I'm entering a banjo playing contest in August. I have to play two songs and I decided that to show my versatility I would do one clawhammer and one three finger bluegrass style.
So for the clawhammer I decided I wanted to play Star of the County Down, or for you church goers, Canticle of Turning. All last week I watched YouTube videos of people showing other people how to play the song, and reading tabs that came with them without really landing on anything that even sounded like either when I played them. But yesterday I decided just to play the chords in Em and learn those first, then go from there. Well I did that, and the next thing I knew I was hitting melody notes between the chords, then hitting melody notes up the neck and strumming chords up the neck, making it up as I went and it sounded good to me. And the clincher was when my wife called down to me from upstairs and said, "that last one you just played, that's a good one. So I think today I might just quit watching how other people are playing it, keep making it up as I go until I get something nailed down and then just keep doing that until I can't do it any other way in August. Am I having a breakthrough, or am I kidding myself?
I started playing banjo probably a few years ago because I was playing guitar with a bunch of country/bluegrass players and we didn't have a banjo player. So I bought a banjo and over the winter started learning forward rolls, inside rolls, and backward rolls, learning how to vamp in the background to backing tracks and getting as ready as I could. By that May I was making my banjo debut up on lowboy trailer playing across from a one room schoolhouse, barely keeping up. That's my life, baptism by fire. If I waited until I was ready I wouldn't do anything. Somehow I came up with some roll that I play. Someone I was playing with recently said it was interesting and asked me what roll it was, and I said that I don't know. He said it sounded good. I told him thanks. I do forward rolls, inside rolls and backwards rolls for some songs, depending on what sounds good, but my fall-back roll is something I just do. I have no idea what it is. It certainly is not one of the big three. This is my second summer and I feel pretty confident going into it. So am I kidding myself, I don't know, but I do know that's the roll I'm using in August on my second song. Are they going to deduct points because I'm not doing something conventional or are they going to give me extra points for doing something different?
Edited by - BG Banjo on 05/21/2025 09:36:31
I would not enter a contest playiing a tune I recently learned. I always go with one(s) I can playin my sleep.
Geez Bill, Thanks,... I never thought of that. The approaches I've tried so far have been minimally productive (?) .... maybe you're on to something. 
Breakthrough in Star of County Down !! Quite an accomplishment.
For the three-finger you have to have a melody in there. Doesn't have to be a song -- could be a fiddle tune melody or a recognizable banjo instrumental melody. And the arrangement doesn't have to be close to the melody, just recognizeable. Otherwise, to the judges it's like watching a gymnast doing pushups and situps.
So now, do your thing and see if some simple melody comes to mind -- Bury Me Beneath the Willow, I'll Fly Away, something like that -- and if your thing can fit around that melody, at least loosely. Then that's what you announce you are playing in the contest.
Good fortune, and let us know how it turns out.
If there are judges (or audience response determines winner) they will want to RECOGNIZE it as Star of the County.
Find someone who knows/recognizes "Star of" and play your version for them. Don't tell them the title. If they recognize it as "Star", go ahead and perform it. If they don't recognize it, find a more common or simple tune.
Good luck.
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Originally posted by Bill RogersI would not enter a contest playiing a tune I recently learned. I always go with one(s) I can playin my sleep.
I have a two and a half months to learn something. That's why I'm picking them now. I hope that is enough time. I'm entering, so it will be do or die.
Edited by - BG Banjo on 05/21/2025 12:42:37
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Originally posted by Alex ZBreakthrough in Star of County Down !! Quite an accomplishment.
For the three-finger you have to have a melody in there. Doesn't have to be a song -- could be a fiddle tune melody or a recognizable banjo instrumental melody. And the arrangement doesn't have to be close to the melody, just recognizeable. Otherwise, to the judges it's like watching a gymnast doing pushups and situps.
So now, do your thing and see if some simple melody comes to mind -- Bury Me Beneath the Willow, I'll Fly Away, something like that -- and if your thing can fit around that melody, at least loosely. Then that's what you announce you are playing in the contest.
Good fortune, and let us know how it turns out.
Bury Me Beneath The Willow is a good one. Thanks for that suggestion. I'm familiar with it. I was messing around yesterday with Red Buds but there just isn't much there to play around with. I was also looking at Church Street Blues. The only problem with that is the chorus is crowded and moves fast. I might mess with it some anyway. I want to nail down my two songs and an alternate before the end of the month. A friend who does the fiddle contest suggested that I find an alternate, just in case someone else before me plays one of the songs I am planning to play.
I prefer the 3/4 Star of the County Down over the 4/4 version but which one are you playing? banjered
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Originally posted by Bill RogersI would not enter a contest playiing a tune I recently learned. I always go with one(s) I can playin my sleep.
Tell me Bill, how do you play in your sleep, I struggle when I'm awake :lol
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Originally posted by banjeredI prefer the 3/4 Star of the County Down over the 4/4 version but which one are you playing? banjered
Good question, I'm doing it in 4/4 time. I became familiar with the tune from The Canticle of Turning, which we sang in church, before I heard it played as The Star of County Down and realized they were the same tune.
I can read music but I'm not that familiar enough with the fretboard on the banjo to just sight read. So I have the sheet music for The Canticle of Turning from choir and was playing earlier today quite slowly to that, looking for melody notes to throw in, and it is 4/4 time. Win win, I'm learning my fretboard as well as clawhammering the song. This whole thing is going to be a great learning experience. I'm sticking with what I'm doing for now, but maybe later I will try 3/4 time. It would give it a different feel. Thanks for suggesting that.
