I have 3 good banjos-- An OME Columbine( the first Columbine ever made), a Nechville Heritage and an IIDA 235. I used to be good enough to jam with other players and my wife Jo and I used to do some stage work. Now I haven't played in about 8 years. Come on gang, give me a push or a butt chewing. I want to get started again and get at least fair again.
Find a jam! Go, listen, enjoy, join in. If that doesn't give you the push you need, I don't know what would.
At least pick up one of your banjos, tune it up and see what you remember and how rusty you are. If you used to play in jams and at festivals, it will probably come back fairly quickly. See if you can get your wife interested also because having someone to jam with usually keeps you interested and busy learning new songs and breaks.
I put the banjo up for about 15 years while I raised my kids. I came back, worked at it and before long started a band. It can be done.
In the words of Liverpool's best-known Bluegrass quartet:
"Tak it up, Baby! ... Pluck and shout! Grab that there banjo, now! Work it on out!"
" I can't believe my pointed old ears! It is not logical, to have three excellent banjos, and not play them for years."
"Do you need a push... or do you want a SPANKING??"
" Forget HER! If you feel a need to be punished by a woman clad in black, just chew gum in class!
quote:
Originally posted by TexasbanjoFind a jam! Go, listen, enjoy, join in. If that doesn't give you the push you need, I don't know what would.
At least pick up one of your banjos, tune it up and see what you remember and how rusty you are. If you used to play in jams and at festivals, it will probably come back fairly quickly. See if you can get your wife interested also because having someone to jam with usually keeps you interested and busy learning new songs and breaks.
I put the banjo up for about 15 years while I raised my kids. I came back, worked at it and before long started a band. It can be done.
15 years !! Now I don't feel so bad ! THANKS Texasbanjo-- I'm going to get after it again. These banjos are too good to leave sitting idle !
My banjo sat for a long time. Jobs, kids, etc.
When time allowed and I wanted to start back in, at first I thought about all the tunes I should learn. But that just wasn't really happening. And then I realized what I really was interested in was just learning MORE ABOUT banjos. Different construction, rims, hoops, rings, tailpieces, bridges. The how and why of what makes each banjo sound the way it does and what each tweak will do to it. BHO was a big help in this.
Then I figured out a way to fit an affordable neck onto a decent vintage banjo, and did a few of those. Much to my personal satisfaction. I don't have the skills to make a neck, or the desire to spend the coin on professionally made necks. But I'm proud of what I was able to do.
And then somewhere along the way, my picking style expanded and got more interesting at the same time. And I learned some new tunes. Win Win Win.
So, you never know what little angle on banjo things might grab your interest and get you back in the game.
Edited by - Eric A on 12/13/2024 04:53:53
quote:
Originally posted by UncleleviI have 3 good banjos-- An OME Columbine( the first Columbine ever made), a Nechville Heritage and an IIDA 235. I used to be good enough to jam with other players and my wife Jo and I used to do some stage work. Now I haven't played in about 8 years. Come on gang, give me a push or a butt chewing. I want to get started again and get at least fair again.
Mike when I was a young lad my father had a phrase he used to motive me. If I used it here for sure Sherry would lock me out. It kind goes "get off your butt etc."
quote:
Originally posted by FenderFredquote:
Originally posted by UncleleviI have 3 good banjos-- An OME Columbine( the first Columbine ever made), a Nechville Heritage and an IIDA 235. I used to be good enough to jam with other players and my wife Jo and I used to do some stage work. Now I haven't played in about 8 years. Come on gang, give me a push or a butt chewing. I want to get started again and get at least fair again.
Mike when I was a young lad my father had a phrase he used to motive me. If I used it here for sure Sherry would lock me out. It kind goes "get off your butt etc."
You're RIGHT, FenderFred. Maybe I just needed to hear it !
My advice is “Don’t bother.” You have moved on & those banjos are bitter reminders of what might have been. Their mere presence insults you, brands you a failure. They gotta go, fast and cheap.
You know how to reach me. :-)
Edited by - NNYJoe on 12/13/2024 06:16:24
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregoryIn the words of Liverpool's best-known Bluegrass quartet:
"Tak it up, Baby! ... Pluck and shout! Grab that there banjo, now! Work it on out!"
" I can't believe my pointed old ears! It is not logical, to have three excellent banjos, and not play them for years."
"Do you need a push... or do you want a SPANKING??"
" Forget HER! If you feel a need to be punished by a woman clad in black, just chew gum in class!
I love you Mike. You definitely march to a different drummer. I laughed 'til I couldn't get my breath.
Joe
Edited by - TN Time on 12/13/2024 06:29:11
quote:
Originally posted by NNYJoeMy advice is “Don’t bother.” You have moved on & those banjos are bitter reminders of what might have been. Their mere presence insults you, brands you a failure. They gotta go, fast and cheap.
You know how to reach me. :-)
I'll write you into my will, Joe.
quote:
Originally posted by Uncleleviquote:
Originally posted by FenderFredquote:
Originally posted by UncleleviI have 3 good banjos-- An OME Columbine( the first Columbine ever made), a Nechville Heritage and an IIDA 235. I used to be good enough to jam with other players and my wife Jo and I used to do some stage work. Now I haven't played in about 8 years. Come on gang, give me a push or a butt chewing. I want to get started again and get at least fair again.
Mike when I was a young lad my father had a phrase he used to motive me. If I used it here for sure Sherry would lock me out. It kind goes "get off your butt etc."
Check with TV's BEST doctors, and you may find that the proper MEDICAL terminology is
"Boot to Butt Resuscitation"
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregoryIn the words of Liverpool's best-known Bluegrass quartet:
"Tak it up, Baby! ... Pluck and shout! Grab that there banjo, now! Work it on out!"
" I can't believe my pointed old ears! It is not logical, to have three excellent banjos, and not play them for years."
"Do you need a push... or do you want a SPANKING??"
" Forget HER! If you feel a need to be punished by a woman clad in black, just chew gum in class!
Mike, you're an inspiration.
an inspiration to do WHAT is the real question!
Not a push per se, but if nothing else works, one of these might get your neurons/synapses back into proper re-alignment 
:
Edited by - Owen on 12/13/2024 13:48:41
Living in MN ought to be all the motivation you need. Look outside!
Stay inside and pick your banjos!
No one is involved in this other than you. Banjo playing takes work, it takes time and it takes money. When I was in graduate school studying and then teaching writing, the actually published successful writers had a slogan, it is not the inspiration but the perspiration. Banjo playing takes work at doing thing other than playing cool tunes on the banjo: working on rolls, and scales, and picking patterns, or clawhammer strokes, all repetitive activities that build your playing up but are WORK. They are often work done by yourself, although having a teacher, especially someone you respect can help that because you cannot bs a good teacher the way you can bs yourself you are doing enough work.
When you get older--I am 77--you have figured out things you enjoy doing in life, things you would enjoy but you do not like to do the work that is required to do them. Be open to the idea that you enjoy doing things now that you did not do when you worked on banjo more.
If you want to put in the time the worry and the work to do banjo as you wished, fine. If you dont, dont. It is not that complicated.
Then if you decide to hang it up you might want to donate those banjos to a suffering African American senior citizen in Florida who feels the pain of only owning 7 banjos. I can help you with that!
So you have to decide. Do you want to do the work.
Dont be afraid to say to yourself that the other things you are doing when you could be practicing the banjo are more pleasurable or suitable to you at your age or in your life.
Edited by - writerrad on 12/13/2024 19:50:01
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Originally posted by Unclelevi15 years !! Now I don't feel so bad !
The end of my 1980s bluegrass band in 1987 marked the beginning of a 20-year period during which I played my banjo only a few times a year. When it was with others, it was rarely with bluegrasses, so I'd be putting banjo to rock, folk and blues (a lot of Beatles and Dylan).
Then around 2007 my bandmates in the Celtic/Americana band in which I was playing bass asked me to play banjo in stuff for our St Patrick's gig at the pub we were playing once a month. The whole night was less electric than typical. Owner loved it and asked us to do more of that for our regular dates.
That got me back to practicing. Working out my own versions of fiddle tunes suggested by our fiddle-hammered dulcimer and guitar player (for which I couldn't find existing arrangements to learn). And eventually led me and my wife to our first bluegrass festival since the '70s and later my first local bluegrass jams in about as long, which led to my invitation to join a forming bluegrass band -- in which I played until a work-related relocation took us to NYC in 2013.
During my three years there I became very active in the jamming scene, hitting nearly every session of one twice-monthly jam in Manhattan plus occasional attendance at three or four others.
I've been to camps - in person and virtual - and subscribe to several online teachers so I can watch lessons whenever I want.
No more bands, but I'm deep into banjo.
If it's what you want, you can do it.
Edited by - Old Hickory on 12/14/2024 05:47:40
