Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Video submission for "Ear Training"

#1

Howdy folks!
Jan 22nd, @Oldhat2 put out an invitation for anyone to join him in his playing songs totally by ear endeavor for the song “Take Me,” as played by Jerry Garcia (guitar) and David Grisman (Dawg) (mandolin).

Here’s my try at playing the song. I was not familiar with it before his invitation. I learned it 100% by listening, ALOT! No notation, no tabs, no videos. Just the sounds.

I wish I had kept account of the hours I put in on this. All I know is, it was many many many over the span of Jan 22 to now.

This project was daunting, very difficult, and very rewarding. Yall should try it sometime! Hope you enjoy, and as always ALL comments and suggestions are welcome, Thanks :slightly_smiling_face:

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#2

@Simone this makes me so happy!!! I can’t say “good job” enough!!!

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#3

Sure is special. When I first heard this my first thought was…

“Oh yeah, you go girl!” (sorry, no disrespect, but that is what I truly thought…such a big accomplishment.)

So happy you stuck with it. Sounds absolutely fabulous.

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#4

Oh wow! :slight_smile:

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#5

Very nice!

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#6

@BanjoBen Thank you!! Happy to hear you liked it!! Twas a big big big challenge!

@Oldhat2 Thank you! And, no disrespect taken - I’m not fussy about that kind of stuff, lol!
Super glad you put this out there & lookin fwd to seeing your video as well…:+1:

@JohnM Thanks! & if I recall, I do believe you mentioned you might try this? I hope that you do, & post it too!

@mharrison43 Thank you! I know you’re a Jerry fan too, and you also pick a mean banjo :grin:, wonder how it’d sound on banjo…? I think it’d be cool!

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#7

Really good job! Sounding fantastic! :grinning:

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#8

“wonder how it’d sound on banjo…? I think it’d be cool!”

@Simone I think you might be onto something!

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#9

Hi Simone, yeah I attempted it first but then the bluesy thing kind of put me off balance. Now that I see your video, I can follow through, that gives me a bit more confidence to try. But it’s going to take a while. And again, I’m just a very beginner on this, you know! :slight_smile:

Also a priority one came up “Just as I am”!

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#10

Great job, Simone! Really impressive!

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#11

@Simone. This was just golden to listen to. You took a giant leap forward with this exercise I think and I throughly enjoyed listening.

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#12

@Severin - Thank you! Glad you liked the sound!:grin:

@mharrison43 -
let me know if you try it, would love to know how it sounded, good/not so good! … :upside_down_face:

@JohnM - I’m a rookie at this, never had attempted anything this complex, maybe a little riff here or there but not a whole song, don’t give up, I’m sure you could get it! And “just as I am” is on my “to do” list as well :+1:!

@JKL -
Thanks so much Jeff! Happy you enjoyed it!:grin:

@Deere_Crossing - Thank you Neil! Appreciate that! It was a big challenge for sure & I’m pleased with progress made throughout the process. :slightly_smiling_face:

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#13

Wow @Simone you rock girl. Like another challenge ?

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#14

Wow @Simone, that was awesome!!!

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#15

@Archie - Thanks!!
Last year around St. Patrick’s Day, in the Banjo category, I posted a vid of me playing St. Anne’s Reel on the Irish Tenor Banjo…
Does that count?!? :wink::grin:

@Stuart.Gamble - Thank you!! :slightly_smiling_face:

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#16

Hi @Simone it sure does cos the tenor banjo has the same tuning as the mandolin. Going by this latest video you have made great progress this past year. I have been in a bit of a lull since just before Christmas I keep starting new projects and not completing them it’s not like me. I just can’t seem to motivate myself.

Because of health issues we are still on shelter in place due to the extended lockdown, that has been close on a year now. Hope is on the horizon though we had our first shot about two weeks ago with no side effects experienced. The weather has picked up a little to let me get out in the garden these past two days for a couple of hours felt good to have the sun on my face. New infections in the UK have been steadily but slowly falling. So I am hopeful that by the end of March life will begin to return to the new normal.

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