The first day was amazing

I am attending the Advanced Banjo Camp taught by Dr. Banjo, Peter Wernick, in Boulder Colorado from Jan. 18 through Jan. 23, 2009. I thought it might be fun to report from the camp nightly to give you my thoughts on the event. To start at the beginning of the series, click this link: beginning of the series

The focus is on excellence

So, my first day is behind me, and what a day it’s been. I finally got to meet Dr. Banjo, Peter Wernick, and I enjoyed getting to do so. We had our first full day of class, and I must say I’m quite impressed. I’m both exhilerated at the chance to broaden my thinking & possibly come out a better picker (that part depends on me) and I’m also a bit overwhelmed and acutely aware of my own weaknesses as a picker thanks to being around this professional banjo player. Of course, my weaknesses as a picker are what caused me to look forward to getting to attend this camp, and I’ve made no bones about admitting to myself that it’s time that I progress. You’ve seen me blog before about how difficult it is to pinpoint what makes Jimmy Mills or Peter Wernick better than me, yet they are. I play at a sufficiently high level, but it’s just that: sufficient. In my years of picking I’ve been able to rub shoulders with some very prominent pickers and I’ve seen the “brass ring” that I hope to attain as a picker. I’ve also been able to see what I am not as a picker. One of Peter’s skills is being able to help you see what it is that makes the pro pickers better than me. It’s humbling but at the same time exactly what I need. I hope to progress and this is a great next step to be taking.

My eyes have really been opened to a higher realm of thinking about my playing thanks to Peter sitting down and giving each of us a listen as we played, then critiquing us. I was given a few major pointers about my playing that at first read will seem simple enough, but that are going to be hard to come to grips with without effort and time. Peter pointed out that he hears extraneous “pick noise” when I play, and he also admitted that there isn’t a clear answer on avoiding it other than a concerted effort on my part to reduce it by becoming so unsatisfied about it being there that I change angles of attack or picking style or pick pressure or just whatever it takes to correct it. Being aware of it seems to be the biggest weapon. I’ve also got issues with not having good clear note separation, and not focusing on enough melody in some of my leads. Peter gave a great example of how task master J.D. Crowe leads his bands and his pickers and what he teaches them about melody. Something for me to focus on for sure. Also important for all of us, not just me, is the idea of making sure beat 1 is very well represented as we play. There were so many other things, both esoteric and concrete, that Peter taught us to focus on, and I’m going to have a ton to think about. And that’s only after day 1!! Imagine what I’ll walk away with after 6 days of this.

Peter knows Scruggs. Both literally and figuratively.

One of the things that I appreciate about Peter after getting to hear him talk and instruct for a whole day is his knowledge of Earl Scruggs. Peter knows the man personally and is on a first name basis with Earl. But, Peter also knows Scruggs…knows how he did this lick or that roll or what he did at this recording session or what Earl thinks of this player or this technique or that style, etc. etc.

Click me! Click me!

Along with knowing Earl comes a huge respect for the man that started it all. This respect leads Peter to a simple philosophy: if it was good enough for Earl, then it’s good enough for us. We all have little ways of tweaking this roll or that technique and changing things around, but sometimes it comes at the detriment of the roll or technique. Peter says that if Earl did it this way or that way, who is he to change it? But that’s not to say Peter isn’t creative or that he just blindly does this or that…he defers to the master when necessary and advises us to just be careful and mindful of our predecessor when we are doing things.

Along with the respect for how Earl did it comes a deep and abiding knowledge of how the banjo is supposed to sound. More than once Peter said to me and others in the class “you played that good. You are solid and you clearly have some abilities. But, consider this…” and he would roll off the same thing we just played the way it was supposed to be played, or in a way that helps us to achieve the effect that we were looking for. Sometimes without us even realizing we were looking for it. I personally have built up an entire technique and a “touch” with my right hand that Peter has made me acutely aware of as something that might need to be changed. I’m not necessarily making the banjo sound like the banjo. Peter used J.D.’s style as an example to show me for illustrating his point, and J.D. is one of my favorites for sure. I see what Peter tried to show me but it’s going to be hard to adopt what I was shown.

More to come…

So those are my first impressions of advanced banjo camp. The finesse and  the touch and the technique and the thinking that I want to and need to adopt aren’t going to come easy. 2010 has to be the year that I finally move into another realm of picking. The current state of affairs has gone on too long, more than 5 years, and it’s time to break out of the shell and move forward. Time will tell if I can adapt and change, but one thing is for sure: I will be receiving the information and the instruction that I need to make a difference in my playing this week at Peter Wernick’s Advanced Banjo Camp. Catch ya tomorrow.

Update: the next blog post about day #2 is loaded. To go straight to this post, click this link: banjo camp, day #2

Banjo Paul
“Wunse, I coodn’t even spel bango pikker…now I are one!”
www.banjosrule.com (main site)
www.mybanjolife.com (blog)
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Tagged as: 12 kinds of awesome, Banjo, Banjo lesson, Instructional series, Learning, Miscellaneous, Peter Wernick, tons 'o fun