After 473 hours of Banjo - This Thing Happens All the Time

Sooo close to 500 hours I can taste it. In today's episode, something happens to me on camera that happens to me all the time in practice. Watch to find out what went down.
Mike Hedding- "Wayfaring Stranger"
• Wayfaring Stranger | I...
My instructor:
Mike Leatherman
www.morganhillmusiclessons.com/

[@stvnnmnn]

You started to do something I haven't seen you do before on the second time through of Will the Circle, and it is really important to keep doing it. You were moving your head and body to the rhythm of the metronome and I found myself feeling it too.

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

That's crazy...I had to go back and re-watch the video. You're absolutely right. I had no idea I was doing that.

[@stvnnmnn]

@@2000HoursofBanjo Getting over 150 on a song you have been playing over and over and over is a great feeling. You are making decent progress! Pretty soon your be dazzling us with 200+ :)

[@loganlobdell1955]

Awesome pickin', man!!! Keep it up. Btw playing slow creates control and control creates speed, but we do need to push our limits. God bless!

[@sillywwabbit]

You are making great progress. I stumbled upon one of your earlier videos and I can clearly see the steady improvement. I also appreciate the honesty about the challenges you have/are experiencing and I think we can all relate. I'm curious if you are taking in-person lessons or online. Keep it up!

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

Thanks for checking back with the channel. I appreciate your comment. An honest portrayal of the learning process is what I am trying to present. I do take private lessons. I take one lesson per week. I started out with half-hour sessions but have bumped it up to one-hour sessions in the past few months, and I may keep it that way for a while because I think it is helping. Are you learning an instrument?

[@sillywwabbit]

@@2000HoursofBanjo The most recent Instrument I learned was the cello. I was driven and was able to get to the point where I was able to play Bach Cello suites by the third month...of course I was practicing about 3 hrs per day. I do have an advantage in that I can read music, and play a number of other instruments as well. I also have a pretty good ear as I have sung in a few acapella quartets and ensembles. I am considering trying to learn the banjo so I was doing some research when I found your channel and was encouraged by your progress.

[@dsclaud]

Inspired by your last video, I've just started learning Foggy Mountain Breakdown. I use a pure foggy mountail roll at the beginning. I basically hit the 1st string also after the first hammer-on. I find it easier and smoother, but I do like Eli's version that you're playing. I'm really struggling with that g-lick though. You transition to it perfectly after the E minor. Great job! I'll get there, just give me a couple of weeks.

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

That's awesome. Keep it up!

[@bdixon1]

keep going man! I started 4 years ago, and you have already caught up to me. Love this channel

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

Thanks. I really appreciate it!

[@hellodomo8003]

You're getting faster for sure and Cripple Creek sounds beautiful! Everyone always says "fast will come naturally with time" and I think I'm finally starting to understand what they mean: When I do my warm ups (rolls or short 1 line songs) with a metronome, I have noticed that I involuntarily start to play a little faster than the metronome once I get more familiar with what I'm playing. Brain fart city for me, too. The weird thing is I can memorize a song as long as my sheet music is a few feet away from me (just in case I need to look at it), but as soon as the sheet music is out of reach of where I'm playing, I'm lucky when I can remember the first few notes of the song! What the heck is that about?! I think I create mind games with myself sometimes. You're doing really great and your speed is definitely noticeable - sometimes it takes a second set of ears to hear and notice progress. Lately, all I've been noticing is my own mistakes, and not being thankful for how much I've learned so far.

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

I love the frank honesty of your comment. Learning something new is not a clean process. It's messy and full of setbacks and hurdles, but ultimately very rewarding. That is so weird. It sounds like your sheet music is acting as some sort of security blanket, yet it's holding you back. It reminds me of the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," where Bruce Wayne couldn't successfully climb out of the pit until he forwent the safety of the rope. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2bdlaB3bK2Gpacsi=XtxM1MKm219yk4Wa

[@hellodomo8003]

@@2000HoursofBanjo This response was awesome and that scene is great! My practice session today will be focused on just that: working on ditching my security blanket! Thanks so much for your input!

[@stevesheroan4131]

Now, try to play it as fast as possible (with the metronome) where you can still play about 75% of it correctly. Do this a few times to find where you get locked ip. Play through the problem areas as best you can and note where they are, then go back and focus just on those areas with a couple bars before and after.

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

That's a good training strategy. I will give that a try.