Comments on: Part 1 of a 5 part beginner banjo series: banjo chords http://banjosrule.com/blog/part-1-of-a-5-part-beginner-banjo-series-banjo-chords/ Banjo Blog Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:34:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: admin http://banjosrule.com/blog/part-1-of-a-5-part-beginner-banjo-series-banjo-chords/comment-page-1/#comment-500 admin Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:34:59 +0000 http://banjosrule.com/blog/?p=733#comment-500 Hi Jesse, Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback. I appreciate the back-and-forth with my readers, and I'm glad you commented. It's especially nice having a world-class picker like yourself paying attention to my stuff. For anyone viewing these comments who might not know it, Jesse Taylor is a phenomenal banjo picker, formerly of Foxtail Grass. If you ever get the chance to pick with him, don't turn it down. You'll learn a ton. So...let me chime in on your comments Jesse: First of all, I have no idea why I used the word "whole" chords in the text previously. I fully meant to say "major". I never caught my mistake, even in the editing process, so thanks for that. (Admin. note: In case you read the text and can't figure out what we're talking about, I already edited the text. The word "whole" was changed to "major".) And lastly Jesse: your optimism and advice about not putting up road blocks to beginners is important advice and well taken. However...as a 15+ year teacher of the banjo, I throw in the statement that someone might find the D-form shape hard because in reality, most or all of my students have found the D-form shape hard. I have actually had people quit taking banjo lessons over that chord. I have been able to observe that every single one of my students, BAR NONE, can make the F-form shape much easier than the D-form shape. The D-form shape is one that you definitely have to condition yourself for and work into. If you personally didn't find it hard then that's wonderful and I can introduce you to 4 or 5 dozen people who are extremely envious of you...including me! I simply could not make that shape smoothly or quickly for many weeks when I first started. I think that when people read through my stuff they will find lots of optimism and encouragement, whether it be these blog posts or over on my main websites. I think people can and should do this thing called "banjo"! No doubt about it. If you work at it, you will get it, even if something like the D-form shape is hard. I also think that people value my willingness to give them the straight story on things. I'll be direct, I'll alert you to things that people have found tough in the past, but I'll also give you tips and advice on how to deal with those things. (I even put together a whole lesson on this D-form shape over at http://www.banjosrule.com.) Thanks for being there and keeping me honest Jesse. I look forward to seeing more comments in the future. Take care and pick 'em if ya got 'em! Banjo Paul Hi Jesse,

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback. I appreciate the back-and-forth with my readers, and I’m glad you commented. It’s especially nice having a world-class picker like yourself paying attention to my stuff. For anyone viewing these comments who might not know it, Jesse Taylor is a phenomenal banjo picker, formerly of Foxtail Grass. If you ever get the chance to pick with him, don’t turn it down. You’ll learn a ton. So…let me chime in on your comments Jesse:

First of all, I have no idea why I used the word “whole” chords in the text previously. I fully meant to say “major”. I never caught my mistake, even in the editing process, so thanks for that. (Admin. note: In case you read the text and can’t figure out what we’re talking about, I already edited the text. The word “whole” was changed to “major”.)

And lastly Jesse: your optimism and advice about not putting up road blocks to beginners is important advice and well taken. However…as a 15+ year teacher of the banjo, I throw in the statement that someone might find the D-form shape hard because in reality, most or all of my students have found the D-form shape hard. I have actually had people quit taking banjo lessons over that chord. I have been able to observe that every single one of my students, BAR NONE, can make the F-form shape much easier than the D-form shape. The D-form shape is one that you definitely have to condition yourself for and work into. If you personally didn’t find it hard then that’s wonderful and I can introduce you to 4 or 5 dozen people who are extremely envious of you…including me! I simply could not make that shape smoothly or quickly for many weeks when I first started.

I think that when people read through my stuff they will find lots of optimism and encouragement, whether it be these blog posts or over on my main websites. I think people can and should do this thing called “banjo”! No doubt about it. If you work at it, you will get it, even if something like the D-form shape is hard. I also think that people value my willingness to give them the straight story on things. I’ll be direct, I’ll alert you to things that people have found tough in the past, but I’ll also give you tips and advice on how to deal with those things. (I even put together a whole lesson on this D-form shape over at http://www.banjosrule.com.)

