Howdy all, this morning I am still working on forward and reverse rolls along with forward-reverse roll square roll slides pull off and hammer-on. I have been a member for just over a month, I have been trying to teach myself banjo for a number of years (and getting on where) joined here and enjoy it so much.
Now back to this morning worked on the forward and reverse roll with boil them cabbage down and I felt good on how my picking was going then I said to myself you are only playing at 60-80 bpm and on worried man blues 40-60bpm, asked myself what’s wrong with me why ain’t you up to 129-140 bpm and really beat myself you.
Before this I had started really working on pull offs and fit the pull offs from the tab and how well it fit in boil then cabbage down where the four 1/4 notes are and it was sounding good and building my practice up.
I started trying to speed up and of course it didn’t work,
Dont understand why at 4 weeks of practice I’m not up to 180-240 bpm lol so feeling good again and will practice as much as I can.
Man I was really whining: 
Sorry this was so long but thinks for the group.
Take your time Dave
Hang in there, brother…I feel your pain! I’m no banjo expert, but I’d suggest at this point you not focus very much on speed as this can hurt your progress. Accuracy, repeatability, training muscle memory…these are the foundational skills we need. Speed will come later…some of it on it’s own. Happy pickin’!
Thanks and I know you are right just got in a hurry lol you would think at 64 I would have slowed down lol ( I have) thank partner
AMEN Mark! Sailor, one newbie to another I’ve been playing for about six months now and believe me at first it seem’s like your getting knowhere Fast! but trust us ( I’m talkin bout all the journeymen Banjoist’s and wishfull thinking on my part 
) when they say be patient it will come in time. For what it’s worth my two cent’s is don’t bite off more than you can chew meaning don’t overwhelm yourself with two many skill’s all at once. Start at the beginner easy stuff and work up to the rest as you get better. It all start’s to come together if you take it slow and methodically. My playing has improved quite a bit from just listening to the people in this forum from all skill levels. So keep it up, HAVE FUN! and HAPPY PICKING!!! 
thanks and yea I know but as I said I was working on this on my own for some time and I forget I am learning it right and from the beginning thanks you for your support in this and I really enjoy my playing you know how you feel the piece should play at 180 or better and your at 60 lol and it hit me just need to keep it all in focus again thanks:+1:
Unfortunately the older we are the slower are fingers are. Especially starting music later in life. Also younger people retain what they learn and put it into practice much faster than us older folks do. I know this ain’t what you want to hear but I’ve seen it time and time again. Not that us older folks can’t its just not as easy for us.
I myself spend countless, countless hours practicing and feel I’m getting nowhere. Evan on this site I told the hours I practice and a comment was " I must be doing something wrong ".
Try to be content with what you can do ( I can’t, I get mad at myself even though I know better) and keep pushing yourself. Most of us older folks will never be Earl Scruggs, even though we want to be. Like Ben has said we need to be who we are, with our own style. And unfortunately our own speed for now. Hang in there and try to enjoy your journey.
Side note… The master has failed more times than the student has tried.
thanks and so very true
First, everything everyone else has said is true.
Second, I’m rowing the beginner’s boat, too. It’s a strange and wonderful journey.
Some days my fingers do not work at all. Other days my left arm is too tired to hold the neck. But I’ve got some nice fingertip calluses now, even on my ring finger!
And some days I stray from the practice and start playing stuff I did not know I could play.
But most days I’m a banjo-strangling beginner. So here is my tip.
Record yourself, then watch it a couple time. You’ll get over the pain and begin hearing in a better way.
And spooky as it is, post a video here. A big part of learning the banjo is simply getting out of your comfort zone. Posting a video gets you out of your comfort zone!
Thanks Ben
Thanks Joe I’m working in recording now as far as the post I’m not quit where I want to be but soon thanks again and God Bless all of you
Tempo-wise my experience is that I start brutally slow trying to figure out where my fingers go and counting every beat. It does not sound like the song it is - it’s like a hunt and peck typist! I up the metronome 5 bpm at a time and there’s a magic moment there where it starts to sound like a song. That’s when I start making faster progress in tempo - once my brain and fingers know how to make it sound right.
That exactly what I was about to type, Stephen. By the time I’m playing a song up to speed, it’s possible I’ve literally played it 1,000 times at slower speeds.
I don’t bump up the tempo until I can play the song through with no mistakes at least 3 times in a row. I don’t want to practice mistakes. As I’ve learned, it’s “Perfect practice makes perfect.”
Keep going David! You’ll get there!
Cool I’m kinda doing the same but only one song at the " it sounds right stage" I’m enjoying it very much but this past weekend just let it get me down but it’s hard to be down when you’re picking a banjo
Thanks for the push and support from all of you