7 Years of Banjo Progress in 7 Minutes

If you get anything out of this video, it's that you should record yourself with any skill you may be doing. Sometimes it helps to get a tangible reference point to see how far we've come.
Thank ya'll for watching,
Tyler
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:00 6 Months
2:07 1 Year
2:55 2 Years
3:42 2 Years 5 Months
4:31 3.5 Years
4:56 4 Years
5:04 5 Years
5:32 6 Years
5:57 My First Overhand Practice
6:04 First full tune I learned in Overhand
6:08 The Birth of this Channel

[@Tdeaux15]

Thanks a lot for sharing this. It really motivates me to keep at it. I've only been playing for a year and a few months, and hearing your progress at years 2 and 4 are just wow. It somehow keeps getting better. Telling myself that learning an instrument is a lifelong journey has helped keep me focused on just making baby steps every day.

[@tylerjgifford]

Keep at it, brother, and thank you for the kind words! I'm so glad to hear this motivates you. Always remember, only compare yourself to your own ability. Comparing to others is a recipe for disaster. It is a lifelong process, and I continue to learn things every day!

[@stanleystyle1119]

man that smile your grandpa gives you when you start getting it, is what its all about.

[@tylerjgifford]

It is, brother! Thank you for your kind words and for tuning in.

[@BanjoBasement]

Endlessly beguiling isn't it? Banjos just rock! Here's to the next 7, cheers Tyler...

[@tylerjgifford]

Cheers, friend, they certainly do! Thank you for stopping by.

[@fullshark09]

Wholesome stuff there. Ralph and Earl are the pinnacle of banjo sound that connects best with any crowd and drags out the potential of the instrument. Glad you took the path that made the instrument famous instead of what a corny snob with a 6.000 dollar banjo will tell you to play.

[@tylerjgifford]

Thanks, friend. When it comes to Bluegrass, I love the sound both Earl and Ralph get.

[@rhasaghoull]

I love this. The joy on your grandpa's face says it all man. So happy for you that he spent the time with ya. Inspires me to continue to be the best pop pop I can be to the Gbs!

[@tylerjgifford]

Thank you greatly! That's very kind. I'm sure you're the best pop pop in the world in their eyes!

[@Yallquietendown]

That’s so wholesome with Pap at the beginning what a precious memory ! . I liked your classical phase too it’s good to stretch yourself and see what you can do/. And of course my favorite is the Stanley phase 🙏🏻

[@tylerjgifford]

Yes, without Pap I wouldn't even know what a banjo is! I'll get him on here soon.

[@bnslik9083]

This was a great video, Tyler!!!

[@tylerjgifford]

Thank you my friend and thanks for joining me through the journey 🙏 can't wait to see how your banjo build turns out

[@KHbanjo]

This is so cool, man! I really love that Ralph Stanley stuff. Your traditional style has been coming along so well too.

[@tylerjgifford]

Thanks, Kyle! That means a ton coming from you, brother. You're insanely talented. Thanks for the kind words!

[@RandySchartiger]

hey buddy enjoyed your video and the progress you made! I'm just an old guy who played banjo for 30 years until focal dystonia took the ability away from me. now (34 years later I picked the banjo back up! using fingertipless gloves as so many had recommended me and after 2 years and 4 months of practicing every day it's FINALLY coming back! I think I only have like 3 or 4 videos on my channel of me on banjo before my hands stopped working, but rest assure there will be more added, just as soon as I get a little better! thanks for sharing your journey, keep on keeping on! :)

[@tylerjgifford]

This warms my heart dude. So glad you were able to start back up again. I've subbed to ya! Thanks for stopping by!

[@bryant071]

Great video brother!!

[@tylerjgifford]

Thank you brother 🙏

[@tomallison5029]

After hearing you play the OB300 with the bronze tone ring, and then right afterward with the archtop tone ring...I don't really have any desire to change it to an archtop. I still want an archtop, but between the two I think the OB300 sounds a lot better with the original tone ring. Your Stanleytone has the best archtop sound. Thanks for this great video.

[@tylerjgifford]

Thanks for the comment! Glad I can save someone else the headache of changing tone rings.

[@Kodama666]

it is interesting to see your experience learning because you seem to have had a completely different starting experience than me in the sense that at least seemingly you had a decent amount of structure around your development of this skill, and you were trying to find your way out of that structure to find your own sound but my journey has started with no structure at all and only the freedom to find my own sound, but rather than just exploring that i often find myself wishing/seeking that structure

[@Kodama666]

its also interesting to me to see how many people in the banjo world came in a world of Tennessee bluegrass or appalachian folk when to me & my original inspiration to play this amazing instrument was like "folk punk" almost. Spitshine, and their banjo player/singer Nicholas Ridout has a style completely unique to his own that i one day hope to incorporate and even the bluegrass i did find along the way wasnt the standard stuff, tell yah what though first time i heard greensky bluegrass' cover of Time, that blew me out of the water and changed how i see music in general

[@tylerjgifford]

Thanks for the wonderful comment, I love to hear how others became interested and pursued learning the banjo. A good buddy of mine shared Spitshine and in particular Nicholas Ridout with me. Good stuff there, so I can see why that would interest folks into learning to play.

[@JustARandomGuy808]

2017 was 7 years ago jeez feels like yesterday

[@tylerjgifford]

I know! Talk about a time warp. Thanks for watching.

[@ethang6735]

Dang dude how much do you practice a day!? You improved so quickly! Im just starting my official banjo journey... as in my first actual lesson will hopefully be wednesday lol. Ive owned the banjo for years and messed around with it, but never did anything formal. Gonna learn clawhammer first, but hopefully I will learn bluegrass after a few years. Great playin!

[@tylerjgifford]

Firstly, congrats on starting your journey! The world needs more banjo. It's hard to say how much I practiced and still practice a day, but I generally did and do play every day. Even if I don't have a banjo on me I'm rolling my fingers or clawhammering my hip 😂. Good luck at your lessons, and don't give up!

[@ethang6735]

@@tylerjgifford Thanks! I wont give up, im just exited to finally have some guidance, so that I know what to work on and be practicing. Thanks for the reply : )

[@tylerjgifford]

Of course, thanks for your comment and for watching! It's an exciting thing, and between your lessons and the great stuff on here you'll have plenty of guidance!

[@Z-Ack]

You shoulda showed more of your end result picking.. but every instrument takes a lot of practice, love of the instrument, love of the type of music, good buddies who play around the same styles or genre and takes a lot of pain and frustration when you have to overcome those hurdles of learning or getting past a slump of monotony to rekindle your love of the music and instrument.. otherwise youll end up putting it down for a “break” and thats when your progress goes backwards and you start focusing on different crap in life, eventually finding yourself suddenly thinking youve not touched the thing in years and likely wont get any better than you were long ago.. keep at it and make pops proud..

[@tylerjgifford]

Thank you so much for the comment. You are right on the money! At the time, I didn't include any extra footage at the end because I've got a little repertoire built up on the channel folks can look through. In hindsight, it would've been a better idea, I think. Thanks again.

[@christianpatte5045]

😊 you are a banjoman youwas born for playerbanjo

[@tylerjgifford]

You are too kind, thank you 🙏

[@Yallquietendown]

Does Pap like Ralph too ??

[@tylerjgifford]

He sure does! His favorite group is probably The Country Gentlemen though. He likes em all!