Jason, you're right about this. I tried for over a year and was just about ready to give up. I found Jim Pankey videos on YouTube and they are the reason I'm still learning to play the banjo. I have checked out some of his videos and thought o no I'll have to come back to this one. I worked on a different one of his videos and then came back to that other one and could keep up. I'm so thankful for Jim Pankey videos. I'm working on Wayfaring Stranger now. Thanks Jim.

I remember see your tube channel at that time i didn't have Banjo.....
I do now! You are one of most natural teachers i have come across.
one person left a message and i quote Hell why I am i watching this
channel I do even own a Banjo!
It wasn't me!

Just wanna say thanks to Jim Pankey. I bought a banjo yesterday and throughout the day I have bounced between video 1 and 2 depending on how smooth I am at the moment. I've tried to learn several instruments throughout the years and this is the first time I have managed to play anything resembling what the instructor plays.

Thanks again everyone!

For y'all that have been working through my videos it'd be awesome to see/hear how you've progressed.

I've owned banjos most of my adult life, and have even taken lessons. I was always tied to tablature. I gave up many years ago even though I've bought and sold banjos has a hobby. A few weeks ago I discovered Jim's videos, and even if they don't stress learning by ear, I have been using them as such with only occasional looks to see how things are fingered. I'm not setting the world on fire, but I am doing better, and may actually be ready for next festival season if I can get away from work. I discovered the YouTube feature where I can cut the speed in half with the tuning the same. It is very helpful. Now, if there were only videos and explanations on backup I'd be set for a while.

Thank you, Jim for your lessons.
Gary Hopkins
Fort Worth

Hey Jim, Johnny BoyII here, I just wanted to say a big Thank You for these lessons. I ran across them on Youtube and I tell you, you are the best internet teacher I have had so far! I just started lesson 5. When I tell you I am a newbe, I mean just that. I had never tried to play bluegrass up until I did your first lesson, and as you said in the first lesson, after I learned this first song, I'm hooked. Just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to post these lessons, to me you will always be MY TEACHER.........Thanks Jim. Best Regards.

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Pankey

So glad people are actually learning from the videos.  That pretty much makes my day - every day.

More to come, but I think once you get a couple of tunes under your fingers you should be ready to start figuring a lot of stuff out on your own. :)

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I bought a banjo in October and hadn't picked it up in months because I couldn't find great lessons on YouTube and couldn't afford to buy lessons. I found banjo hangout through word of mouth and then saw your videos and now i've been practicing a ton every day for the last week. Thank you!

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Pankey

Thanks again everyone!

For y'all that have been working through my videos it'd be awesome to see/hear how you've progressed.

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Hi Jim

Please add me to your long list who really appreciate your awesome video series as I want to say thank you as well.

My wife is amazed that I wanted to learn the Banjo as I can't even hum a tune.

I HAVE A QUESTION

I'm hitting flat even spaced notes - 3,2,5,1 and after watching you play you have a rolling pattern going on rather than just picking the strings evenly.

How do you do that ?

Better question - How do I achieve to get that melody roll ? (the galloping horse sound)

I wish I knew enough to ask the question correctly, I'm hoping you can interpret / understand my question.

Phil.

Hey skate...

There are probably a ton of threads on what's going on there. Call it swing, or syncopation, or whatever. If you will, in your mind, say Chattanooga as your playing the 3251...

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Pankey

Hey skate...

There are probably a ton of threads on what's going on there. Call it swing, or syncopation, or whatever. If you will, in your mind, say Chattanooga as your playing the 3251...

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Hi Jim

Thank you for a quick reply.

I'll practice saying Chattanooga as I play the 3251 and thank for the video demonstration. 

With deep appreciation..

Phil.

Ha! I should've figured that you're on here. I'm the one you recently told to "stop thinking so much" on your YouTube video series. It's been said already, but I'll say it again; thanks for taking the time! Lots of folks in this world excel in one area or another, but only a few are good teachers; you're one of them. The way you present the material, your style and humbleness are all on point.

