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Originally posted by dgill

Thanks Rob, I am new and just getting interested in FMB. You have an easy peaceful way of instructing that makes it easy for me to follow. Your efforts here are very much appreciated.

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youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

what a generous person.the most valuable thing we have is our time and you put alot of that in this vedio and few people are willing to go to these lingths to help others and for that im greatful thank you thank you thank you.......................jeremi ...alabama

You are welcome Jeremi.

I just finished about 10 more banjo videos tonight, though it will take me a few days to edit them and get them on my channel. I had my son home from Afghanistan for a week or so before his wedding, so we have been really busy around here.

Talk to everyone soon.

A clench is playing 5 and 1 at the same time. It is an easier way to get the timing than playing some "filler" notes. I learned from Murphy, in person, and she is extremely adamant about playing it just like Earl when you start. I guess that positive trait rubbed off on me. She and Red used to do things like isolate a note and examine it on an oscillisoscope (sp) and determine if it is, for example, 5th open, 1 at 5, 2 at 8, etc.

i am not trying to be a jackwagon but sometimes it comes across that way. Maybe I need to chug on over to mamby pamby land...or I have spent too much time there already with all this self confidence I have. Not always my best quality.

PMD - there is a lot of good in Rob's lessons and I don't mean to take away from that but i learned to play not correctly for many years and had to drop back and punt (that is an American football term) and pretent I knew nothing and learn it correctly. It is a hard thing to do and i don't want anyone else to have to do that. Get as completely accurate as you possibly can when you learn.

WHen i get some time i will post another version on Youtube and make you all aware of the subtle differences which exist between our versions.

Rob, you are terribly generous. No doubt. If your son is defending our country then he is in our prayers.

...and the Emaj sounds so cool! Even if Earl did not realize exactly what Lester was doing or tell him to do it it happened and the original version has it. More of my Earlal retentiveness I guess. If other guitar players don't do it Earl is too much of a gentleman to point it out and might think he should not have to or may not care. But it still sounds so cool!

And a politically incorrect Merry Christmas to all and I hope there is an original prewar flathead under everyone's tree. Especially Matt Lucht.

Merry Christmas, and you are not a jackwagon. That is my new favorite word however. I heard it in a commercial where a drill sergeant was a therapist. I rarely laugh at TV commercials, but I got that one.

You can post your vid on this thread.

Because of your ability to teach in video I was able to find Cripple Creek, which I guess I will always be learning to improve in my own way. The excitement to be able to play something as a newbie is a wonderful feeling and makes all the exercises easier. Also, it has brought me to BHO which I do appreciate. Thanks Rob

Dunkin, I had the same feeling with my first tune. Enjoy and keep pickin. Congrats....

Jerry

I have a lot of my Youtube watchers who tell me that they found this place through my videos, and are very impressed with the kind people they find around here.

Rob your FMB videos are awesome! I've learned a great deal from them, Thanks!

Rob,
I appreciate your videos. They are helping me with FMB and also I am using the metronome now because of your videos.

THANKS!

Glad to hear it.

I have the rest of my videos for Man Of Constant Sorrow done, but have to find time to edit them. Christmas and New Years are always a hit on my business, and Skype was out foe several days, so I have been trying to get back into a working schedule.

Thank you Rob. I just started playing banjo before christmas and I found your videos at the same time. Very helpful and encouraging. So you are going to put man of constant sorrow! Very happy about that, I was looking for it.
Happy new year and once again, thank you very much for your time :)
Melissa

merci rob !!!!

Rob,
My name is Jerry Loch and I'm a new banjo player in Atlanta, GA. I've been playing every day since mid-December when I got my Deering Goodtime openback banjo.

Your lessons are like magic. I have a lot of experience playing keyboard instruments in bands over the last 15 years and I have some guitar experience. I started your lessons on FMB less than a week ago and I'm basically all the way through the intro and making the banjo sound 50x better than I ever thought I could so quickly.

You are a great person and an extremely talented teacher. Thank you SO much, Rob!!!

