https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/you-are-my-sunshine-slides-banjo
Let’s put those banjo slides to use to play the happiest-sounding sad song ever written.
Discuss the Banjo lesson: You Are My Sunshine– Slides
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I am wondering how fast I should be capable (now and in the future) of playing. I got a banjo for my 70th birthday. The only musical instruments I have played was trombone in 5th and 9th grade, played around with a recorder last June and July, worked with a banjo book for dummies in September and October, and then started these lessons in late November. My only gifting is discipline. I have been going at it from 1 1/2 to 2 hours per day. I can do the forward role on Cabbage Down at 140 bpm, though still need work at that speed, backward easily at the 110 bpm, Worried Man comfortably at 120, Cripple Creek slides at 160, and getting close to doing You Are My Sunshine at the 120. Just starting on Cripple Creek with hammer-ons. My incentive is playing with kids and grandkids who actually have talent. Should I be getting to where I am playing these at 200bpm? I am not sure if these old fingers are capable of moving that fast.
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Hi Dennis, All I can say from personal experience is it’s a gradual process. We all get there when our muscle memory and brain allows us. Some tunes/arrangements are way more complex, so it goes without saying the more complex the licks the more effect it has on performance and speed. Personally my goal has always been to play accurately through a tune at a speed that I am comfortable with rather than trying to play fast.
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HI Dennis!
Don’t get hung up on speed…it improves with time, but we all have our own limits. Do what you can do comfortably while having fun with it.
When you are super relaxed at a tempo, then try taking it up a notch. There is no rule that we have to play everything at breakneck speed.
Many times going too fast can drain all the feeling and interesting playing from a tune.
I’d suggest following Archie’s advice.
Dave
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Great advice here! I was just talking about this yesterday with a good friend. Speed comes with time according to your ability, and not everyone is the same. Are there ways to build speed? Of course, but let’s give it a year of working for solid technique before we turn our focus there. I will tell you that if you’re playing cleanly at the speeds you’ve mentioned, you are way ahead of the game!
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Dennis, I am in the same boat, only a bit younger at 66. My speed is not where I think it should be, and I can’t pick fast enough to play along with"Bile Them Cabbage Down" when the Grascals do it, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441sSWWxee4 ) but I sure do enjoy making those banjo sounds at a slower speed!
Even when it’s hard, it better be fun!
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Thank you. I am competitive and so it is hard not to go for speed, but I hear you,
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In my opinion accuracy is much more important at this stage than speed. If you concentrate on speed and play it wrong, what have you accomplished?
I am in the process of relearning the banjo because I concentrated on speed and neglected accuracy. I had to forget my old ways and start with Ben’s programming from the beginning and believe me, I am concentrating on accuracy this time. I do not move on to the next lesson until I can play the lesson perfectly at least 50 % of the time.
By the way, good luck!
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BTW, I’m 76 years old.
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That’s all very good new’s to me! I started out in the beginning of feb and think I suck! But I can get through the tune’s my instructor has given me and with all the tutorials and lessons that Ben has. I see I’m not doing so bad at all but I am only 59 so I got all kind’s of time. Thank’s for the excellent advice!
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I’m up there with many of you age wise, BUT - I’ve stopped stressing about how fast I “have” to play. I’m learning the banjo (now after playing dobro for a number of years) and at one point, I was getting stressed about ever being able to play fast. A good friend said to me “At our age, we’ll never be great, so let’s just have fun!” It changed my way of thinking. I’ll never be able to play banjo (or dobro) as fast as the musicians onstage, or even keep up with players at some jams, but I’ll play accurately. (And, it’s amazing how good some songs sound when played slower.) My goal is to play them accurately and fast (enough for me). Luckily, I found a great jam where everyone is on the same page. Some fast songs, some slower…but we all have fun! (For all you younger players, keep going - I love hearing you play as fast as you can (cleanly), but take pity on us old folks who are just learning!
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I’m with you in that same boat! Welcome to the forum the people here are great and very helpful and supportive. I was going to try the Dobro but went with the Banjo first, not sure if that was the right way round but hey It’s all about the fun at this stage in life. Hope to see you often in the forum.
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I’m with you!
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Hello,
I am having trouble remembering which times you use 1 and which times you use T on the middle string. To me it sometimes seems a little arbitrary. Is there a process you would normally use to decide when to use 1 and when to use T? How would you recommend practicing this song to help me get that down?
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I would recommend learning to use one or the other depending on the surrounding notes. Typically, the best way is to not use one immediately after or one note after it was used… in other words, allow two notes of space before using a finger again to get the best speed.
Sometimes it will be better to break the rule for specific tone qualities. However, you don’t need to worry about that at this stage.
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Hi @SarahM Sarah if you look closely at the bottom of the TAB on the screen you will see @BanjoBen has indicated which finger to pick the string with. As you gain experience much of this will become automated like riding a bike. I was always taught when you are learning to play a tune play it real slow, Learn to play accurately. If your not sure go back and revisit the lesson as often as you need to. If you are able post a video of yourself playing, make sure your fingers are in view to allow Ben to offer more guidance.
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I figured that practicing slowly until comfortable would likely be the answer. I’ve been following the finger indications, but still keep messing them up. But I could also go even slower.
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Hi Sarah,
I recently learned this song and I had the exact same issue. Like at the end, two almost interchangeable phrases, but one ends with the 1 and the last one the T. I had a hard time remembering it slow, because I could end either phrase with either T or 1. If you notice, the next to last phrase ends with a 1, but the note before that is is the high G (with a thumb). So if you were playing that fast, it would be tough (or impossible) to play T T. I just had to learn it real slow until it was almost automatic.
BTW, I am pretty sure Ben wrote it that way to exercise both ways. It would be easier to play, just doing it the same every time, but the change up makes us learn more stuff.
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Hi Sarah yes that will happen for sure. In the early stages your training your brain to pick and fret the right strings through listening, memorizing and touch. Accept the fact that your gonna make mistakes. But with practice your mistakes will become fewer and your playing will get better
As well as playing slow, practice playing small sections of the tune, especially the sections (measures) you find the most difficult. Be patent with yourself, Trust me I have been down this route before I know it works. It may take a month or two but you will get there.
Just think how many times a baby falls over before he or she can stand on their own two feet.
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