Hey Eric! Welcome!
The PickAlong lessons don’t have tabs and are made for playing along with like a jam, rather than learning an arrangement. However, Ben does have lesson arrangements/tabs for Amazing Grace on all three instruments:
Discuss the lesson: PickAlong Amazing Grace
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Hi Ben. Got to this first pick a long and I’ve got to say I’m totally confused. What your doing on the video isn’t what’s on the tab and I still don’t understand the Nashville Number System. Watched 3 times. Any advice?
@nhorgan23 I’m obviously not Ben, but I might can help. The point of the pick-a-longs isn’t to play a specific break for a song. Rather, it’s an opportunity to play in a jam-like setting with other instruments, where you get the opportunity to practice your back-up and any breaks that you want to try all at once. It gets you ready to play with other folks.
Regarding the Nashville number system, there is a lesson on the site regarding this that you might want to watch. That should clear it up. It’s a really useful tool once you get it figured out.
Hope this helps!
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Howdy @nhorgan23! As @rspillers said, there isn’t tab for what I’m playing here. Be sure and watch the lesson preview on the lesson page. It’s about jamming and using your eyes and ears to try playing along. If you do want to learn a tabbed break, they are elsewhere on the site if you search for them.
Also, here’s where you can learn numbers: https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/the-nashville-number-system-beginner
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Hate to ask, as I’m sure it’s covered and I’m spacing on where, but what are the “other” chords you’re playing up the neck at times? Are these a 3rd inversion type or are you simply not reaching up to the D string?
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Good eye! Yep, in this video (for instance, from 1:35-2:00) he plays the standard “Y” and “X” position chords (also called “position 1” and “position 2”, respectively) without fretting/playing the low D string.
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Started amazing grace lesson 11 Sept and got it 100% memorized by the end of October and I practice it every single day many many many times over but when playing to the backing track I always lose it at the beginning of solo number 3 the time or something messes me up.
I even play the backing track thru a loud speaker which has helped as opposed to my iPhone speaker but man that part screws me up every single time
Why ? Lol
Argh
If there’s a way you can record of video and post it here I can tell you what’s going on 
We’ll get it fixed!
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Is there a preferred way to finger the “x” and “y” position chords while leaving off the low D string? I’m thinking it would be easier for me to do it as if I’m doing all 4 strings but just lift off the ring finger from the low D. So I’m using pointer, middle, and pinky. Less fingerings to remember. But Ben changes the fingering to use his pointer, middle, and ring with no pinky. Any reason for doing one over the other?
@Tom3, when I’m making partial chord shapes, I typically try to use the fingers that would be used in making the whole shape, as applicable. So I would finger those partial X and Y shapes played on strings 1 thru 3 the same way you are, leaving my ring finger free.
I will generally leave the ring finger free if all I’m doing is the chord shape, but will adjust as needed if my index or pinky is needed to play a lick based out of the chord shape.
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That sounds like a beautiful morning, glad the timing worked out, and I’m excited it’s helping with your mando practice too!
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Ben how long should I spend on each module ? I’ve been a member for one year now and still working thru the beginner lessons and I’ve been staying on each one until I have it memorized for 100%, but is that really necessary ?
Do I stay on each lesson until I have it mastered? I spent 8 months learning Fgy Mnt Brkd and I still run through it a few times when practicing as my other mind set is I don’t want to lose it. I put so many hours into learning that song or Amazing Grace on here and I do them every day a few times each as I want to stay on top of them.
As of today I am on Minor Mingle and its so much fun but do I need to memorize it 100% ?
Steve
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Hi @steveregan805 Steve.
How long is a piece of string? It is difficult for anyone to define how long you should spend on any given lesson because we all learn differently and at differing speeds.
My strategy is to learn the content of the lesson. i.e. @BanjoBen 's objective is maybe to teach certain roll patterns or licks, or perhaps a tune. So I work through the video lesson, I focus in on the stuff that is important. Fretting hand positions, the rolls employed, fingers used. I try to commit as much of that to memory as I can through close observation, I download the TEF TAB Files and work through the musical phrases or measures, ensuring I am picking the same picking pattern/notes as Ben. I try to play through the tune along with the TEF file. I rarely get it on the first few days, so I sometimes go work on a different lesson, a distraction so to speak. But I keep going back to revisit the lesson committing more to memory on each occasion.
Working on a couple of lessons at a time I am constantly moving forward, leapfrogging as I go, building my knowledge and developing my skill level as I move forward. I don’t think I have ever asked Ben when should I move on. I make that decision on my own when I feel I am ready or sometimes when I am standing still and not really absorbing anything. Can I play everything 100% ? NO of course not that’s not my goal. I see my goal is to learn the mechanic’s of playing the instrument, developing the skills I need to play the instrument and memorising the melody using ALL the tools Ben provides. Some tunes I remember and can play through with ease others I quickly forget and have to revisit many times. My advise for what it’s worth is this. If you are bored practicing the same old tune it’s time to take a break and move on. Learn something new and come back to that lesson in a month or two. If you have been struggling you may well surprise yourself at how easy the lesson is on your return.
Maybe now would be a good time to share a video to let Ben see how you are progressing.
Awesome advise Archie. I like your idea of leap frogging ahead,
Thanks for the response.
I practice until it hurts then go another hour beyond that
Steve
Hi @steveregan805 Steve Practice should be fun, never a chore. It’s not like your preparing for a marathon. Taking a break from practice can help in your development. Our brain needs time to process the information we feed in. At least it does for this old timer.
Don’t worry about memorizing all, just be sure you have the concepts down and can execute them. Getting off the tab is good, but that doesn’t mean you have to memorize. It means you can also take the concepts and play them yourself, and “own” them. Keep pickin’!