Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Banjo Beginner in my 40's

#1

Howdy All-
I picked up the banjo this Christmas with grand aspirations about what I will be able to do with it. Initially, I started my journey with some free resources on Youtube from Eli Gilbert before stumbling across this site. My plan of attack is to make sure that my banjo is in my hands 7 days a week with no excuses.

While I have been recording myself each week to be able to reflect on my progress, the distance between the speeds with which I am currently able to play cleanly and what I hear on most recordings seems to be insurmountable. Onward.

I am curious how much warm up folks are doing. I find that my hands don’t quite work well until I have been rolling for about 5-10 minutes.

I am currently working on Cumberland Gap but have only been able to get it to around 80bpm.

Yeehaw, Gig’em, and Happy Pickin

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#2

Hi @stephen.lair Stephen welcome to @BanjoBen 's Forum. Let me say right off the bat you made a wise choice becoming a gold pick member.

I didn’t pick up the banjo until I was 61 I am now 78 so you should have no problems learning to play. In the beginning I used to play marathon sessions of between 8 & 12 hours. It was an obsession but as the years pass I’ve cut down my hour drastically.

My advice to you is forget speed for now focus on melody and timing. Learn the fundaments, you’ll find them in the Beginners Learning Track. Work through those lessons at your own pace and you will soon be able to tackle lesson from the Intermediate and Advanced section.

Personally I don’t set aside a warm up these days. In the beginning I would spend an hour or two just practicing roll patterns. Until I could play them on autopilot.

When you are ready. Post a video in the Video Swap area and Ben will give you feedback

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#3

Welcome and I second what Archie said. Starting in your 40’s is not unusually late. It sounds like you are doing great. Have fun with it!

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#4

Welcome to the forum @stephen.lair. Regarding your question about proper warm-up, Ben’s lesson on practicing might be beneficial to you…

https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/the-ideal-practice-session-beginner

I was in my 40’s when I started playing, also. I’ll never be as good as I want to be, but I suck a lot less than I did when I started about 6.5 years ago! Enjoy the journey!

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#5

Hey Stephen (@stephen.lair),
Katy, Ben’s sister and the banjo player for the Purple Hulls, mentioned at one of Ben’s camps that she’s been known to do jumping jacks as part of her banjo warmup. Just getting her blood flowing helps. Also, speed comes after internalizing a song very accurately at a slow pace. That includes moving away from viewing tab and getting your fingers linked to the sounds you hear. Then push the speed keeping the accuracy along the way. I’m an older guy, and another technique I often use is to learn slow songs. :grin:

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#6

Howdy @stephen.lair!
I can relate as I was about 50 when I started. Ideal practice session lesson is a must. I’d also offer that while I get being on fire for learning as quickly as possible, 7 days a week may burn you out after time. After learning for about 3 years now, my goal is 4-5 days a week with a mix of lesson goals with a break from that goal for a day or two…just like lifting weights. Learn a challenging lick then rest on it and the next time you practice it your brain will have that muscle memory better than the last time. Lastly, I always try and end my practice with a victory lap…a song , series of licks, or roll pattern I know cold and can play in time and clearly from start to finish. Helps end things on a high note on particularly challenging practice days! Happy picking!

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#7

Hey @stephen.lair!

Welcome aboard! Man, I need at least 5-10 minutes to start feeling it, on most days. This does depend on ambient temp and what I’ve been doing previously. I really encourage folks not to judge their speed if they’re not truly warmed up, which can honestly take longer than 10 minutes. Sometimes when I’m in a jam, I find that things start really loosening up after an hour or so.

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#8

Thanks all. I am struggling to stay in my lane because there are so many cool banjo songs I want to get started learning. I have been working on the beginner track and using Cripple Creek to get my chops. I have tried to tackle Worried Man Blues but can’t seem to wrap my head around it just yet. In general, I am trying not to get discouraged by the slow progress I am making and especially the days when my brain and my hands just don’t seem to be properly connected. Ugh.
Appreciate the feedback and eager to become a more competent member of the Ben Ben cadre of pickers!

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#9

Hi @stephen.lair Stephan Hang in there buddy, progress is slow at the start, you have to break a few eggs to make a omelette. But trust me when I say one day things will all start to fall into place. NOW would be a good time to post a video in the Video Swap area let @BanjoBen see how far you have come and advise you going forward.

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#10

Welcome to the wonderful world of banjo picking! In my personal experience, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy learning the instrument. Take your time and don’t compare yourself to others or stress about the idea that you might not be making progress. Keep your banjo on a stand so you will want to grab it and play whenever you see it. Play with other people whenever you can. Having a guitar player strum the chords while you play is fun and boosts your confidence. 40’s is young. You have the entire rest of your life to learn and grow. The basic rolls and simple tunes like Cripple Creek are a great warm up and the foundation you develop will be used in almost every banjo song you learn down the road. Finally, get away from relying on tab as soon as possible. Just my two cents. God speed!

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#11

Question-
When you are learning a new song, how fast do you go before moving to the next song? I am working up Worried Man Blues and have it up to about 130/140 but playing the track at 160 is still a bridge too far. Do I keep plugging away to increase speed or begin to add new songs to my rep. My family’s sanity is at stake🤠

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#12

Hi @stephen.lair A common question from beginners. My advice is always, when you are learning to play banjo take it slow. Your goal is to play things accurately. Speed will come with experience. If you can play through the tune without too many mistakes then move on to the next lesson. Each lesson builds on the next so as you move forward you are building knowledge and new skills. Use your Worried Man Blues as your warmup until you learn a new tune then use that tune as your NEW warm up.

oldbanjoe50

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#13

I like @archie’s advice…don’t worry too much about speed right now.

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