Emaj not minor, listen to Lester's guitar chord.

Happy Turkey Day

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Unfortunately, Earl does this song differently every time. There is a fine book that Earl wrote, and it has tabs for his version, which also sounds nothing like most of his recordings.

I also change it every time I play it.

As for playing the E Major instead of the minor, I remember hearing an overtone in the Mercury recording that does sound like the major chord, but it is a very unmusical idea to try, because the banjo does not play the G#, but the G on the descending arpeggio. I used to try it on stage, and it so

Wherever that magic overtone comes from in the recording, Lester is clearly playing an Em if you watch this.

youtube.com/user/Arnescountry#...KdswTJ2vY

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Bourassa

Unfortunately, Earl does this song differently every time. There is a fine book that Earl wrote, and it has tabs for his version, which also sounds nothing like most of his recordings.

I also change it every time I play it.

As for playing the E Major instead of the minor, I remember hearing an overtone in the Mercury recording that does sound like the major chord, but it is a very unmusical idea to try, because the banjo does not play the G#, but the G on the descending arpeggio. I used to try it on stage when playing guitar, and I got looks from everyone. It was a train wreck.

Wherever that magic overtone comes from in the recording, Lester is clearly playing an Em if you watch this.

youtube.com/user/Arnescountry#...KdswTJ2vY

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I watched and nothing is clear as far as that goes. Lester plays an Emajor on the recording. That is not in question. It must be musical because we all fell in love with it. Listen to the original recording and you will clearly hear an Emaj from the guitar.
And, yes, it has to be like Earl when you learn it. After you learn it correctly you can do what you want.

why don't you post lessons of the Scruggs version? either that if you've nothing good to say 'hawd your weesht'.

quote:

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Originally posted by custom15player

I watched and nothing is clear as far as that goes. Lester plays an Emajor on the recording. That is not in question. It must be musical because we all fell in love with it. Listen to the original recording and you will clearly hear an Emaj from the guitar.
And, yes, it has to be like Earl when you learn it. After you learn it correctly you can do what you want.

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Just goes to show, you can't please all of the people all of the time.
I appreciate your lessons.
Happy Holidays to all.

Richard,

Every video I watched of Earl doing it will show the Em being played. I know that there is a major 3rd lurking on the Mercury recording somewhere, but Earl always does an Em on the banjo, and every video I have seen and heard very clearly shows the guitar using the Em chord, so, I will go with the safe bet that if Earl asked someone to back him up on guitar for a demonstration, he would want them to play an Em, like everyone else that backs him up does. If Earl wanted them to play an E, they surely would. I am not going to pretend that these videos show an E major. They don't.

BUT,

What happens on the Mercury recording is cool, and yes, I loved that too. I used to ask my rhythm player to play the E major back in the day, but I got over that when the tomatoes started flying.

I also have to say, Earl gives a very fine lesson in his book on this tune, and anyone that wishes to play it exactly like Earl can get that book and learn it. What they will find quickly, is Earl doesn't play it like Earl either.

What my hopes were, is not as much to teach Foggy Mountain breakdown, but to teach folks how to isolate and memorize small chunks, work out the timing and actually learn how to accelerate their picking with a well know song.

The more insight the better. I am sure that folks would like to hear you pick it as you think Earl did it most often and do a lesson on it. If it were the Mercury version, it wouldn't match the book though, and you would also run the risk of someone getting cheesed with you for not doing it the right way.

I continue the forward roll for my intermediate students instead of backing up on it, and I have heard JD do that too. I listen to all the guys who pick it with Earl, and everyone does it differently, and for those who want to use the index picking up the 4th, remember, that has been used not only by JD, but Earl too, and quite a few others. The problem is, he doesn't do it the same every time, so I really would like to know what you consider to be "The Real Version." What Earl does on the 1st recording, the tab, the second recording, what he does on his later shows?, etc. etc.

So, feel free to post your own. I haven't picked banjo since 1980, so I may be out of the loop. What is a clench?

What is a clench?

It's what happens when your tongue goes past your teeth to play a banjo part correctly.

Heck, that's me all over.

clench
[klench]
–verb (used with object)
1.
to close (the hands, teeth, etc.) tightly.
2.
to grasp firmly; grip.
3.
to borrow a banjo in the summer and keep till Christmas!

I know, I know. I have to give it back, but it was SO GOOD to have a banjo. Actually, I wanted to get your Little Maggie recording first, but haven't had the chance. I'll see you tonight though.

Rob,

Nice seeing you at Andy's wedding. It's nice to have him home and see your family again. I pray the Lord's blessing on his marriage and family life.

Hang on to the banjo as I have a full plate this time of year. I'll clench it back sometime in January.

Russ

Thanks Russ,

I have been very busy preparing for my son's return from Afghanistan and his wedding, so the last several weeks have not been very productive. Now that he is hitched, I will finish off a couple of banjo lessons, so I can get Russ his Liberty back. He has been very generous with the loan, and these later lessons wouldn't have been going on without his generosity.

I will be finishing up things in the next week or two.

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Bourassa



Imagine someone trying to learn to pole vault in slow motion. It doesn't work. The gradual metamorphosis concept fails, and many people have played the same song for years, and never are able to develop a professional level of technique because they are afraid to have some bad notes coming out in the process of practice.

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Bob,

Thank you for the lessons. It is another Fine example of someone giving to others in this wonderful community of banjo players. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

JohnD