Thanks for being there and keeping me honest Jesse. I look forward to seeing more comments in the future. Take care and pick ‘em if ya got ‘em!

Banjo Paul

]]> By: Jesse Taylor II http://banjosrule.com/blog/part-1-of-a-5-part-beginner-banjo-series-banjo-chords/comment-page-1/#comment-499 Jesse Taylor II Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:14:52 +0000 http://banjosrule.com/blog/?p=733#comment-499 Just wanted to inject a bit of "clarification" about Part 1 of the 5-part beginner banjo series. First point, when you talk about there being "three ways" to make "whole chords", the three ways you show pertain to the forming of "Major Chords". There are, as well, three seperate finger patterns/Chord patterns for forming "Minor Chords", which are also "whole chords", they're just not Major Chords. Hope I'm not getting too far ahead of you. I assume you'll be moving into Minor Chords in the future. Second point, I disagree with the statement pertaining to a "D-shaped Chord", sometimes called a "Second Position Chord", as being "a tough one". Neither do I believe a beginner will find an "F-shaped Chord", sometimes called a "First Position Chord", to be any easier. Actually, I've always felt it to be "defeatist" for a beginner to think of anything as being "hard" or "difficult". Some efforts may come easier than others, but everything does require effort to perform. Music is a game you play against yourself in your own mind. It's not a contest of you against the instrument. It's a contest about overcoming your own mental blocks. Always remember that. So, don't throw up any extra mental blocks to hinder your progress. Trying not to consider something as being "difficult" or "hard" will go a long way towards helping you overcome any mental obstacles you have about performing any certain procedure. Rather, think in terms of "familiarity". Some things are merely unfamiliar to you. As you become more and more familiar with any certain process, it will become a natural extension of your abilities. Therefore, a D-Position Chord (Second Position) is no more difficult to perform than is an F-Position Chord (First Position) or even a "Barred Chord". It's only different...and different is good...different is progress. -Jesse Just wanted to inject a bit of “clarification” about Part 1 of the 5-part beginner banjo series.
First point, when you talk about there being “three ways” to make “whole chords”, the three ways you show pertain to the forming of “Major Chords”. There are, as well, three seperate finger patterns/Chord patterns for forming “Minor Chords”, which are also “whole chords”, they’re just not Major Chords. Hope I’m not getting too far ahead of you. I assume you’ll be moving into Minor Chords in the future.
Second point, I disagree with the statement pertaining to a “D-shaped Chord”, sometimes called a “Second Position Chord”, as being “a tough one”. Neither do I believe a beginner will find an “F-shaped Chord”, sometimes called a “First Position Chord”, to be any easier.
Actually, I’ve always felt it to be “defeatist” for a beginner to think of anything as being “hard” or “difficult”. Some efforts may come easier than others, but everything does require effort to perform.
Music is a game you play against yourself in your own mind. It’s not a contest of you against the instrument. It’s a contest about overcoming your own mental blocks. Always remember that.
So, don’t throw up any extra mental blocks to hinder your progress. Trying not to consider something as being “difficult” or “hard” will go a long way towards helping you overcome any mental obstacles you have about performing any certain procedure.
Rather, think in terms of “familiarity”. Some things are merely unfamiliar to you. As you become more and more familiar with any certain process, it will become a natural extension of your abilities.
Therefore, a D-Position Chord (Second Position) is no more difficult to perform than is an F-Position Chord (First Position) or even a “Barred Chord”. It’s only different…and different is good…different is progress.
-Jesse

]]> By: Part 2 of a 5 part beginner banjo series: chords | My banjo life http://banjosrule.com/blog/part-1-of-a-5-part-beginner-banjo-series-banjo-chords/comment-page-1/#comment-493 Part 2 of a 5 part beginner banjo series: chords | My banjo life Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:27:33 +0000 http://banjosrule.com/blog/?p=733#comment-493 [...] in Beginner tips, Miscellaneous, Multi-part series Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet Box(Admin note: this is part 2 of a 5 part series on chords. To start at the beginning of the series, click here) [...] [...] in Beginner tips, Miscellaneous, Multi-part series Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet Box(Admin note: this is part 2 of a 5 part series on chords. To start at the beginning of the series, click here) [...]

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