How’s the best way to practice through the lessons? Starting at the top and working down? I feel like there’s so much information, do you spend time on a topic till it’s perfect then move on? Just looking for practice help. I practice an hour a day 6 days a week.
How to practice through the lessons
Just to speak to your point about getting something perfect, I more or less will just get it the best I can. I never saw myself good enough to be perfect. One thing I do is to try and isolate a more difficult part and play it over and over to where I can play it as well as the rest of the song. That keeps me from getting to that part and then stumbling over it. I have seen people do that to where they try and play the hardest part of a song, as fast as the rest of the song rather than slow it down to where they can play the entire song at the same speed somewhat smoothly. In other words, they always mess up the same part which ends up them practicing a mistake right into the song. I have seen players actually perfect mistakes just like it is a part of the song.
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Hi Hollie, I am not a guitar player so the advice I offer here is what I would give to a new banjo player joining the forum.
Work through the beginners lessons, Make sure you have a good understanding of the basic fundamentals before moving forward.
I rarely know a lesson perfectly before I move on, but I make sure I understand the structure of what is taught. I know I can revisit the lesson anytime.
Once you get beyond the Beginning Learning Path you’ll have the basic skills that will allow you to move around and choose any lesson.
@BanjoBen encourages his students to challenge themselves
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Not sure how this works for everyone, but Banjo Ben offers build a break lessons that are designed to help guide you to making songs and guitar breaks your own. Whenever I try and play something the way Ben does, I fall short due to the fact I am not Banjo Ben, nor do I have his skill. That’s why the build a break lessons help me, because although I may not be as good as Banjo Ben, or Jake Stogdill, or name any other great player, I can still be myself.
Now I love the arrangements Ben has laid out here, and I stick to them note for note to start out, but rather than see that lesson as an end point, once I have learned it to the best of my ability verbatim, I then use it to build on and experiment with it to take things a different direction while trying to make it my own. Sure, I’ll hit a lot of wrong notes along the way, but that’s part of the process. Have to play lots of wrong notes to find the right ones. So I would say to anyone, try and find your own style of play, Will help you to discover strengths you never knew you had. In other words, search for and find the hidden you.
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Following this thread as I’m getting settled back in to learning guitar.
Tom (DEGG)
I’ve struggled with this as a new player. When I asked I think Ben once responded that the Beginner checklist was not meant to be followed from top to bottom but maybe I dreamed that.
If you can work your way into the Basic Guitar Rhythm section https://banjobenclark.com/courses/basic-guitar-rhythm … its very helpful.
I felt it was too much for me for a while, but then I realized this was the instruction I was not seeing anywhere else. It may take you a year to get good at that full set of lessons, but it is worth it. Later there is an Intermediate Guitar Rhythm. It’s worth looking at the first lesson there to see what you are shooting for. Not going to happen overnight.
Also on the Beginner list, I found that Old Joe Clark and the Amazing Grace (Build a Break) lessons were good alternatives to the times when you are frustrated with the rhythm lessons.
Somewhere in these rhythm lessons, Ben tells a story about how it took him two years to learn to play rhythm. That was an eye opener for me. I’m very glad he took the time to explain that process because it helped me to prioritize. It is deceiving to watch guitar lessons on the Internet because it seems like learning something hard will only take two or three days. (It takes a long time so you might as well pay for the Lifetime membership.)
Having said that, this is all just my opinion as a two year member who can’t play. I have fun practicing and learning, but my playing is as worthless as gum on a boot heel.
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Hi Bhive. Sounds like you think you may be struggling, don’t want to assume anything, but just going by your last comment. I can’t remember if Ben said he gave individual lessons via skype but might be something to look into if you feel your playing is missing something. I think some individual attention my help in the event you have fallen in a rut, not saying you have, but with your last sentence of your post was thinking maybe Ben or somebody could help to point out what you feel you might be doing wrong and give you some confidence. Sometimes all a person needs is a little direction. Good luck.
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Howdy @hollielarsen406! Welcome to the forum!
I do advise that you “roughly” follow the beginner learning track, though you should have freedom to move along before things get perfect. I don’t want you to burn out.
Once you make it to the intermediate, you’re at a stage where you can begin pursuing the songs and techniques that interest you most!
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