For anyone learning to play an instrument

[Wardjrz]

I am learning to play 5 string banjo at the moment and at my last lesson I got a bit frustrated at my coordination and timing, or should I say my lack of coordination and timing.

My teacher played me this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vms_6_TSQuc&feature=related

It is one of a series on you tube and not for anyone offended by bad language.

It did make me laugh, sympathise and feel that I am not alone.

Poor guy.

[L_DOG]

As a musician myself, you'll find co-ordination and timing will improve the more you practise. Also, posture is important. Keep your back upright, wrists flat (pianist wrists) and strap should be comfortable across the shoulders!

Getting a banjo is my next mission, including a double bass! Learning how to play music is great! I can't seem to play the link though, since I am on my phone but will have to watch it after rehearsals tonight!

Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk

[Nightwingvyse]

It's all just practice. I have always been a good vocalist, which went into learning the guitar, then the 5-string violin, then the bass guitar, then the piano.

Now, I am an expert guitarist, advanced bassist and pianist and an intermediate violinist, all self-taught. I have recently finished a full band cover which is all completely me except for the drums which were synthetic. I'll post it up sometime.

But back to my point. The technique i found to be the best and quickest way to get really good with all of these instruments (perhaps with the exception of the violin), isn't to take baby steps like you're often told to.

F*&k theory, and f*&k convention. They will teach you a wider spectrum of things than you really need to learn over too long a time. You will waste a lot of time learning not only the important things, but also irrelevant things which are rarely useful but will hinder you in your understanding.

The way that i got good at all the instruments i play in only four years combined, is that i practiced and practiced and practiced at one or two particular things which when i started were WAY beyond me. By the time i mastered them, i was a good player overall.

Find something that is really advanced, not something ridiculously advanced like a Slash solo, but something that to you seems totally out of reach, and then just go at it like a zombie on brains. Learning just one or two things will greatly increase the rate that you learn them. By the time you have mastered it (which will be sooner than you think), your overall skill and muscle memory will be incredibly enhanced.

Just to prove that I'm not screwing with you, i have decided to share that cover i mentioned, which includes all of the instruments i play, which i learned all with this technique. You can judge for yourself if it works or not. The vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, violin and piano are all done on real instruments by me, and the drums are synthesized.

This is my cover of 'Another Time' originally by a band called 'Hurt' (the name of the band doesn't reflect the music). You can judge if my technique works.

http://www.mediafire.com/?m162p8tl6zgjbab

[Drewmidorn]

I've been a professional musician for most of my working life. Practicing is pointless. You can make a perfectly good living from playing badly as long as you wear the right clothes and stand like a rock star! Trust me... It's all smoke and mirrors.

[omegar]

As a musician myself, you'll find co-ordination and timing will improve the more you practise.

Indeed.

Practice slow
Practice long.
Muscle memory then develops to the point where you can play it faster without going wrong.

Unintentional rhyme, but hey!

The worst thing to do is practice doing it wrong. Think about that.

Rod

ps. A gentleman is a man who can play the banjo - then refrains from doing so. - Mark Twain

[Robusto]

@ Drew...

[L_DOG]

Practicing is pointless. You can make a perfectly good living from playing badly as long as you wear the right clothes and stand like a rock star! Trust me... It's all smoke and mirrors.

Heh, sums up the band I joined when I was at uni!

Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk

[Jacobwaits]

I've been a professional musician for most of my working life. Practicing is pointless. You can make a perfectly good living from playing badly as long as you wear the right clothes and stand like a rock star! Trust me... It's all smoke and mirrors.

I knew there was still hope for me!...Now where did I put those leather trousers?

[Wardjrz]

Gentlemen

Thanks for the support. Whilst my knowledge of the video came about as a result of frustration....

PLEASE follow the link.

I may have forgotten to add the smiley that indicated this may be an attempt at humour.

[Professor Twain]

Have fun with that banjo. I've been playing old time frailing/clawhammer style for a bit over 30 years. My wife is a professional musician and I have performed a good bit with her. I'm of the school that says you should learn to perfect things playing slowly, then only speed up if you can maintain playing it flawlessly. Nothing worse than hearing a musician trying to play faster than they are capable of. Another suggestion, make sure you have a quality instrument that won't fight you. Make sure the action is nice and low and your bridge is positioned right to keep your scales true.

One of the best things about learning an instrument is getting together with other people and playing together. Festivals are a great place for that.

I've inherited a beautiful Crabb baritone concertina, my next project is to learn to play that.

[Wardjrz]

Thanks Professor. Good luck with the concertina.

I'm onto my second banjo now. I started with a bottle cap banjo to see if I'd take to it as I'd never played an instrument before and cannot read music. I progressed on to a Deering Leader Carolina King which is a Goodtime Leader resonator banjo that is set up similar to how Jens Kruger has his instruments set up.
I'm saving up for a Prucha - maybe get my wife to take me to Prague for my 50th (a few years off yet though).

I'm not up to playing in public but am a member of a banjo club that meets regularly to jam very informally.

I've just worked through a Janet Davis banjo book with my teacher and am putting lots of hours practice in.

I decided that picking clean and slow was the way to go - the speed will come.......hopefully.

John

[Professor Twain]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Too bad I don't see a way to upload our music here so that all can hear haha

[Mr Moore]

Im looking to get a cigar box guitar soon, theres a bloke down the road from me that makes em called Chicked Bone John, Im after a 4 or 5 string which will probably be more like a Banjo than a cigar box as there normally played open with 3 string with 2 routes, like GDG I think. I know they sound nice for slide but still not sure how they sound finger picked and if you can adjust the action.