hi everyone i'm diego, i'm new to all this trad stuff but i'm lovin it, in case anybody thinks i'm a forigner i'm actually irish through and through! i'm in need of a bit help with tecnique and generally how to play and find music to learn, any replies would be great
Listen to banjo CDs by Angelina Carberry, Mick Moloney, Kevin Griffin, John Carty, Brian McGrath, and check out some of the videos of various banjo players on the Comhaltas web site.
But also listen to lots of trad played on all the other instruments.
I'm not a great banjo player myself, but I'm working on it, and I certainly haven't given up hope!
Grego, let me know when you decide to make it down to Helena, I'll try to make the trip up there then too... (But I don't have high hopes of you being a Lucy that I want to... ermm... session with)
Nowadays whenever I hear "Lucy" I think of the movie "Rat Race" and the tour bus full of Lucy impersonators.
I'd love to make a trip to my good neighbo(u)r state down south, but travel is curtailed for various reasons (wearing a dress is not one of them, though.) You are both welcome to Calgary any time. It's nice and quiet here now that the Stampede has come and gone.
Hey, my son is headed to Calgary the first week of August for the Warped Tour (rock music). I'd tag along, but this is a 18 yrold guys road trip (including mountain biking in Fernie on the way home).
To get back to the original question.........
.....well, you could take up the accordion...( ducks head ).......
Alternatively, try the quieter and more discrete mandolin until you are more proficient.
He's probably already had the operation to remove that part of the brain that affects quietness and discretion - that's why he was attracted to playing banjo in the first place
I must've been born with the congenital abnormality.
I guess you could start by playing scales (try D and G) to get your left hand working. This is a useful exercise as it will build up strength and dexterity in the left hand. As for the right hand, use and alternative down and up stroke (keep to this religiously) with the plectrum. This will help build technique which will be essential for playing tunes later on, especially when you try to build up speed. This sounds boring but will stand to you in the years to come. As for tunes, try pick a few handy ones with a slow air to start with (Spancil Hill say). Tunes are a lot easier to play if you know what they are meant to sound like!. Then try pick up a few easy reels like The Silver Spear. It is important to play the tunes slowly when starting out, to work on technique and get it right. Speed will come later with practice. A good book I'd recommend is Irish Music Banjo Tutor by Owen Hackett. It's goes pretty slow and there are a lot of good tips in there. Most importantly, keep enjoying what you're doing! The banjo is a great instrument.
Hand rhythm is important. Your natural instinct when you're starting out is to "cheat" when you're cross-picking strings, meaning if your hand has to move up to get to the string, your inclination is to pick up, even if it's on a down beat. You will find that a steady hand rhythm will help you when you start getting faster.
But there is lots of disagreement about the hand rhythm for jigs. Many people pick jigs down-up-down down-up-down, because a down stroke is naturally stronger than an up stroke, and the first and third notes should generally be accented more than the second one. Some people disagree and like playing jigs DUD UDU. So you'll need to figure out which works better for you, but I always try to get people started out picking DUD DUD on jigs, because it automatically helps you play the tune with a good jig rhythm.
It's a good idea to learn some common tunes when you're starting out, because that helps you be able to play them with just about anybody. To find common tunes, try clicking on the Members link, and then the tunebook tab. That shows you tunes in the database on this site with the first ones being the ones most added to people's tunebooks on the site. Or do a search for "Dow's List", or "Will's List" on this site and see what you come up with...
thanks a million to everyone who posted replies i did some research and now my playing has vastly improved and i have been asked to play in a local trad band!!! so thanks again everyone i owe everyone a pint!!!!
Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
hi everyone i'm diego, i'm new to all this trad stuff but i'm lovin it, in case anybody thinks i'm a forigner i'm actually irish through and through! i'm in need of a bit help with tecnique and generally how to play and find music to learn, any replies would be great
Many thanks,
Diego
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Diego Kissane
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
But Diego, you ARE a foreigner (at least to us Canadians.)
You could do a lot worse than reading Mike Keyes' articles in Mel Bay's Banjo Sessions, here:
http://www.banjosessions.com/backissues.html
Here's the most recent one: http://www.banjosessions.com/apr08/Keyes.html
but there are several others in the back issues. Mike is a contributor here at TheSession.
Listen to banjo CDs by Angelina Carberry, Mick Moloney, Kevin Griffin, John Carty, Brian McGrath, and check out some of the videos of various banjo players on the Comhaltas web site.
