new to banjo playing

hi my name is stan. im only a week new to a bango but ive got 30 years or better playing all kinds of guitar. looking forward to getting all kinds of good help here. i already learned all banjo player are good people.
stan - philly

Howdy stan! I'm Josh, I play banjo in bluegrass gospel group called the river bottom rhythm band. I play guitar a little as well, fingerstyle.

I've only been playing banjo for a few months but if theres anything you need help with, feel free to ask and I'll see if I can help.

Hey Josh. Ain't you HillbillyJ??

Hey Stan! I know you'll have fun on the road of learning the banjo! I'm sure someone will be able to help you with any questions you have! Are you interested in clawhammer of Scruggs style?

YES! I'm HillbillyJ! The J stands for Josh, du! LOL.

I approve this message.

Well, I thought so! LOL

hi joshua, thanks i know im going to need all the help i can get. right now im working on rolls and getting the chords down. i playing the first song in my book and i figuringonce i get the basics down ill start lessons. i have a luthier friend who ive been going to with my guitars and he said he could hook me up with a guy he knows that teaches the banjo. i cant wait till i got about a year under my belt. seems like just about all my waking moments i got some banjo tune going through my mind lol
thanks again i'll keep ya posted.
i think this form is going to get real cool
stan

Which book do you have? I have the "Earl Scruggs And The Five String Banjo" book, I would recommend it to anyone! It teachs you rolls, chords, fill-in licks, a cool bio of Earl, all kinds of tabs (including Earl's Breakdown, Flint Hill Special, Dear Ol Dixie, all kinds of songs from the foggy mountain banjo album, and much more!), a history of the five string, even how to make your own Scruggs tuners, and how to bulit your own banjo (although the last two really aren't nessesary, they are still cool).

The tabs were transcribed by one or two people (one being a banjo instructor) from the actual recordings, they are accurate to the deadened string!

If you don't have that book, you might wanna get it, even if you already have another'n, there is stuff in Earl's book that you may never learn anywhere else!

thanks joshua,
i brought my banjo from the banjo hut . its a morgan momroe MGB - 1c. and they sent me janet davis's teach yourself the banjo book. i'll definitely look into earl scruggs book also.
i had light gauge strings and a emerson bridge put on and it sounds really good. theres a bubby of mine who is a luthier in my town and he put the strings and bridge on and said the banjo is a good deal i got. i cant wait till i get a year under my belt with this banjo it just sounds so good. already my rolls are getting better. i even care picks in my pocket just to put them on and pick when im walking the track at the local high school and even driving. i dont know , does that sound crazy lol
stan

No, not crazy. Its good to see some else who loves this underated instrument and playing it as much as I do. I don't carry picks with me, but sometimes I'm doing a roll or part of a song with my fingers when I'm sitting or walking, AIR BANJO! LOL. Seriously.

Man, you have a morgan monroe?! Is this the one: http://thebanjohut.com/morgan_monroe_banjo_mgb_1_froste.htm

If so, it looks like you got yourself a goodin!

thats the one but with the clear head

I used to have a clear head on my banjo. It was a bit too bright and tinny for my taste so I went for a frosted Remo.

hi carter,
you know im thinking the same thing. can i change it to a frosted head as long as its an 11 inch head?
stan

If your current head now is an 11 inch, changing to a frosted 11 inch will do fine, frosted and clear go by the same measurement. Make sure if you get one to specify medium or high crown head. If you have a flathead banjo, a medium OR high crown will do fine. If you plan on really crankin it, go with a medium so you don't bottom out the neck cavity.

hey guys,
after a nasty bout with sun poisoning from riding my bike to the shore with my helmet off i'm back pickin. i cant seem to pick up speed on rolls without my fingers getting crazy. i start with a forward roll and after about 30 seconds im doing a backwards roll and that seems to happen when im trying to pick up speed. i sure hope that the picking thing use falls into place.
stan

I think anybody will say this, just take it slow and let it become 2nd nature. Speed will come naturally eventually.

I think anybody will say this, just take it slow and let it become 2nd nature. Speed will come naturally eventually.

Ah, My backward rolls used to be faster than my forwards as well, I can't remember though if that exact thing happened to me, but still.

Trust me, I used to get real discouraged, now I'm in a band! Don't worry, If you practice, it will come.

im at the point now where my picking has gotten alittle better and i can get to lot of chords up the neck. after next week i start lessons which im hoping will get me along.
stan

It's good you're getting better at your rolls and up neck chords. They will be useful for soloing!

ikon wrote:

im at the point now where my picking has gotten alittle better and i can get to lot of chords up the neck. after next week i start lessons which im hoping will get me along.
stan

I can remember when I first started pickin'. I played nearly 9 hours a day for over a year with very little time off. My parents loved it and I was young and they were supportive. When the Scruggs book said "practice this roll 1,000,000 times", I think I did! Keep up the practicing and enjoy every moment.

Practicing is by far the funnest part of learning. Without it, you couldn't learn!

Good job it's fun!

practing is a big big part. i get about 1 to 2 hours in a day.
i'm seeing that when im into it after the first fifteen minutes my fingers start doing what i want them to do as far as nailing chords and picking. alot of the time after im finished ill be like man that didnt sound that bad.
does everyone find themselfs playing some lick in their heads morning till night? i listen to alot of banjo cds. i .m also starting to recogonize different artist styles like fairchild and reno. man that fairchild is fast.


stan

I'm constantly replaying licks over and over in my head!