I'm glad I stumbled across the videos as it rekindled an old interest in making the effort to learn to play! I'm a big proponent of lifelong learning, and try to learn a few new things each year; the banjo has been on the hit list for a while now. I'm far from being a banjo and/or bluegrass aficionado, but I know what I like when I hear it. I've got a thread going on somewhere here where I'm getting ready to purchase a better entry level - intermediate banjo. I need something a little better and more "playable" than the super cheap import I have now. That way, I can rule out the instrument as the root cause of my wife's headaches.

And, I have a natural tendency to overthink (I'm an engineer...lol), but I'm working on it.

-WRM

Hi Jim

I am an "old dog" newbie. I came across your on line lessons on U-Tube a 1-1/2 weeks ago. I really like the way you teach; particularly your use of down home type humor. You make me smile! I also found you're not a cheap date as I liked the way your banjo sounded so much that I picked up a Recording King RK R35. It arrived yesterday. I gotta tell you, I love it. Just the sound I was hoping for. I have worked my way into lesson no. 2.
Now that I have a decent
sounding/playing banjo I'm hoping to prove an
"old dog" can still learn a few new tricks.
Thank you for producing this series of lessons. I guess I'm typical in that I've wanted to learn how to play a banjo for many years. Your lessons and your personality make the learning experience fun and hearing my
progress is very rewarding.

Frank Murray

I'm always working and Kansas City Railroad Blues, and variations informed by cleaning house, an idea I got from you in a roundabout way; in sum, welcome to a run-on sentence about the best guy, the mensch, and stuff like that.

Tom

60,and just got a banjo last week. Can't even play a radio very well. Started your lessons yesterday. Wife already sick of 3251!!

Thanks a lot for sharing the informative post.

Jim, I’m in awe that you love your craft so much that you’d put these videos up like this. How lucky for us banjo beginners. By doing this, you’re making it easy for more of us to fall in love with this instrument and its music.

I bought a beginner book to give me some background info and a few pointers. But basically, you’re my teacher. I haven’t gotten past lesson 1 yet. It’s been about 4 days and I’m holding true to what you’ve said: don’t move on to #2 until you can play this roll without thinking about it.

Hoping that any time soon I’ll be able to avert my eyes from the strings and still play the roll.

quote:

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Originally posted by neilends

Jim, I’m in awe that you love your craft so much that you’d put these videos up like this. How lucky for us banjo beginners. By doing this, you’re making it easy for more of us to fall in love with this instrument and its music.

I bought a beginner book to give me some background info and a few pointers. But basically, you’re my teacher. I haven’t gotten past lesson 1 yet. It’s been about 4 days and I’m holding true to what you’ve said: don’t move on to #2 until you can play this roll without thinking about it.

Hoping that any time soon I’ll be able to avert my eyes from the strings and still play the roll.

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AMEN TO THAT!

Learning from Jim's videos is like being taught by a friend on a Saturday afternoon with a beer close by. I am enjoying the journey at my own pace and knowing that "I got this!".
Thanks, Jim

Same here. I'm a 61 y.o. banjo newbie that found Jims videos last week while shopping for a banjo. I think my 35 years of playing/picking guitar are helping me get the hang of it. I'm subscribed and on lesson 8. That "Banjo in the Hollow" tune is kinda melodic to me. Maybe it's just the speed at which it's played during the lesson. I really like it.

Thanks Jim.

Thanks again for the kind words. Thanks for watching and thanks for subscribing!

This looks to be a thread that has turned into doting over your videos, especially the beginner series, but it is well deserved. I have somewhat of a musical background, so using your videos I've picked up the basics pretty quick. I contacted a gentleman I found locally that does formal lessons (I also appreciate the value of face to face occasionally) and told him I had been working through your beginner series, to which he replied "Great! Then we can just work on details." I hope that comes across as a compliment. Thank you for sharing all of that with all of us.

Just started on lesson 1 tonight when I got home from work, Thank you so much for taking the time to create these .

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Pankey

So glad people are actually learning from the videos.  That pretty much makes my day - every day.

More to come, but I think once you get a couple of tunes under your fingers you should be ready to start figuring a lot of stuff out on your own. :)

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Hey Jim!
Took me a while but I made it thru all ten lessons.
Time to go back and do 'em again.
Great, great job.

Hey Jim loving your videos, always wanted to play,I would love some videos on how to play out of my old hym book from church I grew up with

Jim,
I'm new around here and have recently started picking at the banjo. Thanks a million for the videos, they've helped tremendously!