After a very unsatisfying hour of pickin' yesterday, today I remembered to trim my fingernails so that I can play actual chords that sound right. "Good Night Ladies" is coming along, and now I'm switching that out with the forward roll exercise of "Roving Gambler" to encourage me to work out the kinks so I can move on. There's an additional exercise online for the alternating thumb roll, which is a different version of "Roving Gambler" but I haven't bothered to print it out yet. One of these days I'll remember.
Then my friend Leah showed me the Jefferson Starship song "The Baby Tree," so there's another tune I'll have to track down tab for. And on my way home from the post office today it occurred to me that The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets song "Cultists on Board" is really begging for a bluegrass treatment.
I have pictures of my crocheted strap now too, although the detail pictures I had Mark take are too blurry (thanks to a certain Gaz's grimy fingerprints) to bother posting. I even wrote down the pattern, but it's all the way over there and I want to go to sleep.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
twang and crochet
Practice is going well, and you can peep a picture of me in "The Shed" (aka The Library) playing a jaunty tune. Whee! I have to sit in that awkward position because it turns out that resting the pot against my still-lactating breast will lead to plugged ducts (and thereby, an infection). Still, I am undeterred. My fingertips are toughening up, and "Good Night Ladies" actually sounds like it should, albeit with some frustrating chord-change hiccups.
It's coming along so well, I moved up to "Roving Gambler" for a little while, which uses a whole 'nother sort of roll.* I already practiced once today, but I may try to work in another half hour in a bit. I'm seriously tempted by "Gun Street Girl" which is only a two-chord song. I only know one of the chords, of course, and the other looks impossible (am I the only one who can't span three frets between my ring and pinkie fingers?), but it's such a nice unstructured song I just want to pick until I figure out the leisurely hand it employs. It also helps that this is one of the songs in my Indiana collection. I am most nostalgic for the state of my birth when I am experiencing it in song form.
I am also crocheting a strap for Sea Monkey, based loosely on a cradle strap. I've got the shoulder pad part done, and now I just need to crochet up a really, really long narrow strap that can go all the way around me and the banjo. It took two days for the shoulder strap, which was about 3" x 24" and now my hands are pretty well angry at me. Again. So while I really want to have a strap that is comfortable and attaches properly to SM, I probably need a day off. Especially since hands are useful for other things. Like, you know, everything.
And miracle of miracles, Gaz insisted on an early bedtime. It's like I hit the lottery.
* That would be the forward roll. Not a kaiser roll. Not an onion roll either.
It's coming along so well, I moved up to "Roving Gambler" for a little while, which uses a whole 'nother sort of roll.* I already practiced once today, but I may try to work in another half hour in a bit. I'm seriously tempted by "Gun Street Girl" which is only a two-chord song. I only know one of the chords, of course, and the other looks impossible (am I the only one who can't span three frets between my ring and pinkie fingers?), but it's such a nice unstructured song I just want to pick until I figure out the leisurely hand it employs. It also helps that this is one of the songs in my Indiana collection. I am most nostalgic for the state of my birth when I am experiencing it in song form.
I am also crocheting a strap for Sea Monkey, based loosely on a cradle strap. I've got the shoulder pad part done, and now I just need to crochet up a really, really long narrow strap that can go all the way around me and the banjo. It took two days for the shoulder strap, which was about 3" x 24" and now my hands are pretty well angry at me. Again. So while I really want to have a strap that is comfortable and attaches properly to SM, I probably need a day off. Especially since hands are useful for other things. Like, you know, everything.
And miracle of miracles, Gaz insisted on an early bedtime. It's like I hit the lottery.
* That would be the forward roll. Not a kaiser roll. Not an onion roll either.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
it's decided
First, at least for blogging purposes, I will be calling him Sea Monkey (KING OF THE BANJOS!).
Also, the problem with "Good Night Ladies" is that I am hella slow. After beating my head against it this afternoon, and then just doing basic rolls and variations, going back to the baby version of "Cripple Creek" for Gaz's benefit, and then beating my head against it again, I finally took out the CD that came with the book. The new plan is to practice measure by measure so I can get some of the weirder left hand work to move faster incrementally. I also printed out some chord charts, because I like to visualize in detail how chords and such change as I move up the neck. I'll do better when I can figure out where to put all my other fingers. That should also make it easier to work my way back up to that D7 in the middle without having to take my whole hand off and stare at the frets until something makes sense.
Oh, since I know three chords, do I get a cookie? And a punk band?
