Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Lost Indian

Here’s my first shot at my Doc Watson tribute …still practicing it …as alway let me know what you think …thanks all

Nice, Ron! Seems like you just started on that one. You learned it really quickly.

Yep, sounds good, you are gonna be a hell of a picker. I tend to get a bit sloppy here and there on my my stuff, I kind of pass it off as “my style” but you sound like you are gonna be nice and clean and can build up some serious speed.

Great job!

Very Nice

Thanks all …its a lot of fun to learn these songs and means a lot when I get some positive feedback …still with the old cheap webcam but i think i figured out how to get a bit better sound out of it now lol …

Nice, keep it up!

thanks Mike

Good Job, Ron. I’m surprised with how fast you got that one down. Seems like that TAB just came out. I was wondering if you’d tell us what your practice routine is like? What your secret!!!

Thanks KGM , …right now I’m unemployed so depending on the day , i have lots of practice time …I guess one of my secrets is I have a pretty good photographic memory so I learn the tabs pretty quickly …other than that when im not practicing a specific song that I’m learning …if im watching TV im sitting around picking something scale wise just to work on my right and left hand speed and coordination …I think all the practicing is making it easier to get the picking stuff faster …plus “lost indian” means a lot to me and wanted to learn it as quickly as possible in memory of Mr. Doc Watson …i definitely love this site and all the fine people/pickers on here … im so thankful for all of it …i still have a lonnnnnnggggggg way to go before im a good flatpicker …but thanks to Ben and you folks …i will be someday …thanks again …

Ron, how loud/hard do you pick your guitar? I like to play loud, and sometimes I think I pick it too hard to play cleanly. I know if I pick more gently I can play cleaner and faster. I’d like to play as fast and smooth as you. Actually, I’d like to play as fast and smooth as Ben, but one step at a time.

Hi Julian, sometimes I find myself lazily gripping the pick and it comes out softly but ive been gripping it a bit tighter so it comes out more loudly here lately so im playing louder than i was before … a lot of my volume depends on getting “that look” from the Lady when we are watching tv lol …I do aspire to be a clean, fast , well-rounded flatpicker myself someday …Im encouraged with how far ive come in 3 or 4 months of working on it but i still know as i said before got a way to go …

I’m also a big fan of watching TV while practicing. It’s gives me something to do when I’m playing a riff over and over again.

Thanks Ben!!! means a lot coming from you …thanks as always for the great site and lessons and all you do !!!

also , learning “whiskey before breakfast” …got it down for the most part except for the last bit of it around measures 33- 36 …having a bit of trouble with the timing on those…but ill get it …thanks again Ben …!!!

That sounds good! I’m working on the same tune, but I think I play it about 1/2 your speed. Still, it’s a fun song…keep up the good picking!

Nice piece! One of these days, I hope to play as well. As for “Whiskey before breakfast,” I don’t know about learning that one. I’d probably need to tell my congregation that it’s purely medicinal. :laughing: