A great catch-phrase to remember
I feel fortunate to have gotten to meet a couple of celebrities in the bluegrass or music world over the last few years, including Steve Dilling of IIIrd Tyme Out, Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys, and Peter Wernick of the band Hot Rize. These are cherished and treasured experiences for sure. As my regular readers know, I got to attend Peter Wernick’s advanced banjo camp in January 2010, and I came away with many nuggets of advice and wisdom that can sure make me a better banjo picker and musician.
Is your banjo practice time productive?
In addressing practice time on any instrument, there are many tips and pointers that can be talked about. If you continue reading my blog over the coming months you’ll see me bring up some key points that I hope can help you to become a better picker. This time around I want to leave you with a catch phrase that I heard Peter Wernick use because it made a big impact on me. Consider the following:
An amateur practices until he/she gets it right. A professional practices until he/she can’t get it wrong.
Did you catch the distinction between the two parts of that phrase? There are important differences in both ends of what you just read. Can you consistently play the hard licks, the kick-off and the ending, the rolls, the rhythm and timing right each time you pick up the banjo? Do you stumble when you haven’t played a particular song for a day or two?
It’s really important that you identify what parts of your picking are the weakest, and then drill those things. After you drill them, perfect them. After you perfect them, drill them some more. Can pick the banjo while at the same time letting go of the intense concentration required so that you can focus on more than one aspect of playing the song, like singing at the same time or holding the right rhythm to what the bass player is laying down? Do you come in with strong beginnings? Can you do that 3-2 pull-off successfully, every time you play it? Is your picking clean and accurate?
It’s not enough to tackle something tough today, because on Thursday you might stumble through it again. And just because you can play it through 10 times in a row perfectly on Sunday doesn’t mean that you are all set if you pick up the banjo on Tuesday and flub it up. Focus on mastery of your techniques. Focus on having it down so cold and being able to play it so well that you can roll through it effortlessly no matter how many days later that you attempt it again.
Practice until you can’t get it wrong.
Banjo Paul
“Wunse, I coodn’t even spel bango pikker…now I are one!”
www.banjosrule.com (main site)
www.mybanjolife.com (blog)
Click here: Ultimate Metronome
Paul,
This article really came along timely for me. The hardest thing for me right now is to sit and play one measure or one lick over and over and over until it’s just second nature. I’m tending to get impatient with myself because I’m not progressing as quickly as I’d like to, and this is a good reminder that I need to focus more on nailing it down than just getting it done.
Hi Terry, I’m glad to help for sure and it sounds like you are on the right track. The loop method is a great tool and you’ll want to be sure and continue utilizing it. Take your picking down to 2 notes if need be and drill those two notes until you can finally do them. (I once played a two measure section for 40 minutes straight. That’ll drive you bonkers but it works.) Once the 2 notes, or whatever the problem section is, is down cold, widen out your focus and play the full measure or the surrounding measures until you can play that section well, including the original trouble section. The key is to play the trouble section IN CONTEXT. Just playing the trouble section isn’t enough; you have to be able to play the section just ahead of it and just behind it along with the trouble section to simulate what you’ll encounter within the song.
Having got into my * mouth now I have 8-9 songs under belt can do 6 1/2 down in memory , keep woring on the right speed and timeing but for a old fart I keep working on it one day I guess it will come.
Having only played for a year, I’d have to say that I only have one song in my repertoire that I can play with relative confidence, and that is the one that I have practiced for that year every time I pick up my banjo. My, how the various things in life get in the way of an adult learner. But even though I don’t have many songs that I can play without flubbing, it’s still exciting to have another new song to flub and people that I can goof up in front of and still have fun. And I sure enjoy the journey toward perfection.
Hey Kathy, you know it’s been fun watching you develop, and the last couple of things we’ve focused on in lessons have really come shining through nicely. I think 2010 is going to be a big year for you on banjo if you keep it up!