How Do You Play Faster? (Brainjo Bite)

[@ukeingal]

A great and helpful explanation of slower is better . The comparison to a music box works very well. Brainjo channel again 10 / 10 !!!!

[@ClawhammerBanjo]

Thank you Alan!

[@mikefoote2301]

Thank you so very much for clarifying. I have been a fan of Scott Joplin for many years but your explanation of playing faster makes sense to me now. Having learned Scruggs style in m uh beginning stages I always disliked playing fast and getting to the end of a piece first. Got see discouraged I put my Banjo away for some. 40 years until I watched Rhianna Gibbans (probably misspelled her name) at the Mark Twain comedy awards show for Bill Murray deciding to dust off and regenerate my interest to play again. Then came across Brainjo, and the Heavens opened. I still have a problem with frailing but love 2-finger thumb and will be signing up go your course shortly. My age is 83 and have your first booklet of songs, example to include "My Grandfathers Clock" . My new Banjo is on its way so will work with you and your lessons. Thank you so much. God Bless you and yours.

[@dannytriplett8625]

What a great video. This concept makes total sense to me.You are a wonderful teacher.

[@PanosK777]

Man, I love your energy! Your videos put a smile on my face! If only you specialized in Bluegrass... We really need a channel like yours!

[@DanDDirges]

I know this is a little off topic but I just feel people need to slow down and leave negative space and then speed it up and then slow it back down rather than going a hundred miles an hour all the time. I think that part of the bluegrass style turned some off to the banjo honestly. I like the mellower more soulful old time styles. But its all subjective. I sure enjoy these brain bite videos and learn a lot. Fascinating how God designed our brains.

[@DanDDirges]

...Glad you spoke of what I commented about btw.

[@richh1576]

I increased my clawhammer-ish speed by employing controlled arpeggioed triplets/doublets, etc. (~2-3X 'faster'); various types of pull offs; plus, abandoning the bumpity strum (too mechanically TIME consuming) and substituting with strictly 'melodic' technique. But, I prefer celtic (usually in A or D; thus, using the 'faster' 'double C tuning for less finger 'stretch') music which is played 'mostly' above the 5th position (fret) for economy of left hand movement. .... all accumulated over the past 70 years; and STILL learning, I now play 3 finger and 'tenor banjo' sounds etc., just as fast with a melodic clawhammer-ish technique (actually a downpicking two-finger technique) ... that includes ALL 'voices' - 1. lead, 2. second fiddle and 3. base ... imitating BANDS ... simultaneously and across all 5 strings for that celtic 'full house sound effect' at up to 120+ bpm. (let your EAR be the controlling factor). In my personal "above the 5th position (5th fret) technique", the SECOND string becomes the typical LEAD string!!!! Indeed, learning 'patterns' - so they become **'instinctive'** is 'key' for 'ear - hand' coordination across THE CHORD patterns; and then, varying 'the 3 voices' of the tune.

[@muttandjeff5213]

Thank you! This video was very helpful.

[@leeperkins6443]

Should a goal of 'playing fast' or maybe just better be to not be 'mentally reciting' the notes as they are played? It almost seems, on rare occasions, if I can play without 'reciting' the notes mentally (and just let them happen) the playing can be faster and smoother.

[@lynnvogel7316]

Very well done!

[@radioactivedonut3634]

I love this channel! 🥰❤

[@drytwinkieboy]

I'm enjoying the Breakthrough Banjo course and have been plucking away for several months. In Core Module 1 you set as the primary goal the ability to play the songs at any tempo, but with good timing and rhythm, and that's what I've been doing. However, you also say that ideally we should try to get to where we can play the songs at performance speed. I've been hesitant to move on because performance speed seems way out of reach. I can play the level 2 songs I've learned at 60 -70 bpm, but I can't even begin to keep up with performance speed. Should I just keep progressing through the modules at the lower tempos, or is there an advantage to staying with the same songs and playing them enough that I can achieve performance speed? Thanks, Josh!

[@ClawhammerBanjo]

Thanks, John! Yes, the goal is to be able to play them with good timing and rhythm at any tempo, and then move on. The idea is for you to continue to revisit them as your skills grow and improve, and work towards getting to performance tempo.

[@timbis9945]

Don’t you need both knowing the music well, but also the physical endurance and dexterity? Shouldn’t I work on endurance and dexterity AS WELL as knowing the music well? Like just working my right hand with rolls or triplets? Doesn’t having rolls as part of your vocabulary also a type of “chunking”? I’ve been playing the banjo for 10 years, I know the songs I play VERY WELL, yet I still have “speed wall”. Using your example….. I would say playing banjo IS like talking like an auctioneer. 😁 most of us can speak fluently but we don’t all try to speak like an auctioneer and if we do we stumble. Just like playing a banjo at 90-100 bmp is comfortable but 120-130 is out of control. I agree that there are tons of song that don’t need speed, but as you said there ARE some songs in the banjo bluegrass world that are just barn burners. How is a person to develop the endurance and dexterity needed for the “barn burner”? Athletes don’t get faster or stronger without push their envelope. Shouldn’t I use exercise that push my envelope? Thanks again for all your hard work your videos are a wealth of knowledge!

[@pelotasdad]

beans of low thermal mass! neuro ftw!