Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

So, what did you practice on today?

#8

I’m at Banjo Ben’s Camp right now, so last night I practiced humiliating myself trying to play some of these songs I’ve been working on, LOL! :rofl: I think I’ve got that down pretty good. I’m a natural! I’m obviously still a closet player, where I can play songs pretty well. But add a group of people, and any semblance of fine motors skills that I’ve been working on quickly dissolve into the grossest of motor skills - pun intended! The good news is that everyone here is very encouraging and @BanjoBen is cheering us all on, so I will show up for today’s class and try to get better! I’m looking forward to today’s sessions (and the food!)

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#9

I’m trying to add some new licks to my arsenal so that I can be more confident improvising solos on guitar; yesterday I started breaking down Josh Williams’ guitar breaks to Freeborn Man:


I got most of the intro and the first solo under my fingers; there are some great licks in there that aren’t as tricky as I thought they would be.
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#10

I’ve been working on transcribing a lot of different breaks from Billy Strings live shows and videos for sons like Sharecroppers Son, Katy Daly, Little White Church, Give Me Back My 15 Cents, and a few others. I’ve also been working on @BanjoBen versions of Bill Cheatam, Black Mountain Rag, and Where the Soul of Man Never Dies. I also finally memorized his solo to The Old Homeplace.

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#11

Good King Wenceslas, Greensleeves, and 2nd beginner version of You are my Sunshine.

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#12

As I read pick in your comment I believe you can get them for $35 :wink:

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#13

Lately i’ve been working on the banjo pushin licks lesson and the flatpicking and fingerpicking solos for come thou fount.

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#14

That’s the flat pick discount. The thumb pick runs $40.
Sometimes I think people stay up at night figuring out ways to stick it to banjo players. :wink:

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#15

I‘m working on Shenandoah Breakdown , and silent night. And maybe the next will be red river valley… :blush:

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#16

Hi Joe,

I guess you have seen some of my other comments on these picks but as always if they work for people enjoy . But I doubt I will be able to let it lie LOL :wink: $40 you say :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

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#17

The pick is only $1.95. The rest of the cost gets you JD Crowe’s initials inside.
According to my voodoo economics, that’s a bargain at twice the price! :roll_eyes:

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#18

It doesn’t take long to nail this. @BanJoe

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#19

Red River Valley is a great lesson. One of @BanjoBen 's best I’d say

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#20

Old Joe Clark , John Henry and Scale’s OH BOY WHAT FUN !!! :sunglasses:

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#21

Still working on the first few beginner songs. Boil dem cabbage, Working man blues, and Cripple Creek (slides). Can finally do Boil Dem Cabbage Down forward rolls at the 110 bpm pretty consitently without mistakes. Only took about a month. So, I figure, if I can learn something pretty well (okay, just okay) in a month, I’ll be able to call myself a banjo player in just a couple years. Pretty exciting!

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#22

Just guitar Forked Deer drop d tuning. I love that sound too. Will check out Away in a Manger right now. I bought Forked Deer banjo lesson elsewhere, hoping to do a double instrument video but haven’t got the app yet.

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#23

Learning Salt Creek Intermediate Revisted from Ben and playing Cripple Creek with his rhythm track to get my timing better.

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#24

Thanks again for the tip. It really is coming much faster than I expected. It’s not perfect, but at least now I can keep my ring & pinky down while I move the other two. Yesterday it looked like an 8-legged spider on the fret booard and all the legs were wiggling!

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#25

As you work through @BanjoBen 's lessons you’ll find you learn a lot of partial chords that makes the task easier. But that exercise is really great for learning full chord shapes which you will use when playing backup.

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#26

I have been working on blackberry blossom intermediate, salt creek intermediate, red apple rag and Cherokee shuffle and the 2 octave scales and B major scale study.

I recorded myself playing the other day and thought it didn’t sound like I thought it would. I could hear the sound of the pick on the strings - I’m using a Dunlop prime tone 1.4 . And my playing sounded more note to note and not as smooth and flowing with feeling. Any tips on how to improve that or is it something that will improve with time and practice.

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#27

We all hear pick noise Annie, Just pretend it’s not there :grinning::grinning:

1 Like