Edited by - BG Banjo on 05/21/2025 14:16:04
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Originally posted by BG BanjoI'm entering a banjo playing contest in August.
...
I say go for it, but sure up your ego in the unfortunate event that you may get "shot down." If you want preliminary feedback, learn the tune how you want to present it. Then, just prior to the event, post it here for feedback. Don't tell the name of whatever you post, ask people to name it. Then, you'll know if it is recognizable. If you can't make a video, you might not be able to perform it live. Just my two nickels (2¢ adjusted for inflation)
This sounds like a fun thing to do, and a great way to set a goal that will help you develop your skills!
I haven't entered banjo contests, but I have prepared for performances and judged events, and I can offer two suggestions that might help you:
1. Record yourself and listen back to the recordings. You might find that the recording doesn't sound like you thought it sounded when you were playing it. Keep improving until the recordings sound like you want them.
2. You might find that your performance is cleaner and sounds better near the end of your practice sessions that it sounded at the start of the sessions. This might convince you that your readiness is more like the end-of-practice version. However, when you play in the contest, you're more likely to sound like your start-of-practice version. You can adjust for this by starting your practice sessions with a quick warm up, then go right to a recorded performance of your contest pieces, just like you will in the contest. Listen closely to those recordings to get an accurate sense of how far along you are.
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Originally posted by dfstdThis sounds like a fun thing to do, and a great way to set a goal that will help you develop your skills!
I haven't entered banjo contests, but I have prepared for performances and judged events, and I can offer two suggestions that might help you:
1. Record yourself and listen back to the recordings. You might find that the recording doesn't sound like you thought it sounded when you were playing it. Keep improving until the recordings sound like you want them.
2. You might find that your performance is cleaner and sounds better near the end of your practice sessions that it sounded at the start of the sessions. This might convince you that your readiness is more like the end-of-practice version. However, when you play in the contest, you're more likely to sound like your start-of-practice version. You can adjust for this by starting your practice sessions with a quick warm up, then go right to a recorded performance of your contest pieces, just like you will in the contest. Listen closely to those recordings to get an accurate sense of how far along you are.
Number 2 is a big consideration and something I've already thought about. When we play somewhere, it takes me two or three songs to get up to speed. The guitar player throws me a break on the first song just to mess with me I think and it is always a train wreck.
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Originally posted by Spudwheatquote:
Originally posted by BG BanjoI'm entering a banjo playing contest in August.
...
I say go for it, but sure up your ego in the unfortunate event that you may get "shot down." If you want preliminary feedback, learn the tune how you want to present it. Then, just prior to the event, post it here for feedback. Don't tell the name of whatever you post, ask people to name it. Then, you'll know if it is recognizable. If you can't make a video, you might not be able to perform it live. Just my two nickels (2¢ adjusted for inflation)
I'm accustomed to failure, I'm not afraid to fail.
The good thing about contests is that it forces you to focus, practice a lot and work on arrangements. If you want to place well, you should play something recognizable that you can execute well. Sprinkle in a bit of originality, but not too much.
It's kind of the opposite of a jam, where I like your approach of just playing what feels right to you, even if your crash and burn at some point. This is how you move forward creatively and develop your own style.
I would get a secluded place to warm up at the contest venue, putting a cloth under the strings in front of the bridge in case your playing bleeds out into the stage area. I usually need 30 minutes to feel loose enough to perform,, but them I’m a member of the hood… geezerhood , that is.
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Originally posted by Laurence DiehlThe good thing about contests is that it forces you to focus, practice a lot and work on arrangements. If you want to place well, you should play something recognizable that you can execute well. Sprinkle in a bit of originality, but not too much.
It's kind of the opposite of a jam, where I like your approach of just playing what feels right to you, even if your crash and burn at some point. This is how you move forward creatively and develop your own style.
Great words of wisdom Laurence Diehl
To assist in learning the fingerboard:
back when i was competing i found out quick that playing tune the judge may not be familiar with was a no no.
play something you are lights out on and they will recognize.
i remember one contest i worked my butt off learning cattle in the cane and had it down just great.
got there and nailed it,,, coming off the stage other pickers were like dang man you got this.... a little later a guy got up there and picked a smooth medium tempo of ruben,,, and he won,, i got 2nd but he beat me with a tried and true version of ruben. steady and clean go a long way most of the time.
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Originally posted by BG Banjoquote:
Originally posted by Spudwheatquote:
Originally posted by BG BanjoI'm entering a banjo playing contest in August.
...
I say go for it, but sure up your ego in the unfortunate event that you may get "shot down." If you want preliminary feedback, learn the tune how you want to present it. Then, just prior to the event, post it here for feedback. Don't tell the name of whatever you post, ask people to name it. Then, you'll know if it is recognizable. If you can't make a video, you might not be able to perform it live. Just my two nickels (2¢ adjusted for inflation)
I'm accustomed to failure, I'm not afraid to fail.
F-A-I-L = First Attempt In Learning 
I have experience many versions of this concept, as well. Personally, I am working to get over being "vapor locked" in front of strangers. 
It's coming along, I'll get there.
Good Luck!
Always stand when practicing your contest stuff as you'll be standing on contest day.
