Thanks Shawn! That sounds great. That is one loud instrument 
I always hear people talk about their banjo killer guitars, but I have yet to hear one that would actually drown out a banjo.
I didnāt have time to do much, but I got it set about where I think it would fit and made a quick mix.
At this point it runs into the end of the song, but thatās just temporary. Iāll get an extended version of the rhythm track going, but it will probably be Sunday before I can get to it.
Joy to the world
Sounds good Mike. Thanks for all the work your doing on this.
My playing sounds a little stiff to me. Thatās something I just canāt fake without more playing time to smooth things out.
Shawn, I think you did a great job! Thank you! And the good news is that the more you play, the better it gets. How long have you been playing banjo?
I didnāt do anything to the track but drop it in and move it to where I thought would work. On a second listening I am not sold that I got the track level volume set appropriately. It will blend better when I do a better job with the mix.
Based on your comments, I take it you were playing with a metronome as opposed to the track? I find it is generally easier for me to play with a track instead of a metronome. Those things make me nervous!
Well, I can somewhat play Cripple Creek and I know about half of Iāll Fly Away. Total time, I think Iāve got about 2 months time really trying on the banjo. Never even tried to play along to anything except that OCMS video I did. Thatās why I didnāt jump right in when you first posted. I wanted to see if it was even doable for me. Iām suprised that I got up to 190 bpm. Iāve done some fingerpickin on guitar and have the alternating thumb thing down (Travis picking?), so that helps. One of the first songs I learned on guitar was ādust in the windā and that picking style almost came natural to me. Even with the forward and backward rolls on banjo, there is somewhat of a pattern to it.
Yep, I recorded using the metronome. It kinda helps me keep on track. I tried playing along to the track some, but I kept getting lost. Just not enough banjer time. It does make ya nervous though, sometimes I canāt tell if itās the metronome or my heartbeat.
Thatās impressive that you could get so comfortable on it in a few months. Years ago I spent about a month on banjo and didnāt get too far.
ā Begin quote from "TNTaylor414"
My playing sounds a little stiff to me.
ā End quote
Ha! Now youāre being overly self-critical. I guess thatās a good thing. If we donāt push ourselves to get better, no one will.
Reminds me of the first couple of times at jams when folks complimented my playing and my first thought was that they were poking fun at me. Iād be so wound up in how badly I was playing, I couldnāt imagine anyone would enjoy it. Took me a while to learn how to receive a compliment.
ā Begin quote from ____
I recorded using the metronome. It kinda helps me keep on track. I tried playing along to the track some, but I kept getting lost.
ā End quote
I use both the base track and the metronome. The clicks help me stay in time and the track helps me remember where Iām at in the song.
Sounding good Fellas!
Been absent on this one. Have been in Ohio and Kentucky chasing deer with my bow for 2 weeks and finally managed to get back to Nashville as Momma and I get to go see Trampled By Turtles tonight.
Getting ready to watch the Buckeyes beat up on Illinois and will work on getting the melody down on Joy to the World and see if I canāt start putting something together over the next few daysā¦if I donāt get something down then I see itās no ābiggieā as you guys already have it sounding really good!
Shawn, your banjo playing sounds great! I have spaghetti fingers too & get real nervous, but I think what you did there is a keeper. Iām still working on a mandolin break & Iām doing a special In church tomorrow on guitar & singing. Iām a mess today!
Guys Iām getting closer on this mandolin break & learning alot fast about computer recording. Special thanks to Mike for the one on one. My twenty year old son is home from college today & is helping with the computer. He wanted to see how Kompoz worked. To upload a track I need at least 12 points & only have 7. Any ideas or endorsements would be greatly appreciated. I go by āshadetreeā on Kompoz & just signed up for that two days ago.
Iām more of a guitar player than mandolin, so this may not be the best. Donāt be too critical on youself Shawn, weāre all learning & none of us are making our living doing this. Itās about making new friends, collaborating, learning & just plain having fun. If this project doesnāt make the top 40 in the bluegrass charts, we can always start a new one.
Thanks for all the help.
J.W.
I could not find you on Kompoz as āshadetreeā to endorse you. Go respond/leave a comment in the Joy to the World latest track then I will be able to find you and endorse you.
Thanks oldhat, I appreciate that. Iām new to all this. Iāll go to Kompoz & see if I can do that now.
What part of Ohio were you in? Iām gonna guess the southern part around Adams Co? Hope you did well.