Also, the problem with "Good Night Ladies" is that I am hella slow. After beating my head against it this afternoon, and then just doing basic rolls and variations, going back to the baby version of "Cripple Creek" for Gaz's benefit, and then beating my head against it again, I finally took out the CD that came with the book. The new plan is to practice measure by measure so I can get some of the weirder left hand work to move faster incrementally. I also printed out some chord charts, because I like to visualize in detail how chords and such change as I move up the neck. I'll do better when I can figure out where to put all my other fingers. That should also make it easier to work my way back up to that D7 in the middle without having to take my whole hand off and stare at the frets until something makes sense.
Oh, since I know three chords, do I get a cookie? And a punk band?
getting to know Sea Monkey
Getting to know all abouuuuuut hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim! Ahem.
Following a beastly, bedtime, I did finally get some banjo time. All my picks are reasonably comfortable, and I've mastered the slo-motion version of the alternate thumb roll. I have no songs to use the forward roll on yet, but maybe today I'll get to turn the page. I can pick "Shortnin' Bread" and "Cripple Creek" (simplified versions, of course) but "Goodnight Ladies" kicked my ass. I get my thumb caught up on the fourth string sometimes, but I'm not doing too badly. At least I finally got to where I was remembering to anchor my right hand to the head after an hour. Playing the uke kinda ruined me there--I kept trying to pick on the frets.
Following a beastly, bedtime, I did finally get some banjo time. All my picks are reasonably comfortable, and I've mastered the slo-motion version of the alternate thumb roll. I have no songs to use the forward roll on yet, but maybe today I'll get to turn the page. I can pick "Shortnin' Bread" and "Cripple Creek" (simplified versions, of course) but "Goodnight Ladies" kicked my ass. I get my thumb caught up on the fourth string sometimes, but I'm not doing too badly. At least I finally got to where I was remembering to anchor my right hand to the head after an hour. Playing the uke kinda ruined me there--I kept trying to pick on the frets.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
ready, set, PICK!
I made a small purchase today. I paid much less than it's listed for on this site. Old Town School FTW! Best sale ever, and I had a good talk with a man who knows his instruments. He convinced me that I didn't need to spend the extra money for a resonator banjo, since that really just makes it louder, it doesn't affect any other sound qualities. I also bought the book they use for teaching banjo at the OTS (Tony Trischka's The Complete 5-String Banjo Player), so when I have the time I'll be quite prepared to take a class. All the while, I had my good friend Angeli cheering me on and a nice lady banjo player helping me pick out finger and thumb picks and encouraging me to give the $3000 Nechville a spin. I should have asked for her name, because she would be a total hoot to be in a class with. The guy also pointed out that with an open-back banjo, I'm not limited to bluegrass. I can play around with ragtime (!!!!) and some international banjo fare. Good thing I have no social life!
I also got a CD for Gaz and a bluegrass songbook for me, because it has All the Songs I Already Know How To Sing. And also, a week ago I had never seen a mention of "Hog Eye Man" outside of my CD collection, and today I was seeing it everywhere. Weird. It took a long time for the guys to bring up the banjo I ended up buying, so A. and I spend a good amount of time chortling over various cool things (turquoise flowery Stratocaster!), and I was sorely tempted by the enormous collection of folk music from Southern Illinois (in CD and tome formats!). I spent too much time around Carmi and Bone Gap. One day when I'm not buying a banjo I'll have to get that, and also the nice collection of old disaster songs.
Speaking of, I'm quivering in anticipation at the nigh endless variety of murder ballads and such that I shall eventually have in my repertoire! I already have music for some goodies, like "On the Banks of the Ohio," and I hope it won't be hard to run down the tab for "Gun Street Girl" because you just can't get better than Tom Waits + banjo. Swoon! Now it's time to start going through my banjo text book and hope for an early bedtime for Gaz tonight so I can get in some good practice time.
I also got a CD for Gaz and a bluegrass songbook for me, because it has All the Songs I Already Know How To Sing. And also, a week ago I had never seen a mention of "Hog Eye Man" outside of my CD collection, and today I was seeing it everywhere. Weird. It took a long time for the guys to bring up the banjo I ended up buying, so A. and I spend a good amount of time chortling over various cool things (turquoise flowery Stratocaster!), and I was sorely tempted by the enormous collection of folk music from Southern Illinois (in CD and tome formats!). I spent too much time around Carmi and Bone Gap. One day when I'm not buying a banjo I'll have to get that, and also the nice collection of old disaster songs.
Speaking of, I'm quivering in anticipation at the nigh endless variety of murder ballads and such that I shall eventually have in my repertoire! I already have music for some goodies, like "On the Banks of the Ohio," and I hope it won't be hard to run down the tab for "Gun Street Girl" because you just can't get better than Tom Waits + banjo. Swoon! Now it's time to start going through my banjo text book and hope for an early bedtime for Gaz tonight so I can get in some good practice time.
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