Jerry

Rob, I have been playing off and on for 3 years and never could get FMB to sound right. Your lesson has re-energized my banjo addiction. Is the up the neck part on you tube? I'm just not a good "tab" student. I made more progress in one weekend with your lesson than 3 years of tabs and janet davis books. Thanks

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Originally posted by custom15playerI learned from Murphy, in person, and she is extremely adamant about playing it just like Earl when you start. I guess that positive trait rubbed off on me. She and Red used to do things like isolate a note and examine it on an oscillisoscope (sp) and determine if it is, for example, 5th open, 1 at 5, 2 at 8, etc.

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Originally posted by custom15playerPMD - there is a lot of good in Rob's lessons and I don't mean to take away from that but i learned to play not correctly for many years and had to drop back and punt (that is an American football term) and pretent I knew nothing and learn it correctly. It is a hard thing to do and i don't want anyone else to have to do that. Get as completely accurate as you possibly can when you learn.

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Originally posted by custom15playerWHen i get some time i will post another version on Youtube and make you all aware of the subtle differences which exist between our versions.

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frick right you are !

If someone has to put notes under a microscope or an oscilloscope, they should rather work in a laboratorie or get the proper medication for OCD, than use their time on music. Music is an art form that requires skillls and creativity.

Rob thank you very very much for sharing your knowledge and precious time. People like you make this world a better place to be. Thank you.

Sorry I have been busy. I have a ton of lessons recorded, and have been spending my free time, little as it has been, editing and getting ready to download.

As for the differences between my version and Earl's, I was told I had too many "clenches". I asked what clenches were, and I was given this definition.

"A clench is playing 5 and 1 at the same time. It is an easier way to get the timing than playing some "filler" notes".

I have not added, "clenches" at all, so I am wondering if we are looking at the same video.

I "clench" one time on the way to the high part, just like Earl does. So, for those who might be confused, or worried that they will harm their technique by learning from my little video, go ahead and count the clenches and see if you can find them. I don't clench, but keep it moving. I only clench when I am changing parts, just like Earl does, and then not every time, and not till half way through the song.

youtube.com/watch?v=XoYMgLRv3Ns

If you listen to Earl play it here, he does that a lot more than I do in fact, though he doesn't on the Mercury recording.

youtube.com/watch?v=TaiyW_UDuG0

I wouldn't comment on this, but I have had some questions from people who are confused as to what was being disputed. I am too.

I thought the complaint would have been concerning a more subtle difference, and this I will explain.

The truth is, after the hammer on the Em, (E maj) Earl does a 1 and a 2/3 forward rolls, and then backs up with a backward roll to catch the 4th string pull off with the thumb. It is very hard for beginners to get the speed up that way, so I kept the forward roll going, and use the index finger on the right hand to pluck the 4th. This keeps the forward roll going, and sounds a bit snappier on the pull off at a high speed. That is the real difference. It is a trick that I have seen many, including Earl and JD do. I also play it the other way, but I have found that most students don't have a very good time of putting on the breaks.

And in the Earl video here, he doesn't do either of them, but simply uses a forward backward roll.

So, do not worry. You won't be developing bad habits. I cover the subtle differences between the two patterns in my Man Of Constant Sorrow lesson, but am still editing that portion and hope to have it out next week. I'll post that here.

I finally took the plunge. I'm now about knee deep into Rob's FMB lessons! Thanks for posting these Rob, much appreciated!

I had previously learned a generic breakdown where the beginning 2nd string, 2 - 3 fret hammer on is picked by the index finger instead of the thumb. Would it be bad practice to use the index since you have to go back to the 5th string with the thumb for the roll? (this may have been covered, I haven't scanned through the many pages of this post...sorry).

thanks rob,you the man

Amazing. How about the Ballad of Jed Clampet?

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Originally posted by teletodd

Amazing. How about the Ballad of Jed Clampet?

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I've been working on the Scruggs book version. Ill get it eventually, The FMB video lesson was fun to watch I thought that a Jed Clampett lesson would be fun to watch.

To Frick. Whatever. It is a matter of how important it is to you.