Thanks J.W.
The Kompoz reputation thing is a bit goofy. They upped the requirements and it sounds like they made it a bit more goofy. I am not able to find you on Kompoz searching for āshadetree.ā Once we found you, I think I could endorse you. If you would, leave a comment on one of the tracks and then I think I could click on your user and be able to endorse you. I also looked for the link to invite you to the project, but I am not seeing it. It used to be somewhere, but I canāt remember where.
The good news: Once you upload a track, I can accept the track and that adds significant reputation points. I have been trying to do that with all submitted tracks (except mine, which donāt count). If anyone notices that I missed a track, let me know.
Ha! I went to submit and Mr. OldHat beat me to the punch! Ignore parts of what I said (I am too lazy to figure out what parts).
Welcome back Oldhat! I look forward to see what you come up with.
Thanks for the comment JW. I endorsed you and invited you. I donāt think the invite helped, but the endorsement bumped you up to 12.
Thanks Mike & Oldhat, I now have 12 points. When I get this break ready Iāll get it to Kompoz. I donāt know if it will be today or not, Iām also working on a song for Church tomorrow at the same time.
Thanks again
J.W.
Was around The Chillicothe/Waverly area (Ross and Pike Counties). I am originally from Ohio (Southern Tip) from a town called āIrontonā on the Ohio river.
I endorsed youā¦looks like you have 12 pts now.
Oldhat, I have propane companies I service in all three of those towns. (Two in Chili). Marietta Bible College choir was at our church last night, you may know of it. Pretty awesome night.
I appreciate the endorsement.
J.W.
Man, I have had one crazy day. Deb and I were all set to go to the Bluegrass Expo in fabulous Waldo, FL today, but last night I get a call from my brother (whoās working as a pilot out in Texas right now) saying that his girlfriend had a flat tire and her car was stranded on the roadside.
I get up before daybreak today to get her tire changed, and am on my way home with plenty of time to make the Expo when my car overheats. I pop the hood and see that the heater hose is leaking, so I whip into a gas station, top off the radiator and limp the car home.
I promptly remove the hose and rush out to the auto parts store, still convinced I can make the Expoā¦ and then I foolishly lock my keys in the truck. No way Debbie can bring me a key because Iāve got the heater hose off her car. She canāt stir up any neighbors to give her a ride, so I wind up walking the 4 miles back to the house, getting the key, then riding my bicycle back to the auto parts store to get my truck. All I need now is a couple of miles of swimming to complete my Idiotās Triathlon.
I still have to get the heater hose on the car, so looks like weāre gonna miss the Expo. 
But I guess that gives me some time to mess around with a dobro re-record this evening.
P.S. On the bright side, I got the replacement tailpiece for my dobro and she looks real nice now.
P.S.S. Did you get a deer, oldhat?
Thanks for the endorsements Larry, Mike & Oldhat, Iām up to 27 points already! For what itās worth, I returned the favor.
Larry if I was down your way, Iād help you get that hose on your car so you could make the show. Hope your day gets better.
J.W.
Sounds like a really messed up day Larryā¦Iād just grab a beer and chill out and not leave the house for a day or soā¦something about āfateāā¦and then again Iād maybe pick up a lottery ticket to hedge my bets!
Didnāt take a deer but had plenty of opportunities nearly every day. Had 2 different bucks in Ky I would have shot, but they just would not cooperate and get within 20 yards. Had a good one within 20 yards in Ohio but the wind swirled and he wanted nothing to do with my stinky self so he high tailed it out of there!..bow hunting tends to get a little frustrating from time to time but I enjoy trying to take a deer at close quarters with a bow despite all the difficulties. Think I have taken 60 or so deer with a bow, so itās not really about taking one but instead the peace and quiet in being in the woods from daylight tilā dark. Plus nearly all of the farms I hunt on the owner plays an instrument and bluegrass music so there have been lots of evenings of pickin and grinnin going on with Tbones on the grill and a glass of scotch (or two).
I was hunting just outside of Muhlenburg county Kyā¦when I drove to Ohio I went right through Paradise and then through Bill Monroeās home place. One of the Everly brothers was born in the area also so that was interesting.
Sweet, looks like this project is pickinā up steam!
Dang Larry, thatās pretty rough. Hopefully things smooth out a bit for you.
Good luck on your church preformance, JW. Heading over to try to endorse ya if I can figure out how.
Good to see ya back on the grid, Oldhat.