You Jammers. What do you see when you move about?

[Oldhat2]

Odd. Banjo tuning finds me being able to “jam” easy. I could pick up a banjo (never ever tried to play one) and could jam and find melodies. There was point around 10 years ago that I seriously thought about putting a banjo in my hand simply because it worke dfor me. No way I could do on guitar after 6-8 years what I could do on banjo the first time I ever put one in my lap.

…but it’s a banjer. Who in their right mind wants to be associated with playing one? Can’t compromise my Social Score by picking up a banjer.

[Oldhat2]

Suggestion on the latter? Did you learn through ear training interval excersizes? Other method if not?

I’m interested in this stuff btw. I’m at a fork in the road, seems I spend more time reasearching about which fork (practice route) in the road to take than I am actually practicing.

[Michael_Mark]

Just listening to music and repeating it in my head etc. Combined with playing it developed naturally. When I went to Cabin Camp in 2019, Ben taught us about it and I started exercising it more- e.g. determining the key of a song without my instrument by listening to the mandolin and fiddle, etc.

[Michael_Mark]

For me, listening to music and playing along in my head is just as helpful or more helpful than actually playing. Some albums I must have listened to hundreds of times, just listening and thinking about the stuff in my head. You just have to constantly be “listening” in your mind to music, even if there’s none playing.

[Shaky_loves_banjo]

You actually definitely don’t need perfect pitch to remember what certain frets sound like on a guitar… this would be “learned” as you play while perfect pitch is developed as an infant. What shaky is referring to would be closer to “true pitch”- being able to remember what certain notes sound like through repetition or “relative pitch”- being able to produce any note if a reference is provided. The latter is 100% learnable and by far my most valuable skill as a musician.

What he said.

[Dave_Long]

I just thought on this a bit recently while playing and was a bit surprised with the results.

What I look at & what I “see” are two different things.

I’ve played so much on fret-less instruments that I’ve developed the habit of “seeing” patterns in my mind, and feeling them through muscle memory, but my eyes tend to focus on an object other than the instrument. (unless I’m making a huge jump on a guitar neck maybe).

i might focus on watching a hand when I’m concentrating on technique or efficiency, but I mostly play by ear; not sight. I find that looking at my hands when on fiddle actually will mess me up quite often…i can do things by ear that I can’t tear apart or follow visually.
also, the higher the tempo the less I comprehend visually.

[Dave_Long]

playing along in my head is just as helpful or more helpful than actually playing.

I could not agree more. I’ve never had a radio at work, but always had great selection music available at the touch of a thought.

I happen to be “listening” to Kenny Baker playing Andy’s Tune as I type this…

[Mr_G]

I have the first three volumes of my CAGED system available as ebooks at https://www.lulu.com/search?page=1&q=paige+garwood&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00

I am a HUGE proponent of the CAGED system as I am a visually based learner and the basic shapes guide me up and down the neck.

[JohnM]

For me, listening to music and playing along in my head is just as helpful or more helpful than actually playing. Some albums I must have listened to hundreds of times, just listening and thinking about the stuff in my head. You just have to constantly be “listening” in your mind to music, even if there’s none playing.

I was listening to Ben’s POV nine pound hammer guitar yesterday and exactly these thoughts ran into my mind and I listened to it more than a few times. Now that I see this post, it is assuring!

I am a HUGE proponent of the CAGED system…

I think CAGED is prerequisite to apply what you have listened to into appropriate fret/notes.

[Flatpickin_Libby]

I really like and recommend @Mr_G’s CAGED books. They’re so well laid out with some great tab!