Welcome!
Here are a few lesson tips for you.
How often should I practice and for how long?
As much as you can stand would be the best answer, I suppose. There is a point sometime during a practice session where you stop moving forward mentally as you get tired. However, if you can stand it, that would be a good point to do some mindless exercising in order to build up your muscle memory. If you can play without tab, you will think of lots of things to practice after you get tired of sitting in front of a book and concentrating on tablature.
The answers to these questions of how often and how long are often left up to the student. You have to find what works best for you. For some, it may be a five-hour Saturday session once a week. For others, it may be 20 minutes each morning. You should practice as much as you can for as long as you can and find what works best for your schedule and what is most productive. Determination and desire are the intangibles in setting practice time. If it’s fun, look out; if it’s chore, you’ll find the door. For those of you looking for a specific recommendation, I recommend practicing every day and at the time when you are most alert and focused.
Metronome
When using the metronome, learn to count with it and tap out the beats of the music with a pencil without playing the banjo for a good long time till you so to speak, lock in. You could try tapping your foot and counting along with the metronome as well without playing.
Also, when using the metronome while practicing, try to count with the metronome to 8 and then begin playing, for instance;
1234, 2234, then begin.
I have new DVD that covers the metronome for about 10 minutes that may help too. The metronome can be difficult but it is your greatest ally in the quest for good banjo playing!
Good Luck!
Don't stare at the music, play without tablature at least 40% of the time.
Recovering from Mistakes
Turning a mistake into an opportunity in banjo playing, and life, is something we should all be good at. Lord knows humans make plenty of mistakes. Keeping your rhythm, not pausing, or saying “oh ####” is probably the surest way to cover mistakes. For Instance, listeners will hear a rhythm mistake long before hearing the difference between hitting the second string open and the second string fretted at the first fret. Keep your rhythm and roll going and your place in the song, and you’ll be surprised by the results, including your ability to improvise.
New! Free Banjo Lesson Videos
Free Monthly Banjo Tab and Banjo Lesson Videos when you join the mailing list at BanjoTeacher.com. I send one mailing each month that includes the lessons, new signups get a free banjo E-Book too.
Click here for BanjoTeacher.com free lessons
Join the mailing list and get a free Ross Nickerson E-Book and monthly free video banjo lessons.
Here are a few lesson tips for you.
How often should I practice and for how long?
As much as you can stand would be the best answer, I suppose. There is a point sometime during a practice session where you stop moving forward mentally as you get tired. However, if you can stand it, that would be a good point to do some mindless exercising in order to build up your muscle memory. If you can play without tab, you will think of lots of things to practice after you get tired of sitting in front of a book and concentrating on tablature.
The answers to these questions of how often and how long are often left up to the student. You have to find what works best for you. For some, it may be a five-hour Saturday session once a week. For others, it may be 20 minutes each morning. You should practice as much as you can for as long as you can and find what works best for your schedule and what is most productive. Determination and desire are the intangibles in setting practice time. If it’s fun, look out; if it’s chore, you’ll find the door. For those of you looking for a specific recommendation, I recommend practicing every day and at the time when you are most alert and focused.
Metronome
When using the metronome, learn to count with it and tap out the beats of the music with a pencil without playing the banjo for a good long time till you so to speak, lock in. You could try tapping your foot and counting along with the metronome as well without playing.
Also, when using the metronome while practicing, try to count with the metronome to 8 and then begin playing, for instance;
1234, 2234, then begin.
I have new DVD that covers the metronome for about 10 minutes that may help too. The metronome can be difficult but it is your greatest ally in the quest for good banjo playing!
Good Luck!
Don't stare at the music, play without tablature at least 40% of the time.
Recovering from Mistakes
Turning a mistake into an opportunity in banjo playing, and life, is something we should all be good at. Lord knows humans make plenty of mistakes. Keeping your rhythm, not pausing, or saying “oh ####” is probably the surest way to cover mistakes. For Instance, listeners will hear a rhythm mistake long before hearing the difference between hitting the second string open and the second string fretted at the first fret. Keep your rhythm and roll going and your place in the song, and you’ll be surprised by the results, including your ability to improvise.
New! Free Banjo Lesson Videos
Free Monthly Banjo Tab and Banjo Lesson Videos when you join the mailing list at BanjoTeacher.com. I send one mailing each month that includes the lessons, new signups get a free banjo E-Book too.
Click here for BanjoTeacher.com free lessons
Join the mailing list and get a free Ross Nickerson E-Book and monthly free video banjo lessons.
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Mailing List members get a free video each month. Students who join the Banjoteacher.com Members only site get access to all the past free video lessons, songs of the month, more tabs, member discounts and the other benefits. |
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I hope the lessons help your banjo playing!!Ross Nickerson
New Video!
Ross Nickerson performing a Patriotic Medley at the Bay Area Bluegrass Association Concert, Houston, Texas-4-2003
Patriotic Medley
Here are two brand new cuts from the Advanced Songs chapter in the upcoming Mel Bay Book by Ross Nickerson,
The Banjo Encyclopedia
John Henry
Train 45
See a video of Ross Nickerson performing El Cumbanchero at The Maryland Banjo Academy 2002
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Here is a link to the tablature page if you would like more tab or need to download the demo version of the tablature program used, tabledit.
Tablature Page.
There are twelve other song arrangements similar to this one in in The Banjo Songbook By Ross Nickerson.
Here is a link to the Songbook page
Transkriber software for slowing down banjo licks now available and on sale. Click here for more info
Performance Videos by Ross NickersonHere are some of the titles, Cherokee Shuffle, Reuben's Train, Wildwood Flower, I'll Fly Away, Cripple Creek, El Cumbanchero, Patriotic Medley, Wildwood Flower, Red Wing, Dueling Banjo's
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Ross Nickerson Performance Videos include:Cherokee Shuffle, Reuben's Train, Wildwood Flower, I'll Fly Away, Cripple Creek, El Cumbanchero, Patriotic Medley, Wildwood Flower, Red Wing, Dueling Banjo's and much more
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