But also listen to lots of trad played on all the other instruments.
I'm not a great banjo player myself, but I'm working on it, and I certainly haven't given up hope!
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by grego
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Oh, and of course lessons are always a good thing, if you can find them in your neck of the woods. I wasn't that lucy.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by grego
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Welcome to thesession.org, Diego.
Try to find a face-to-face banjo teacher where you live. Helps no end in avoiding bad habits and making the most of your learning time.
Failing that, check out the banjo tutorial DVD at http://www.madfortrad.com
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Grego, if you *were* "lucy" I'd save you a seat at our session just for the craic.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
I said I wasn't THAT lucy. Doesn't mean I'm not SOME lucy.
Hold that seat open!
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by grego
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
(In my best Ricky Ricardo impersonation) "Lucy, you got some esplainin to do."
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Grego, let me know when you decide to make it down to Helena, I'll try to make the trip up there then too... (But I don't have high hopes of you being a Lucy that I want to... ermm... session with)
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Ah, we could have a spate of Doolin Banjos between you two. An Ri Ra in Butte is coming up, August 8-10, with Beoga headlining....
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
I thought we already decided that we weren't doing that this year
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Nowadays whenever I hear "Lucy" I think of the movie "Rat Race" and the tour bus full of Lucy impersonators.
I'd love to make a trip to my good neighbo(u)r state down south, but travel is curtailed for various reasons (wearing a dress is not one of them, though.) You are both welcome to Calgary any time. It's nice and quiet here now that the Stampede has come and gone.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by grego
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Hey, my son is headed to Calgary the first week of August for the Warped Tour (rock music). I'd tag along, but this is a 18 yrold guys road trip (including mountain biking in Fernie on the way home).
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
To get back to the original question.........
.....well, you could take up the accordion...( ducks head ).......
Alternatively, try the quieter and more discrete mandolin until you are more proficient.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
He's probably already had the operation to remove that part of the brain that affects quietness and discretion - that's why he was attracted to playing banjo in the first place
I must've been born with the congenital abnormality.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by dogbox
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
I guess you could start by playing scales (try D and G) to get your left hand working. This is a useful exercise as it will build up strength and dexterity in the left hand. As for the right hand, use and alternative down and up stroke (keep to this religiously) with the plectrum. This will help build technique which will be essential for playing tunes later on, especially when you try to build up speed. This sounds boring but will stand to you in the years to come. As for tunes, try pick a few handy ones with a slow air to start with (Spancil Hill say). Tunes are a lot easier to play if you know what they are meant to sound like!. Then try pick up a few easy reels like The Silver Spear. It is important to play the tunes slowly when starting out, to work on technique and get it right. Speed will come later with practice. A good book I'd recommend is Irish Music Banjo Tutor by Owen Hackett. It's goes pretty slow and there are a lot of good tips in there. Most importantly, keep enjoying what you're doing! The banjo is a great instrument.
Good Luck!
# Posted on July 24th 2008 by Willy Heelan
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Hand rhythm is important. Your natural instinct when you're starting out is to "cheat" when you're cross-picking strings, meaning if your hand has to move up to get to the string, your inclination is to pick up, even if it's on a down beat. You will find that a steady hand rhythm will help you when you start getting faster.
But there is lots of disagreement about the hand rhythm for jigs. Many people pick jigs down-up-down down-up-down, because a down stroke is naturally stronger than an up stroke, and the first and third notes should generally be accented more than the second one. Some people disagree and like playing jigs DUD UDU. So you'll need to figure out which works better for you, but I always try to get people started out picking DUD DUD on jigs, because it automatically helps you play the tune with a good jig rhythm.
It's a good idea to learn some common tunes when you're starting out, because that helps you be able to play them with just about anybody. To find common tunes, try clicking on the Members link, and then the tunebook tab. That shows you tunes in the database on this site with the first ones being the ones most added to people's tunebooks on the site. Or do a search for "Dow's List", or "Will's List" on this site and see what you come up with...
# Posted on July 24th 2008 by Reverend
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
Diego---to describe yourself as "hopeless" at the outset is, in my opinion, self defeating. Approach it positively, or take up bowling now.
# Posted on July 28th 2008 by hauke
Re: Any pointers for a hopeless banjo player?
thanks a million to everyone who posted replies i did some research and now my playing has vastly improved and i have been asked to play in a local trad band!!! so thanks again everyone i owe everyone a pint!!!!
diego
# Posted on August 31st 2008 by Diego Kissane