Several people have asked me to make some videos for beginners, so I guess I will. I’ll start with the very basics, like how I hold the banjo and how I tune it. I’ll also cover how I approach the basic clawhammer stroke.
A bit of a caveat: I’ll assume that beginners plan to play all sorts of music, so I won’t focus exclusively on what’s considered correct in the old-time community. I’ll just show what has worked for me.
Are any beginners reading this? If so, what do you want to see that isn’t already covered by other YouTube videos? Please leave a comment.
I’d call myself a beginner. I think most of your stuff is way out of my reach without really sitting down and spending a lot of time with it.
I’ve been going through the Ken Perlman video and that’s pretty good. It’s bite-size and progresses in difficulty and introduces different techniques slowly and gradually, but is still easy to skip around in if I want to learn a specific tune. It’s great.
I’ve also been reading a bit of the How and Tao of Old Time Banjo (I think that’s what it’s called). It’s not a very good book but it does cover a lot of stuff. It’s very messy and scattered, but mostly I have been trying to find blues and ragtime banjo stuff and it’s nearly impossible (recordings, sure; books/videos, there’s basically two).
As far as what I would like to see, really just simple stuff. I’d love to see simple introductions of different styles and how they very from the standard bum-ditty. Maybe some up-picking, various uses of drop thumb, which I’m still trying to ‘get’, especially versions of songs with and without the drop thumb.
I am a lower-intermediate clawhammer player looking to expand. I know OF many advanced skills, but cannot yet apply them with speed and accuracy. My goal is to learn to play some polkas and a few relatively simple jazzy songs. My suggestion if you do things for those of us who are not very skilled, be sure to slowly enough that we can really see what you’re doing. Thanks! PS My cousin Deb looks just like you – it’s uncanny. She’s a creative one, too – owns and runs a butterfly farm in California.
Thanks for your comments. I should clarify that this isn’t a change of direction for me. I’m thinking of doing just a handful of “basics” videos, keeping my main focus on offering musicality tips for intermediate and advanced clawhammer players.
I’ve put drop thumb on the list, since many people seem to have questions about it. And I’m pleased to know that I have a double in California who runs a butterfly farm. I used to think I wanted to run a donkey farm.
Hi cathy
can you always be sure to tell us your tuning—you do mostly but not always! I always presume that it is always a downstroke and never up? Is that right? I like it too if you play through slowly a couple of times and then normal speed! That is so helpful! Also your demo of with and without syncopation is great too!
Brilliant stuff—thanks
Bill
Perhaps you could focus on how a beginner can break down an old-time tune and put a new spin on it. Show us how to isolate the melody and what notes need to stay and what we can throw away. I know you cover some of that in your beyond bum-ditty videos, but sometimes it’s just a little beyond my abilities. As a n00b I don’t quite understand the basics of deconstructing a song.
Bill and Viper, thanks for your suggestions. I think they’ll be helpful for a lot of players, not just the newer ones.
Bill, you’re right, I play melody using a downstroke. I very occasionally strum up, but when I do it clearly sounds like a strum and it’s not on a main melody note.
Hi Cathy
I’m just begining the banjo and have been watching your videos. I am amazed at how someone can get to play at your level. I know, I know you’ll say parctice, practice!
I was wondering if you could look back when you first started with the banjo and show us what exercises, routines or workouts you think helped you the most to develop as a banjo player. Thanx.
Hi Cathy
I love your fresh aproach
What I would like to see is you going through the literature on beginner tuition – tweaking it to reflect the insights you have found; furnish examples in really easy, familiar and beuatiful tunes.
Further you should write this stuff and then back it up with videos.
My only regret is that there isn’t already a Cathy Moore book and DVD on Amazon…