For/to help beginners/improvers indulging in deliberate practice to improve their banjo playing. An open group.

88 Members, Created 11/6/2017 -

Administrators: AndyW (owner) , Boadicea , WayneConrad

My current practising goals

From Boadicea on 11/8/2017 9:27:46 PM

These are a list I wrote a few weeks ago as a goal of things to follow up during my practising sessions. I thought I would share it here to illustrate what I am trying to do in my practising sessions.

Potential practising/playing that I could do today. I won’t do them all each day, (but I can reorder them each day to have the most needed to be played at number one position) but having a list will jog my memory of what needs to be noodled and played around with.

1. Open G to C chord practising. I am still not smooth with this transition.

2. 5 x X (X = number of minutes) on  one or all of my 5 rolls, later I will build up for longer times. (2 x Mixed rolls, Backward Forward Roll, 2 x  Forward rolls) So currently my goal is 1 minute per roll per day and bumping up to 5 minutes per roll per day.

3. Goodnight Ladies (I can play without the tab)

4.  Blackberry Blossum Part A + Part B B (I can play Part A with the tab, Part B is close to playing without the tab) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ6tfeCAtVM

5. 12 bar chord progression | G | % | % | % |  C | % | G | % | D7 | % | G | % | (using combinations of all my five rolls) (I can play without the tab)

6. | G | Em | C | D7 | I love playing this one. I can do the chord changes quicker on this one. I want to learn this one off by heart.

7. G Major Scale (I can play without the tab)

8. Major Scale G Melodic (I haven't learnt this one yet - still using tab)

9.  Playing the backup chords for my pieces - I really want to do this, because I can really see the value in doing them - the ability to jam with other musicians, which I am a long way off doing, but it is a goal.

10  Really simple Cripple Creek Part A + Part B (In Part A I need to drill the first two bars, and in Part B I can play it off by heart.)

11. "Insert title here at some point" piece Part A + Part B (I can mostly play them off by heart but sometimes I confuse it with another piece.)

12. Worried Man Blues (listening to different versions and also reading about the song)

13. Do one of the tunes in the book I last showed my banjo teacher and ask him how to do that. He showed me in the last few minutes of my second lesson, and I didn't quite take it in.

14. General noodling. Noodling laying down on the ground with my resonator on my belly feels really good.

15. Strum practising

16. Alexander Technique - Semi supine (also known as Constructive Rest)

17. Mindfulness with my banjo.

18. Walking with my banjo

19. Breathing with my banjo

20. Other scales given to me at my last lesson.

6 Comments
	AndyW says: 11/9/2017 2:55:20 AM Kate, please take this as constructive criticism. Those don't ring out as 'goals' to me, but more just a list of potential practice items. I would see a goal for example as the following. 10. Learn simple Cripple Creek by heart. That gives something to aim for. Even better would be. 10. Learn simple Cripple Creek by heart within the next four weeks. That not only gives an aim, but a method (time) of telling if that aim has been achieved, or how close to achieving it you have been.
	Boadicea says: 11/9/2017 3:59:44 AM Thanks @AndyW those are great examples of succinct and productive goal setting! Much appreciated! I think sometimes I am trying to do too much at once. You are good at refining goals! Ta
	AndyW says: 11/9/2017 4:36:06 AM S. M. A. R. T. goals.... Specific Measureable Achievable Relevant Time-based Firstly, a goal is pretty pointless if it isn't specific and achievable. Secondly. If your goal isn't somehow measureable, how do you know if you have achieved it. Time-based is usually essential to prevent open endedness.
	Boadicea says: 11/9/2017 4:49:33 AM All good points @AndyW!
	pickn5 says: 11/9/2017 6:59:02 AM Hey y'all, check out the linked forum post by Banjophobic. Hope it helps, it has me.
	n1wr says: 11/9/2017 7:07:44 AM I see @AndyW has a bit of management experience behind him! Well said Andy. I am a bit past the basics, so my goals are built around the tunes I'd like to learn. I have a list of all the tunes I've learned, and I break them down into groups that I've assigned to days. So for example I practice the first five tunes on Mondays. That way I am refreshing my playing of all of my tunes at least once a week. Next I have a list of the tunes that I would like to learn. I try to limit the ones I'm working on - generally I have one or two that I have memorized, and a couple that I still need the help of TAB. I keep a binder with all the TAB for the tunes I've learned. Occasionally - if I fall off the horse and take a break, at my age I'll forget some part of a tune. Going back to the TAB helps. So basically, following Andy's thoughts, I'm looking at what I want to learn in the next month, and looking further next year. Besides learning tunes I also try to focus on backup. Tom Adams has a very good DVD out - Backup licks for 20 Flatt and Scruggs tunes for the Mercury Sessions. A great way to learn Scruggs style backup, and if you are a banjo player this is where you should start learning backup. You all have a good day.
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

Page: 1  2  3  4  Last